How did Classical-period music differ from the elaborate counterpoint of Baroque music?

The transition from the Baroque to the Classical period was marked by a shift from the intricate, luxuriant polyphony of the late Baroque to a predominantly homophonic texture. While Baroque music often featured extended, figurative melodies and complex independent lines, Classical-period music favored a clearer, more balanced style where a single melodic line was supported by chordal accompaniment.21

Early Classical composers largely moved away from counterpoint, viewing it as an archaic "learned style" reserved for church music. However, in the late Classical period, composers like Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven reintegrated contrapuntal techniques. Unlike the Baroque approach, this later counterpoint was tempered by Classical principles: it was kept subservient to the work's tonal design and organized into symmetrical, unified phrases. By integrating counterpoint into sonata form, these composers used it to build musical intensity and thematic development while maintaining the clarity and formal structure that defined the Classical style.12