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Why is it so difficult to classify Classical Music? I've done a bit of research and it all becomes so confusing. Should it be by era (Classical, Baroque, Romantic, and so on), by type (Concerto, Symphony, Orchestra, and so on) or some other way (Composer). The problem with the above is that if it is by era it doesn't really tell me much about the music itself.
As an example, the album Bach Meets The Beatles by John Bayless is an album of Beatles songs done in the style of Johann Sebastian Bach. So should it be considered Baroque (the era of Bach) or Pop (the style of some of The Beatles' music) or Rock (the style of some of the later Beatles' music)?
In the end, I divided my classical music into four genres: Solo Instrument, Small Group (like a concerto), Large Group (like an orchestra or symphony) and Vocal (for operas). As far as where each classical piece goes, it depends on the music itself, independent of composer, type of music, and the era it was written. It's not perfect, but at least it tells me something about the music. Still, why should this be so difficult?
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