Before Late Romantic orchestral trends of length and scope separated the trajectory of lighter orchestral works from the Western Classical canon, classical composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or Joseph Haydn won as much fame for writing lighter pieces such as Eine Kleine Nachtmusik as for their symphonies and operas. Later examples of early European light music include the operettas of composers such as Franz von Suppé or Sir Arthur Sullivan; the Continental salon and parlour music genres; and the waltzes and marches of Johann Strauss II and his family. The Straussian waltz became a common light music composition (note for example Charles Ancliffe's "Nights of Gladness" or Felix Godin's "Valse Septembre"). These influenced the foundation of a "lighter" tradition of classical music in the 19th and early 20th centuries. More from WIKIPEDIA
VIDEO: BBC Four series showcasing the Golden Age of British light orchestral music. Interviews with Ernest Tomlinson, Brian Kay, Angela Morley, Vera Binge and featuring the music of Eric Coates, Robert Farnon, Ronald Binge, Mantovani, Ernest Tomlinson and a host of others. Broadcast in 2007
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