Classical Genres It is not exactly what you would here on MTV, but classical music is the most popular music around the world and has inspired more musicians than any other type of music. Classical music consists of five different genres: the symphony, the string quartet, the sonata, the concerto, and the opera. These five genres have been perfected over time by three major composers. The symphony is by far the most popular genre to come from the classical era. It is instrumental music for a symphony orchestra that consists of several movements. The most popular of the movements has three parts, fast-slow-fast, just as rock does today. The most popular composers were able to