Definition: A 20th-century trend where composers (like Stravinsky or Prokofiev) sought to return to the aesthetic precepts associated with “classicism”—order, balance, clarity, and emotional restraint.
The Savvy Take: Playing Neoclassical music is like wearing a vintage suit with modern sneakers. It has the structure of Mozart (crisp, clean) but the harmonies of the modern era (spicy, wrong-note sounds). Don’t pedal over the crispness.