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1. Classical music is music that is written with classical orchestration in mind, i.e, string, woodwind, brass, percussion sections, choral, and solo instuments, or some subset of that. However, I don't believe its limited to that instrumentation at all, as musicians like Robert Fripp use classical motifs in much more modern instruments.
It isn't limited by a time. There are componants of classical music in medieval gregorian chant, and in John Williams sound tracks for Star Wars.
Musically, it tends to have more layers (percussion, base line, melody, harmony, counter point, counter melody, etc.). Keys change. Modes change (major and minor scales are two example of modes).
2. Absolutely!
3. Here are a few:
Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. I must have a dozen versions.
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition. Again, easily a dozen version (original piano, Ravel's orchestration, plus Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's electronic version).
Samual Barber - Adagio for String, and Overture to School for Scandal
J.S. Bach (not to be confused with P.D.Q. Bach) - Brandenburg Concertos, plus lots of misc. organ music
In a sense, I think of classical music as a sort of general category of music similar to the way rock can refer to various genres of music. Within the broad heading of rock you have pop, heavy metal, punk, alternative, etc.).
In all of this, it is important to notice how one genre evolves into and influences the next genre. English folk music begats american folk, which evolves into bluegrass. A different folk tradition and history begats blues. Bluegrass becomes country. Blues becomes jazz, and they both lead to rock and roll. Rock and country now converge in a kind of pop (Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, and Shania Twain all appear on both MTV, and CMT).
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