The Classical Period - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Classical Period

1750-1820

• Music should be stripped of non-essentials making it simple and easy to comprehend
• Logic, order and balance
• Standard genres, musical forms, and ensembles
• Music is meant to please and entertain

• Variety and contrast of mood within pieces
• Changes in mood may be gradual or sudden
• Composer has firm control over conflict and contrast

• Flexibility of rhythm
• Variety of rhythm patterns
• Unlike continuity and predictability of the Baroque, there may be unexpected pauses, syncopations, and frequent changes from long to short notes
• Changes may be gradual or sudden

• Homophony reigns
• Polyphonic sections may be added for contrast

• Melodies have a folk or pop like character
• Tuneful and easy to sing and remember
• Symmetrical and balanced

• Crescendos and decrescendos are more prominent
• The basso continuo is no longer the most prominent accompaniment to melody

• Four families: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion are standard (see pg. 152) which provide for variety in timbres
• Classical orchestra is larger than the Baroque and may vary in size (27-60)

• Chamber music: music to be performed in a more intimate setting than a concert hall. Chamber music is performed by a small group of two to nine musicians
• String Quartet: 2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello
• Piano trio:violin, cello and piano
• Violin and piano (sonatas)

• Symphony #40 in G Minor by Mozart
• String Quartet in C Minor by Beethoven
• Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven
• Piano Trio by

• The symphony: Multi movement work for orchestra
• String quartet: multi movement work for four musicians (a mini symphony)
• Sonata: composition for solo instrument and piano or for piano solo
• Serenade: a multi-movement work for strings that in light and entertaining

• The Classical Concerto: a three movement work for solo and orchestra
• Mass: five sung prayers for Christian worship
• Oratorios: multi-movement work for chorus, vocal soloists and orchestra
• Opera buffa: Italian comic opera
• Minuet and trio: ABA dance in triple meter

• Three titans of the Classical Era:
• Joseph Haydn
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Ludwig Van Beethoven

• Austrian born child prodigy and genius
• Trained by father who was a professional musician
• Touring child superstar (featured with his sister, Nanerl)
• Only patron was the archbishop of Salzburg His difficult personality led him to a career of free-lancing

• Operas Buffa: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and the Magic Flute
• Numerous symphonies, masses, sonatas, string quartets and concertos for a variety of instruments

• Four movements:Molto Allegro, Andante, Menuetto,and Allegro assai
• First movement is in sonata form: (intro.) -exposition-development-recapitulation-(coda)

• Classical Concerto: Three movement work for soloist and orchestra
• Cadenza:Unaccompanied virtuoso displayat the end of the first or last movement of the concerto
• 1st Movement (Allegro con brio) is in sonata form

• Multi-movement work for string ensemble
• Composition is a serenade: light chamber
• Third Movement: Minuet and Trio

• Opera Buffa written the last year of Mozart’s life
• Theme of the opera is the brotherhood of man
• The Queen of the Night is a coloratura soprano

• Austrian born
• Humble beginnings: began musical training at as a choirboy in Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral
• At age 29 he became employed by the noble, wealthy, Hungarian, Esterhazy family
• He worked for them for about 30 years

• Duties included conducting and rehearsing the orchestra, coaching singers, instrument manager, music librarian composer and produced two concerts, two operas, and chamber music weekly
• Numerous works include chamber music, concerti, symphonies oratorios and masses

• Written for a friend who had just invented the keyed trumpet which increased the number of tones the instrument could produce
• Later the keyed trumpet was replaced for a valve trumpet which had a nicer timbre
• Concerto has 3 movements
• Listen for the cadenza in the first movement

• Symphony reflects Haydn’s sense of humor
• Second movement is in theme and variations form
• Theme has a folk like quality and is easy to remember
• Listening guide is on page 163

• Born in Bonn, Germany into a family of musicians
• At age 22: left Germany for Vienna, studies with Haydn and established himself as a concert pianist and composer
• At age 29: Started to go deaf, contemplated suicide but decided to live for his art

• Eccentric, dressed sloppily, lived in 40 different places in his lifetime
• Couldn’t keep a housekeeper or a cook
• Musically, he was orderly, methodical, and a perfectionist
• He was more deliberate in his composing than Mozart

• Because he uses standard Classical forms with emotional intensity and power, he bridged the Classical Era with the Romantic
• He wrote 9 symphonies, 32 piano sonatas16 string quartets, 5 piano concertos, two masses and one opera.
• First composer to be considered and “artist”

• Fourth movement is in rondo form: A B A C A B A
• Listen for gypsy-like rondo theme

• Opening rhythmic motive is fate knocking at the door or possibly Morse code
• All four movements are unified with this rhythm
• Listen to Movement I. Allegro Con Brio
• Listening guide on page 194-195

• First symphony to use full chorus and vocal soloists
• Work is auto biographical
• Last movement unifies all the movements and is theme and variations on Ode to Joy