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Classical Period1750-1820

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Classical EraThe term classical is confusing becauseof its different meanings:

• A) It may refer to the arts of Greek and Roman antiquity

• B) supreme accomplishment or lasting appeal

• Anything that is not rock, jazz, rap or folk, etc.

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Age of Enlightenment• Philosophers and writers believed in

progress, believing that reason, not custom or tradition was the best guide for human conduct.

• Their attacks on the privileges of the aristocracy and clergy reflected the outlook of the middle class, which were struggling for their rights.

• This 70 year period was marked by violent political and social upheaval and included the Seven Year’s War, the American and French Revolutions, and the Napoleonic Wars.

• Political and economic power shifted from the aristocracy and church to the middle class.

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Transition• The time period between the baroque

and the classical was known as the pre-classical period (1730-1770).

• Bach’s sons were pioneers in this new style

• The master composers of the era were Haydn, Mozart, and the young Beethoven—and this style is referred to as Viennese since all three composers lived in, worked in, and drew inspiration from the spirit and culture of 18th century Vienna.

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Inside the Castle• Aristocracy settled into a predictable life of

manners, morals, and music• Outside the walls—the people began rising in

revolt because they wanted control of their own destinies.

• Concerts: Servants delivered ornate invitations. Guests arrived in the afternoon for drinks, and then retired to guest rooms to nap. After the nap they changed clothes and strolled into the music room where they talked or dozed.

• After the concert they went to the ball and danced for hours.

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Music Overview• By the middle of the century, even the middle-class

families usually had a harpsichord and other musical instrument in their homes

• The piano was introduced around 1711 and became more and more popular.

• Composers augmented their meager incomes by offering music lessons, and important books of music instruction were printed.

• Simple music for amateurs to play was composed and owners were programmed to include music that would please the eager, but inexperienced audience.

• Women became more involved in the art of music making in the home.

• They took lessons and practiced quite a bit in order to entertain their families, suitors, and friends.

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Characteristics• Contrast of Mood: Baroque compositions

usually conveyed a single emotion—classical pieces fluctuated in mood, either gradually or suddenly and there was great contrast.

• Rhythm: flexibility and lots of rhythmic patterns, unexpected pauses, and syncopation—and not the perpetual motion of the baroque.

• Texture: basically homophonic—and it became the predominant texture. Melodies were generally placed in the top line, and the bass which supported the harmonies above, had less melodic interested than in the music of the baroque. There is also a shift in and out of textures.

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Characteristics• Melody: Easy to remember and are the most

tuneful. The themes of even the highly sophisticated compositions may have a folk or popular flavor.

• They usually sound balanced and symmetrical because they are frequently made up of two phrases of the same length.

• Dynamics: The range of dynamic levels increased in the latter part of the 18th century. Crescendos were longer and more expressive and gradual—not terraced like the baroque.

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Characteristics• Timbre: Instrumental music clearly

dominated during the Classical period. Orchestral music was particularly important. The piano, capable of achieving expressive dynamic effects, replaced the harpsichord as the primary keyboard instrument—but not until 1775.

• End of the basso continuo: amateurs started playing music and they weren’t skilled enough to master the art of improvising from a figured bass. It was gradually abandoned during this time and became obsolete. Classical musicians wanted more control and they preferred to specify an accompaniment.

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New Classical Orchestra• Larger with a standard group of four sections.• Instruments came into their own, and they

were featured, and not used for doubling.• The string section usually had the melody.• Strings: 1st and 2nd violins; violas, cellos,

basses.• Winds: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2

bassoons• Brass: 2 French Horns, 2 trumpets• Percussion: 2 timpani

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Classical FormsClassicists found beauty in order andsymmetry of design, and their music isclearly organized according to old andnew principles of musical form.• Symphony – large scale work for orchestra• Symphonies and String Quartets (Usually

follow this 4-movement pattern)• 1.) Fast movement• 2.) Slow movement• 3.) Dance-related movement• 4.) Fast movement

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Classical Forms• String Quartet: • composition written for 2 violins (1st and

2nd), 1 viola,1 cello• Classical sonata: written for one or two

instruments. (piano or piano and violin, for example)

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Three of the World’s Greatest Composers• Haydn (1732-1809) spent most of his life serving a

wealthy aristocratic family (Prince Esterhazy). He was considered a skilled servant—like a gardener or gamekeeper and had to refrain from vulgarity in eating, drinking, and conversation.

• Mozart (1756-1791) couldn’t bear being treated like a servant and broke away from his court position and went to Vienna to try his luck as a freelance musician. He was very successful for several years but his popularity declined and he died in debt.

• Beethoven (1770-1827) fared better than both Haydn and Mozart. He was able to work as an independent musician in Vienna—only a few years after Mozart’s death. His success was gained through a wider middle-class market for music and a commanding personality that prompted the nobility to give him gifts and treat him as an equal. He played for Mozart as a 16 year old, and studied with Haydn when he was 22.

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Sonata Form• Sonata Form - (refers to the form of a

single movement)• Motives are short musical ideas• Sonata form—not the term sonata,

which is used for a whole composition made up of several movements.

• This form is found in the opening of a first movement of a classical symphony, sonata, or string quartet. More often than not the opening movement is in sonata form.

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Sonata Form•Three main parts:•Exposition: theme stated (exposition means a detailed statement or explanation)•Development: theme treated in new ways •Recapitulation: themes return [brings resolution] (review or summary)•Coda: Concluding Sections (It. for tail, ending on tonic) (conclusion)

#1-Mozart-Symphony No.40 in G Minor, K550 (P. 166) First Movement

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Theme and Variations•Widely used in the classical period, either as an independent piece or as one movement of a symphony, sonata, or string quartet.•The basic musical idea—the theme—is repeated over and over and is changed each time. •Each variation is usually about the same length as the theme—and may differ in mood from the theme.#2-Haydn: Symphony No. 94 in G Major, 2nd

Movement (P. 168)

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Minuet and Trio• Often used as the third movement of classical

symphonies, string quartets and other works.• Originated as a dance (first appeared at the

court of Louis XIV of France) around 1650 and was danced by aristocrats.

• It was stately and dignified whereby couples exchanged bows and curtsies.

• The minuet movement of a symphony is meant for listening.

• Triple meter, moderate tempo. ABA form • (Minuet (A) Trio (B) Minuet (A)

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Serenade• Is light in mood and meant for evening

entertainment. • Written for small string orchestra or for

a string quartet plus a double bass that plays the cello part an octave lower.

• The third movement is a courtly minuet in ABA form

#3-Mozart – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik ( A Little Night Music), K525. Third

Movement (P. 171)

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Rondo• Has a main theme A which alternates with

other themes.• In our example the A theme is in the style of

a gypsy dance (in minor)• Theme B is lyrical in melody• Theme C is quick and playful and when

theme A returns it has a faster tempo and leads to a frenzied concluding section.

• Listening Outline: ABACABA#4 – Rondo: Beethoven, String Quartet in C

Minor, Op. 18, No. 4 (Fourth Movement)

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Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)• Born in Austria.• He served as a choirboy in Vienna and when his

voice changed, he was dismissed with no money.• Eventually aristocrats recognized his talent when at

age 29 he entered the service of the Esterhazy (the richest and most powerful of the Hungarian noble families)

• He composed music for them for nearly 30 years in the palace which contained an opera house, a theater, two concert halls and 126 guest rooms.

• Haydn was a highly skilled servant who was required to compose all music desired by his patron, in addition to conducting the orchestra, coaching singers, and overseeing the instruments and music library.

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Haydn• He held the post of Kapellmeister (the Kapell

being the prince’s chapel), which involved managing and writing music not only for the prince’s chapel but also for his private opera house, his marionette theater, and for palace chamber music and orchestral performances.

• He was a good administrator who hired his own musicians in order to experiment with the symphony and other genres in order to develop his style under ideal conditions.

• His music became immensely popular all over Europe. He went to London in 1791-92 and again in 1794-95 and reports indicated that his appearances were triumphs.

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Haydn• He was a pioneer in the development of

the symphony and the string quartet. • Both Mozart and Beethoven were

influenced by his style. • He was a master at developing themes. • Some scholars believe that Haydn

invented the string quartet form. • He wrote masses, oratorios, string

quartets, symphonies, piano sonatas, divertimentos, concertos, and operas.

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)• Born in Austria.(2006 marks the 250th

anniversary of his birth.)• Amazing child prodigy.• Wrote his first symphony at age 8 and his first

opera at age 12. • Toured the palaces from the ages of 6-15,

shown off by his father. • He played for aristocrats. • When he returned to Salzburg at age 15 the

archbishop, a tyrant who ruled Salzburg at the time, would not grant him anything above a subordinate seat in the court orchestra.

• Mozart spent 10 years with the help of his father to find another position anywhere else.

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Mozart• At age 25 he couldn’t take it anymore, broke free

from Salzsburg, and became a free-lance musician in Vienna.

• He was very successful for the first few years. His concerts were attended by royalty, his compositions were published, and pupils paid him high fees—he also formed a friendship with Haydn.

• His popularity declined after Don Giovanni, which was not received very well in Vienna—and it was downhill from this point on.

• After 1787 his life was a struggle but he did receive a minor court appointment and the promise of a church position—and then finally he scored a hit with the Magic Flute and he became successful again during the last year of his life—he received a commission for a comic opera The Magic Flute.

• Requiem (Mass for the dead)

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Mozart• Mozart was a versatile composer and wrote

masterpieces in all forms of his time—symphonies, concertos, chamber music, operas etc.

• Many of his concertos are his greatest works. • He was a great pianist.• He was a master of opera because he had a

keen sense of theater. • Most of his operas are comedies composed

to German or Italian librettos#5: Mozart -Opera - Don Giovanni Act I

(Italian) Page 183

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Classical Symphonies• Classical Symphony: The greatest

contribution to the classical period. • Haydn- wrote at least 104, wrote them

mostly for his employers• Mozart- wrote over 40• Beethoven-wrote only nine. Beethoven

wrote a symphony only when inspired.• Beethoven’s symphonies are longer

than both Mozart’s and Haydn’s and were conceived for performance in the large concert hall.

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Classical Concerto• This is a three-movement work for an

instrumental soloist and orchestra. • It combines the soloist’s virtuosity and

interpretive abilities with the orchestra’s wide range of tone color and dynamics.

• Soloist and orchestra are equally important in keeping with the classical love of balance.

• Mozart and Beethoven were the greatest masters of the classical concerto—and often wrote concertos for themselves to play as piano soloists; and the piano is their favored solo instrument.

• There were other solo instruments including the violin, cello, horn bassoon trumpet, clarinet, and cello.

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Classical Concerto• They can last anywhere from 20-45 minuets like a

symphony. • There are three movements: (1) fast (2) slow (3) fast. • Has no minuet or scherzo. • In the first movement or the last movement, there is a

special unaccompanied showpiece for the soloists, the cadenza (Italian for cadence).

• The soloist then displays virtuosity by playing dazzling scale passages etc. without the orchestra.

• In the classical era the soloists was often the composer and generally improvised the cadenza.

#6: Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488 First Movement (P. 191)

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Ludwig van Beethoven: (1770-1820) • Born in Bonn, Germany • His father (a minor musician at the court of Bonn)

tried unsuccessfully to promote him as an infant prodigy like Mozart.

• Although considered a “slow developer, by the age of 22 he was acclaimed as a powerful virtuoso pianist, playing his own compositions at the palaces for the music-loving aristocracy in Vienna—where he remained until his death.

• He became progressively deaf after the age of 30. • He overcame his depression, turned to composition

and in 1803 wrote the first of his powerful and individual symphonies the Eroica (Third).

• He was probably the first musician to make a living/career solely from composing, and he was regarded as a genius and eccentric during his lifetime.

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Beethoven• He represents the highest level of

musical genius. • He profoundly influenced composers

throughout the 19th C. • By age 11 he was serving as assistant

to the court organist, and at age 12 had several compositions published.

• Before his 29th birthday, he left Bonn to study with Haydn in Vienna, where he spent the rest of his life. Vienna was taken with his virtuosity and his ability to improvise.

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Beethoven• He rebelled against social convention asserting that

the artist deserved as much respect as the nobility—and the same aristocrats who had allowed Mozart to die in debt (20 years before) showered Beethoven in gifts.

• In 1809, three noblemen committed to him an annual income, only if he were to stay in Vienna.

• Unlike earlier composers, Beethoven was never actually in the service of the Viennese aristocracy.

• He earned good fees from piano lessons and concerts and publishers were quick to buy his compositions.

• He first felt the symptoms of deafness at age 29. Even when he went deaf, he insisted on conducting although he could no longer perform (playing the piano) in public.

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Beethoven• He was the musical heir of Haydn and Mozart and he.• Many of his innovations were used by later

composers. • He used a great range of pitch and dynamics greater

than ever before. • Contrast in mood is more bridged the gap between

the classical and romantic eras pronounced—accents and climaxes are on a greater scale.

• Was a musical architect who greatly expanded forms and made them more dramatic.

• His most popular works were his nine symphonies and he took the unprecedented step of using a chorus and 4 vocal soloists, who sing the text to Schiller’s “Ode to Joy” in the last movement of his ninth symphony.

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Beethoven• His 32 piano sonatas are far more difficult than those

of Haydn or Mozart and he drew many new effects from the piano of his time.

• His string quartets are considered to be the greatest music ever composed

• His piano concerti are very individual and it is said that he premiered each of the five.

• His works is usually divided into three periods: early (up to 1802), middle (1803-1814) and late (1815-1827).

• Earlier works show the influence of Haydn and Mozart but the rest show his own personal style.

#7: Piano Sonatas in C Minor, Op. 13 (Pathetique) (page 198)

#8: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 (page 201)