Piano Period History

Examining significant composers of piano music

through music history.

Baroque1600 - 1750

Decorative music (characteristic of time period)

Fundamental Bass LineAll parts of Baroque music must be subservient to a bass line.

Fugue: composition with musical line articulated in one voice and rearticulated by following voices in repeat, inversion, etc

Johann Sebastian Bach1685-1750

• German composer• Was an organist• Known as one of the

greatest fugue writers.• Pianoforte was created

in his mid-life• Listen to Minuet in G

Classical Period1750-1830

• Orderly music (return of interest in Greek time period)

• Sonata (composition & form)• Sonata Form:

Exposition – introduce themeDevelopment – develop themeRecapitulation – return of theme

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart1756-1791

• Austrian composer• Melody writer• Wrote many Sonatas• Died young• Listen to Piano Sonata

No. 11 in A Major

Romantic1860-1920

• Emotion in sound• Dramatic music

through: – strong dynamic changes– large instrumentation– drastic key changes

Ludwig van Beethoven1770-1827

• Crossover composer - began in Classical period ended in Romantic period

• THE composer to push the Romantic style

• Extreme personality helpedin extreme music

• Know for his 9 Symphonies• Became deaf at end of life• Listen to Sonata Pathetique

Johannes Brahms1833-1897

• Structured composer – followed style of BachBut incorporated dramaticRomantic qualities such as drastic key changes

• Listen to Intermezzo in A

Frederic Chopin1810-1849

• French composer• Wrote almost exclusively

for the piano• Wrote “etudes” (studies)– Each explored a single

technical problem, usually set around a single motif.

– Listen to Etude #4 in C# minor,Op 10, Nocturne in E flat Major

Franz Liszt1811-1886

• Hungarian composer• Know mostly for

piano works• Extremely big hands

and long fingers – which made for difficult compositions

• Pieces technically difficult• Listen to Hungarian Rhapsody

Impressionismlate 19th century

• French movement in the arts• Characteristics:– Creating mood– Asian pentatonic scale–Whole tone scale– Tone color– Irregular rhythm– Dissonance

Claude Debussy1862-1918

• French composer• Didn’t like the label

Impressionist (meant to be derogatory from the painters)

• Know for his piano works• Listen to Claire de Lune

Modern/Contemporary1920 - present

Breaks with or redefines the conventions of the past.

Uses experimental techniques.Show the diversity of society and the

blending of cultures.• Jazz – syncopation, call & response,

unique harmonies

Scott Joplin1867-1917• African American

composer• Known for

writing Ragtime (style leading into Jazz)

Duke Ellington

1899-1974• African American

composer• Known for Jazz

style