Classical Music

Higher Music

Listen to this piece of music

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from the Classical period
and answer the following questions:
1.How would you describe the tonality?
2.What is the time signature?
3.What technique are the strings using at the
beginning?

Classical Music - Overview

1750-1810
Three main composers
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756-1791)

Ludwig Van Beethoven

(1770-1827)
Joseph Haydn
(1732-1809)

 Investigation Task
You will split in to groups of 3. Each member of the group will research a
different composer from the Classical Period:
Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn.
You will have ten minutes to find out the following information about each
composer
Where each composer was born and died
What genres/styles of music they composed
Any famous pieces they composed
What instruments were available during the Classical Period?
Once you have collated this information, you will be asked to share the
information you have gathered with other groups. (see attached
instruction sheets)

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Serenade for String Quartet
Serenades were often meant for
performances outdoors.
Scored mainly for wind instruments
Mozart writes his for string quartet what
is a string quartet?

n1
i
l
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i
V

2
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Vi

Vio
la

Ce
llo

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik 1st

Movement
This is in Sonata Form
Sonata form is divided into three sections
Exposition 2 themes
Development develops these themes
Recapitulation plays the two themes again
(Usually ends with a coda)

Follow the music and answer these

questions in your jotter
1. What key is this in?
2. Insert in bars 6 and 8 where there is a
trill
3. Complete the notes and rhythm in bars
16-17

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Classical Orchestra
The orchestra was finally established in
the Classical period
4 sections
Strings
Woodwind
Brass
Percussion

 By the end of the century, the woodwind

became a self-contained section, like the
strings
Composers started to use wind
instruments for simple changes of tone
colour
The horns helped to fill in the harmony
once supplied by the harpsichord
The trumpets and kettledrums were added
to nosier passages

Sonata
A sonata is a piece of music written for
solo instrument, or solo instrument with
piano accompaniment

 Listen to the following sonata by

Beethoven. Do you know what it is
called?

Now listen again and answer the following

questions while following the score
provided:

Beethoven Moonlight Sonata (1 st

Movement)
1.What notes are to be played sharp in this extract?
2.How would you describe the dynamics at the
beginning?
3.What word would describe the rhythm at the end
of bar 5?
4.What chord do the notes in bar 1 outline?
5.Explain the term sempre pp e senza sordino in
bar 1.
6.What form is a typical first movement of a sonata
in?

Alberti Bass
What is an alberti bass?

Your teacher will demonstrate an alberti bass

on the piano.
As a class, you are now going to learn to play Sonata
in C by Mozart. What concepts can you find?

Mozart Piano Sonata in C Major, K. 545

Choose three features which are present in the
music.
Acciaccatura
Alberti Bass
Cadenza
Concerto

Chromatic Scales
Episode
Ground Bass
Mordent

Symphony
This is played by a full symphony orchestra.
1st movement sonata form

Symphony
This is played by a full symphony orchestra.
1st movement sonata form
2nd movement usually slow, often in ternary
form

Symphony
This is played by a full symphony orchestra.
1st movement sonata form
2nd movement usually slow, often in ternary
form
3rd movement (added at the end of the
Classical period) usually in the form of a minuet
and trio

Symphony
This is played by a full symphony orchestra.
1st movement sonata form
2nd movement usually slow, often in ternary
form
3rd movement (added at the end of the
Classical period) usually in the form of a minuet
and trio
4th movement fast and can be in various forms,
but often in rondo form

Mozart Symphony No. 5

In this question you will hear instrumental music.
A guide to the music is shown below. You are required to complete this guide by inserting
music concepts.
There will now be a pause of 30 seconds to allow you to read through the question.
The music will be played three times, with a pause of 20 seconds between playings. You
will then have a further 30 seconds to complete your answer.
In the first two playings, a voice will help guide you through the music. There is no voice in
the third playing.
Here is the music for the first time.
Here is the music for the second time.
Here is the music for the third time.

The music is written in a

____________________________
key.

The rhythmic feature present is

____________________________ .

A solo is played by the

____________________________
(name of instrument)

Name the interval repeated by the solo instrument

____________________________ .

The music modulates to the

____________________________ .

The music is written in a

MINOR
key.

The rhythmic feature present is

SYNCOPATION .

A solo is played by the

OBOE
(name of instrument)

Name the interval repeated by the solo instrument

SEMITONE .

The music modulates to the

MAJOR/RELATIVE MAJOR .

Concerto
What is a concerto?
The concerto is a piece for solo instrument
with orchestral accompaniment.
It is usually in 3 movements,
although in the Romantic period,
an extra movement was added.
There is a constant dialogue
between soloist and orchestra.

 Listen to the following concerto from the

Classical Period and follow the score before
answer the questions:
1.What is the key of the piece?
2.Write the time signature in the correct place.
Your teacher will now highlight concepts
using your score.
Would you like to hear something a bit
different?

Vocal Music

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Opera was still a popular vocal form of music in

the Classical period.
Listen to this extract from Mozarts opera The
Magic Flute and tick one box to describe the
form and state the type of voice.
Recitative

Aria

The voice is a/an ________________

Chorus

 Listen to this version of the same Aria.

How would you compare this to the
previous version?
Florence Foster Jenkins

Mass
The Mass was discussed earlier in the
Renaissance period.
The Mass continued to be popular in the
Classical period.
What is a Mass?

 It was a sacred choral work with text taken from

the Roman Catholic liturgy.
It had 5 sections.
KYRIE GLORIA CREDO SANCTUS AND
AGNUS DEI.
It was originally written for church worship but in
later years became a large scale work for voices
and orchestra.

 Listen to Lacrimosa from Mozarts

Requiem.
What is the time signature?
How would you describe the tonality?
What cadence is used at the very end?