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Classical period
Classical music refers to music composed between 1750 and 1810. Famous
composers include Haydn, Mozart, early Beethoven and Schubert.
The dates of 1750 and 1810 are not exact, the Baroque period did not end
over night and the classical start in the morning. There were signs that the
music was changing as far back as the 1730s. The Baroque trio Sonata began
to give way to the Classical Sonata; the Italian Overture, found in many
Baroque operas, grew into the Classical Symphony.
Some people refer to classical music as old peoples music or old fashioned
music. It is very different to pop music or rock music.
Early Classical style is called style galant a courtly style which aimed
chiefly to please the listener. Later, the style matured to emphasis more
and more qualities associated with classical architecture: grace and beauty
of line (melody) and shape (the form or design used by a composer to build
up his music), proportion and balance, moderation and control. In particular,
the classical composer strikes a perfect balance in his music between
expressiveness and formal structure.
Baroque music had been mainly polyphonic often with a harpsichord playing in
the background. The texture in the classical period tended to be clearer,
lighter and less complicated and were homophonic tunes above a chordal
accompaniment. You could hear what each part in the music was doing now
and the music was no longer overdone.
The classical period was mainly concerned with form and structure, and it
was in this time that many of the musical forms we hear today were
established. Some of these include Symphony, Solo Concerto, Sonata and
String Quartet.
The Orchestra
The orchestra, which had begun to take shape during the Baroque period,
now started to grow. The continuo was still being used but mainly to knit the
texture together. In time the continuo fell out of use and composers began
to use wind instruments, especially the horns, to bind the texture.
In the earlier part of the Classical period, orchestras were still small and
variable: a basis of strings, two horns were usually added, and one or two
flutes or a pair of oboes. Soon however, composers were including both
flutes and oboes, one or two bassoons, and occasionally two trumpets and a
pair of kettle drums. Clarinets found a regular place towards the end of the
18th century, and then making the woodwind section a self-contained section
of the orchestra.
The Baroque Orchestra:
Kettle Drums
French Horns
Oboes
Second Violins
First Violins
Violas
Harpsichord
Trumpets
Bassoons
Double Basses
Cellos
Kettle Drums
French Horns
Flutes
Oboes
Second Violins
First Violins
Clarinets
Violas
Trumpets
Bassoons
Double Basses
Cellos
Styles
Forms
Concertos
Symphony
Chamber Music
Opera + Overture
Sonata
String Quartet
Binary
Ternary
Rondo
Minuet and Trio + Scherzo
Theme and Variations
Chamber Music
Concerto
Opera + Overture
Symphony
Sonata
String Quartet
Binary
Ternary
Minuet and Trio
Rondo
Scherzo
Theme & Variations
Classical Composers
Joseph Haydn 1732-1809
Haydn was born in Rohrau in 1732 and died in Vienna in
1809.
Specialist Genres: Symphonies, String Quartets, Opera,
Oratorios and Masses.
Major Works: 15 Surviving Operas; 104 Symphonies;
Violin and keyboard concertos; string quartets;
keyboard sonatas; chamber music and songs and 12
Masses
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791
Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756. He was 1 of 7
children to a musical family.
Specialist Genres: Opera, Symphonies, Piano Concertos, String Quartets and
Church Music.
Major Works: Operas The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan tutte, The Magic
Flute, 21 piano concertos, 5 violin concertos, concertos for clarinet and
other wind instruments, 41 Symphonies, 24 String quartets and other
chamber music and 17 Masses.
Ludwig Van Beethoven 1770-1827
Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770 and died in Vienna
in 1827.
Specialist Genres: Symphonies, Piano Concertos, String
Quartets and Piano Sonatas.
Major Works: 9 Symphonies, The Moonlight Sonata for
Piano, Diabelli Variations and 6 String Quartets.
Major Works: Symphonies No8 (Unfinished), No9 (The Great), Piano Quintet
(The Trout), Song-Cycle Die Schone Mullerin and over 600 songs.
Classical Composers
Joseph Haydn 1732-1809
Classical or Baroque?
Listen to the following two excerpts and answer the questions that follow.
1. Which excerpt features a piece of Baroque music?
Excerpt 1
or
Excerpt 2
2. Which except features a piece of Classical Music?
Excerpt 1
or
Excerpt 2
3. Which style, Baroque or Classical, is mainly polyphonic, and which style is
mainly homophonic (tune with accompaniment)?
Baroque music is
in style
Classical music is
in style
or
FALSE?
5. What are the main differences between the two orchestras, and the ways
in which their composers use them?
Symphony
What is a Symphony?
During the classical period many composers wrote Symphonies for full
orchestra. The word symphony actually means Sounding together and comes
from the Italian Overture which had three contrasting sections Quick,
Slow, Quick. A symphony is really a kind of Sonata for orchestra.
Most symphonies are made up of four separate movements, each with a
different character. The movements are often set out in the following way.
First Movement: at a fast pace. Written in what is known as Sonata form
that is, three main sections which are Exposition, Development and
Recapitulation.
Second Movement: at a slow pace. Perhaps in Ternary (three part) design,
or Theme and Variations; or even Sonata form again. Often described as
Song like.
Third Movement: Mozart and Hayden wrote a Minuet and Trio at this point.
Beethoven and many later composers preferred to write a Scherzo and Trio
at a faster pace and was vigorous and brisker. (Scherzo means a joke)
Fourth Movement: Finale. At a fast pace and was often light-hearted in
mood. Rondo (ABACA); or Sonata form; or a mixture of the two.
Sometimes, Theme and Variations.
Of course, this basic pattern may be varied to suit the desire of the
composer. For instance, there may be a slow introduction to the first
movement, or the Scherzo may come before the slow movement. Movements
making up the symphony would contrast well with each other in pace and
mood.
Mozart and Haydn enriched and perfected the symphony during the second
half of the classical period. Besides replacing the minuet with the Scherzo,
he made other changes. He increased the time scale of the Symphony and
also its range of expression and dramatic impact. In movements in Sonata
form he lengthened both the development section and the coda (sometimes
the development section). He also expanded the size of the orchestra,
especially in his last symphony (No. 9) which introduces voices and mixed
chorus in the final movement.
Concerto
A large work for ORCHESTRA (I1) and soloist in 3 movements (or sections).
The movements usually follow the structure fast-slow-fast.
Listen to the 3rd movement from Mozarts Horn Concerto in Eb. This
movement is in RONDO (I1) form- the main THEME (I1) keeps coming
round, with contrasting themes heard in between. We can show this
structure by ABACA.
1.
2.
The main theme A, first played by the horn, then by the orchestra. The
horn joins in again towards the end.
3.
4.
5.
6.
A CODA
(I2)
Symphony
A large work for ORCHESTRA (A3) in 4 movements (or sections). The
movements follow the structure of:
1.
Fast usually in SONATA FORM. (H)
2.
Slow often in TERNARY FORM (I1)
3.
MINUET & TRIO (I1) or in later symphonies SCHERZO (I2)
4.
Fast could be RONDO (I1), SONATA FORM (H) or THEME &
VARIATIONS (I1)
SONATA FORM (H)
Although sonata form and its related concepts are all Higher level, some
knowledge of the form is required to listen effectively to symphonies.
EXPOSITION
DEVELOPMENT
RECAPITUALTION
Listen to the 1st Movement from Mozarts Eine Kleine Nachtmusik for string
orchestra. This work is like a miniature symphony in that it follows the 4movement form. This movement is in Sonata Form. Follow the music on pages
32-33 of Enjoying Music Book 3.
Note the following concepts.
Bars 16-17 SEQUENCES (A3)
Bars 18-19 SEQUENCES (A3)
Bars 6, 8, 18, 19 etc.
ORNAMENTS (I1) / TRILLS (I2)
Bars 9-10
ORNAMENTS (I1) / APPOGGIATURA (H)
Bars 1-4 & 56-59 QUESTION (A1) ANSWER (A1)
Bar 73
CHROMATIC
Bars 1-2
BROKEN CHORD (A3)
Bars 20 22 CRESCENDO (I1)
(I1)
Intermediate One
Music Listening
Classical and Baroque
End of Unit Assessment
1. You will hear a number of excerpts with questions to
answer. Attempt all questions.
2. For some questions you will be asked to tick one box or two
boxes. Read each question carefully.
3. The second half of the test features questions that do not
require any music to listen too. You can work at your own
pace. Be clear with your answers and try not to worry about
spelling, as long as I can make out what you mean!
MARK
Baroque Music
Q.1. Listen to this excerpt.
Identify the instruments you hear from this excerpt.
Column A
Column B
Piano
Trill
Harpsichord
Ostinato
Trumpet
Homophonic
Q.6 Listen to this excerpt and identify the style of the music.
Tick one box.
Aria
Recitative
Duet
Chorus
Q.7 Listen to this excerpt and identify the style of the music.
Tick one box.
Aria
Recitative
Duet
Chorus
Q.8 Listen to this excerpt and identify the style of the music.
Tick one box.
Aria
Recitative
Duet
Chorus
Classical Music
Q.1 Listen to this excerpt. Tick one box to identify the key.
Organ
Trumpet
Horn
Oboe
Q.2 Listen to this excerpt. Identify two features present in the music.
Tick one box from each column.
Column A
Column B
Oboe
Symphony
Harpsichord
Concerto
Trumpet
Sonata
Q.3 Listen to the following excerpt. Identify the feature present in the
music. Tick one box.
Sequence
Repetition
Syncopation
Change of Key
Q.4 This question asks you to identify whether you are listening to a
Symphony or a Concerto. Tick one box each time.
a) Symphony
or
Concerto
b) Symphony
or
Concerto
c) Symphony
or
Concerto
d) Symphony
or
Concerto
Section Three
The next section will have no musical excerpts to support the question. You
must recall upon previous knowledge in order to answer the questions.
1.
or
3.
4.
5.
6. Name 2 composers from the classical period.
and
FALSE
9. In what way did the Orchestra expand during the classical period?
Classical or Baroque?
Listen to the following two excerpts and answer the questions that follow.
1. Which excerpt features a piece of Baroque music?
Excerpt 1
or
Excerpt 2
2. Which except features a piece of Classical Music?
Excerpt 1
or
Excerpt 2
3. Which style, Baroque or Classical, is mainly polyphonic, and which style is
mainly homophonic (tune with accompaniment)?
Baroque music is
in style
Classical music is
in style
or
FALSE?
5. What are the main differences between the two orchestras, and the ways
in which their composers use them?