1750-1820
Life in the Classical Period
 The word ‘Classical’ came from people at
this time wanting to copy the ancient Greeks
 Order and reason
 Wanted to make art and music all look and
sound the same.
 This means that things are less personal.
The Classical Style
Style Galant is music that
sounded light and delicate.
Rococo Style is art that looked
light and delicate.
Rococo Art
Characteristics of Classical Music
 Contrast of Mood- a single piece of
music may show many different
emotions
 Classical melodies are Tuneful, which
means that they are very simple and
easy to remember.
Characteristics of Classical Music
 Piano was invented to have better control over
dynamics
 Hammer on the strings could be hit lightly to produce a
light sound or hard to produce a loud sound
 Plucking strings on the harpsichord couldn’t do this!
The Classical Orchestra
 The Classical Orchestra
 More players- closer to 60
 Now use brass, woodwind, and percussion all the time.
 Each instrument family had a job




Strings, specifically the violin, was given the melody while the
lower strings added harmony
The percussion was added to make the music more interesting
The brass were added to give the song power! (Brass
instruments are loud)
The woodwinds were given melody also because they sounded
so different from the strings.
Classical Forms
 Most of the new forms of this era have 4 movements
1. Fast movement
2. Slow movement
3. Dance-related movement
4. Fast movement
The Emancipation of the Composer
 Patron vs. Public
 If you had a patron, you were treated like a
servant
 If you just composed for the public, you
were not guaranteed to earn money.
The Emancipation of the Composer
 Middle Class wants concerts halls of their own
 Composers write for public concert halls
 Middle Class  wants children to learn music
 Composers write music for beginners
Vienna
 During the
classical era, the
most popular city
for composers,
musicians, and
nobility was
Vienna, Austria
Vienna
 Music was an important part of noble life
 You were expected to learn an instrument
 A good orchestra was a symbol of wealth.
 Having a composer work for you also a sign of
wealth
Vienna
 Vienna attracted the attention of composers
 Haydn
 Mozart
 Beethoven
 All three men knew each other because they all moved
to Vienna.
Sonata Form

Sonata form is used in a single movement of music
that is organized into three sections
1.
2.
3.
Exposition- the main melody is introduced
Development- the main melody is treated in new ways
Recapitulation- the main melody returns
Most Conflict
Conflict
Resolution
Stability
Exposition
Development
Recapitulation
Listening: Symphony
No. 40 by Mozart
st
1 Movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvtoqE33iZg
Listening Logs
Look Down from Les Miserables
I Am Not Dead Yet from Spamalot
Puttin’ On the Ritz from Young Frankenstein