The Classical Era (1750-1820)
Year 10 IGCSE
October 2009
The Age of Enlightenment
• Believed in progress, rising middle class
• American and French revolutions
• Humanitarian Ideals/reason and knowledge
• Liberty, Equality and fraternity!
Musical Style
• Polyphonic texture to simple melodies
• Light and graceful music (style gallant)
• Epitome of classical music 1770-1820
• Music printing and increase amateur performances
• Opera and concerto grosso becomes symphony
• Suite became sonata
Elements of Music Characteristics
• Changes of mood
▫ Can be sudden (unlike Baroque) but unified
• Rhythm
▫ Flexible (sudden or gradual)
• Texture
▫ Homophonic – but can change, more vertical schemes
• Melody
▫ Tuneful and sometimes borrowed
▫ Balanced and symmetrical
• Dynamics
▫ Range and not just terraced dynamics, crescendos used
▫ piano instead of harpsichord (1775) – forte piano
• Basso Continuo
▫ Obsolete – more amateur friendly – rid improvising
Standard Orchestra
• Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion
• Larger number of musicians (25-60)
• Specific timbres considered
• Continuo disappeared
• Conductor with baton and clarinet!
• More balanced between strings and winds
• Orchestra more like that of today
Form
• 4 movements usually
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1. Fast
2. Slow
3. Dance-related movement
4. Fast
• Symphony = 4 movements, orchestra
• string quartets = 4 movements, 2 violins, viola, cello
• Sonata = one or two instruments (most formal,
developed by Haydn and Mozart)
• CONTRASTING THEMES in one movement
• BALANCE OF SECTIONS (tension resolved)
Life in Classical Period
• Composers affected – breaking free from control
▫ Haydn
▫ Mozart
▫ Beethoven
• More public concerts – spread through Europe
• Middle class people started playing instruments
• More demand for printed music
• More comic, vulgar
Sonata Allegro Form
• Single movement form – usually the form of the 1st
movement of symphony, quartet or sonata
• 3 sections:ABA
▫ Exposition:
▫ Development
▫ Recapitulation
▫ CODA
• Listen to Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G Minor 4th
Movement
Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G Minor 4th
Movement
Notes:
Theme and Variations
• Independent piece or as a movement of a
symphony, sonata, or string quartet
• BASIC IDEA repeated and changed
• This idea can be borrowed or composed
BASIC STRUCTURE:
Listen to: Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 in G Major
2nd Movement
Notes from Listening
Minuet and Trio
• Usually as the 3rd movement of symphonies and quartets
• Triple meter and moderate
• A(m)B(t)A(m) - trio quieter usually
• STRUCTURE:
• Listen to Mozart’s Eine kleine Nactmusik 3rd Movement
Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 in G Major
2nd Movement
Notes:
Rondo
• Independent or as a movement
• Lively, regular and conclusive
• Tuneful main theme (usually simple) that returns in
alternation
• STRUCTURE:
• Sonata-Rondo STRUCTURE:
Classical Symphony
• Origin from 17th century opera overtures
• Extended – 20-45 minutes
• Haydn wrote many of the early symphonies
• Usually 4 movements with range of contrasts
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1. fast dramatic (usually sonata form)
2. slow lyrical (sonata form, ABA, or T+V), diff key
3. dancelike
4. fast heroic (sonata or sonata-rondo)
Classical Concerto
• 3 movement work for instrumental soloist and
orchestra
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Fast (cadenza) (sonata form with 2 expositions)
Slow
Fast (cadenza improvisation) (rondo or sonata-rondo)
then CODA (short)
• Interplay of melody lines and cadenzas
• Mozart and Beethoven wrote many (star in each on
piano)
• 20-45 minutes
Classical Chamber Music
• Imitate room setting
• 2-9 musicians – entertain guests
• No conductor
• STRING QUARTET – a fine art
▫ Usually 2 violin, viola and cello
• Usually 4 movements
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Fast
Slow
Minuet
Fast
• OR sonata (violin/piano), trio (piano, violin, cello),
quintet
Sacred Choral Music
• Oratorios and masses were most elaborate in
18th century
▫ MASS – Haydn wrote most exuberant masses
 Classical sacred music mixes classical MELODYHARMONY and POLYPHONIC IMITATION
▫ Oratorios – musical setting of sacred text
• Comic Opera
 Opera Buffa – Comic Opera (ie La Serva Padrona by
Pergolesi, Mozart`s Don Giovanni)