Classical Era
1750-1820
Viennese Classical Style
 Age of Enlightenment
 Age of Reason
Definition of Classic
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Two Definitions
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General: pertaining to the highest order of excellence
in literature and the arts
Specific: pertaining to the culture of ancient Greek and
Romans
A “classic” exhibits values that are
timeless and universal
Classical versus pop, rock, folk, jazz,
ethnic, world music
The Times
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Fascination with ancient Greek and Roman
civilizations
Philosophical and political ferment led to revolutions
French (1789-1799) and American (1775-1783)
Rise of the middle class
Spread of literacy
Life for the middle class still depended on lower class
servants
Industrial Revolution
Scientific Advancements
Intellectual Revolution
Humanistic Writings/Philosophical Debate
Geographical Center
• Vienna, Austria
Visual Arts
• Rococco
– 18th century style
characterized by
less symmetry and
increasingly more
ornamented and
fluid style
• Neoclassical
– Reaction against
Rococco style
– Looked back to the
linear qualities of
ancient Greek and
Roman architecture
Artist Life
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18th-century artist generally functioned
under the system of aristocratic
patronage
Socially, little better than a servant
Patronage system gave the artist
economic security and a social
framework
Artistic Patrons: middle class patrons,
court, church
Musical Genres
 Vocal
 Instrumental
Vocal Genres
Mass
 Motets
 Opera
 Oratorio
 Art Song
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Instrumental Genres
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Symphony – four movements: fast,
slow, minuet and trio, fast
Solo Concerto – three movements:
fast, slow, fast
String Quartet – chamber music
genre, four instruments: two violins,
viola, cello
Sonata – typically for piano,
teaching piece
Classical Orchestra
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Blending of the four instrumental families: strings,
woodwinds, brass, percussion
30 to 40 players
Established gradual dynamics (Mannheim
crescendo)
Piano was the favored accompaniment/solo
instrument. Alberti Bass was the favored
accompaniment texture.
Musical Elements
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Melody
Harmony
Rhythm
Texture
Dynamics
Form
• Melody: vocal in conception, symmetrical
(question/answer), typically four to eight
measures in length
• Harmony: tonal
• Rhythm: simple and metered
• Texture: homophonic (with some
polyphony)
• Dynamics: gradual
Form
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Sonata Allegro: an outgrowth of binary form
Exposition: use of two contrasting themes, a bridge
theme and an ending theme, section is repeated
Development: develops themes and rhythms
Recapitulation
||:Exposition:|| Development || Recapitulation ||
Theme 1
Theme 1
Theme 2
A
Theme 2
A
B
• Theme and Variation
– Theme is varied by the elements of
music: melody, harmony, rhythm,
texture, timbre, dynamics)
• Minuet and Trio
– Utilizes binary form, ¾ time signature
• Rondo
– Utilizes a section of music that alternates with
new music
– ABACA
Composers
 Franz Joseph Haydn
 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 Ludwig von Beethoven
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 40,
First Movement
Franz Joseph Haydn
• Symphony No. 2
“Surprise”
Second Movement
Ludwig von Beethoven
• String Quartet in c minor
Fourth Movement
Rondo form
Romantic Era
(1820 – 1900)
The Times
 Age of …
 Historical Influences
 Literature
 Visual Arts
 Other Writers
 Musical Culture
Age of …..
• Age of Extremes
• Age of Unending Lyricism
Historical Influences
• Looking back to the Medieval Era
• “Roman” – a French medieval novel about
romance, chivalry
• French Revolution: liberty, quality,
brotherhood
Literature
• Friedrich von Schiller
(1759-1805)
– Philosophical papers on
ethics and aesthetics
– Plays
– Ode to Joy
• Victor Hugo
(1802-1885)
– French poet and
playwright
– Les Miserables
• Charles Dickens
(1812-1870)
– British novelist
– Concern for social
reform
– Oliver Twist
A Christmas Carol
A Tale of Two Cities
Visual Arts
• Eugene Delacroix
(1798-1863)
– Leader of the
French Romantic
School
– Liberty Leading the
People
• Francisco Goya
(1746-1828)
– Spanish painter
– Considered the last of
the Old Masters and
the first of the moderns
– Satan Devouring His
Son
Other Writers
Scientific writings
 Philosophical writings
 Ethical writings
 Aesthetic writings
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• Charles Darwin
(1809-1882)
– British naturalist
– Natural selection
– On the Origin of
Species
• Karl Marx
(1818-1883)
– German
philosopher,
– social scientist
– political theorist
Musical Culture
• Stressed emotion, imagination, individuality
• Composers moved from patronage to free agent,
composers wrote for their own social class
• Formation of the orchestra and instruments (influence of
Industrial Revolution)
• Emergence of the conductor
• Public concerts/subscription concerts
• Conservatories founded
• Public captured by virtuosity; which centered on a
virtuosic performer
• Music was seen as a means of expression
Music in the Romantic Era
 Characteristics
 Musical Elements
 Composers
Characteristics
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Individuality
Expressive Aims and Subjects
Nationalism and Exoticism
Program Music/Absolute Music
Musical Elements
• Melody
– Unending melody
– Longer, more irregular in length
– Themes more complex and chromatic
– Theme transformation
• Harmony
– Basically tonal
– Chromaticism stretches the harmonic sound
resulting in greater tension
• Rhythm
– Metric
– Use of effects, especially rubato
– Articulation is heavy
– Uses emotional designations: allegro agitato,
con amore
• Dynamics
– Wide range
– Use of extreme dynamics
– Gradual
• Texture
– Essentially homophonic
– Sonority is thick, heavy and lush
• Instrumentation/Timbre
– 70 or more in the orchestra
– Full exploration of the instrument and its range
– Instruments were used for both their individual timbre and for
their collective color potential
– Instruments used to convey mood and atmosphere (emotional
expression)
– Woodwinds improved by better fingering system “Boehm”
– Valves introduced into Brass – first time these instruments could
play a full chromatic compass
– Saxophone, baritone and tuba invented by Adolf Sax
– Piano became the standard keyboard instrument
• Form
– Stretching of the Classical era forms: sonataallegro, rondo, theme and variation, minuet
and trio
• Genres
– Absolute (abstract music): symphony,
concerto, sonata, string quartet
– Program: program symphony, tone poem
(Strauss), symphonic poem (Liszt), opera,
music drama (Wagner), art song
– Genres are both large works and small,
miniature works called character pieces
Composers
• Ludwig van
Beethoven
(1770-1827)
– German composer
and pianist
– Transitional figure
between the
Classical and
Romantic eras
– Symphony No. 5
• first movement
• Frédéric Chopin
(1810-1849)
– Polish composer
– Virtuosic pianist
– Composed only for
piano
– Etude
• Hector Berlioz
(1803-1869)
– French symphonist
– Known for his
orchestration
techniques
– Symphonie
Fantastique
• Movement 4
• Bedřich Smetana
(1824-1884)
– Czech nationalist
composer
– Má Vlast
• The Moldau
Other Composers
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Johannes Brahms
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Franz Liszt
Robert Schumann
Felix Mendelssohn
César Franck
Giuseppe Verdi
Giacomo Puccini
Franz Schubert
Richard Wagner