Classical
Music
Higher
Quick Quiz
1) Between which dates (roughly) did the Classical
Period occur?
2) Name 3 famous Classical composers:
3) Name 2 instruments found in Classical Music which
did not exist during the time of Baroque Music:
4) Which Baroque instrument was no longer used in
the Classical Period?
5) These Baroque musical styles were also found in
the Classical period, true or false?
OPERA
ORATORIO
CONCERTO
One of the most important developments in
the Classical period was the SYMPHONY.
This is a piece for full orchestra, with no
soloists.
Like a concerto, the symphony is divided into
sections, or ‘movements’.
Each movement would have it’s own style and
tempo.
Mvt.1
Mvt.2
Mvt. 3
Mvt. 4
The 1st movement was usually
fast and lively, in sonata form
Allegro
The 2nd movement was slower
and more ‘lyrical’
Andante
The 3rd movement was often
a Minuet (a type of dance
with 3 beats in a bar) or a
scherzo
The final movement was
sometimes a rondo.
Minuet
Rondo
Sonatas
From the Italian word ‘sonare’ – to sound.
A work in several movements for one
or two instruments only.
Usually a piece for piano solo, or piano with
another instrument (e.g. violin & piano; flute &
piano)
Do not confuse with a concerto. In a sonata,
both instruments are equally important.
More Classical Concepts…
Scherzo: This is an Italian word, literally
meaning ‘joke’. It is used to describe a very
fast and lively movement of a symphony.
Cadenza: A section in a concerto where the
orchestra stops playing, and the soloist gets
to really show off with some very difficult
and flashy playing!
Alberti Bass: A style of accompaniment (usually
played on piano), based on notes of a chord.
The pattern of notes is bottom note, top note,
middle note, top note.
Chord of C
C,E,G
Chord of G
G,B,D
Ornamentation
Trill: A type of ornament. Two notes next to each
other are played one after the other, very fast.
Sounds like…
Acciaccatura: An extra decorative note, which
is very short, played just before the main
melody note.
Appoggiatura: A ‘leaning note’. It looks like an
acciaccatura, but is much longer and holds
back the arrival of the main note.
Sounds like …
Mordent: 3 notes played very quickly (the main
note, the note above, and the main note again.
Sounds like…
Turn: Consists of 4 notes (the note above, main
note, note below and main note).
Sounds like …
Vocal Music
You need to remember the following concepts:
OPERA
ORATORIO
RECITATIVE
MASS
ARIA
MOTET
The most important new concepts you need to
know are Lied and Song Cycle
A Lied is a German song, with piano, which tells
a story (plural is ‘Lieder’) .
Franz Schubert was the most famous composer
of Lieder from the Classical period.
The piano part is of equal
importance to the voice.
Often, the piano part
tried to illustrate some
aspect of the words
(word-painting)
e.g. ‘Gretchen am Spinnrade’ – the piano part
represents the constant turning of the
spinning wheel.
A song-cycle is a group of lieder linked by a
common theme. E.g. ‘Wintereisse’ by
Schubert