Ahmad Alshakargi
Music 1010-11 T
Final Paper
One of my favorite musical periods between 1500 and 1900 is the Baroque Period (16001750). This period came the after Renaissances Period (1400-1600), and it added a lot of changes
and improvements to the Renaissance’s musical style and genres. The entertainment of choice in
the Baroque period became the opera. In addition, some other music genres were developed, like
the cantata (15-20 minutes of sacred music), oratorio (a secular multi-movement work, like the
opera, but isn’t staged “no sets and costumes), choral (German hymn), and there was a big
increasing of instrumental work, or concertos. Some of the most popular composers in the
Baroque Period were Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, and
Henry Purcell.
The musical style had a lot of improvement, and one of the most notable changes was in
the harmony. Harmony became more functional, and it was easier to tell if the music had a major
or minor harmony, for example in Vivaldi’s four seasons, you can clearly tell that the harmony is
major, and in Bach’s figue in G minor, you can clearly tell that the harmony is minor. Besides
that, the melody become more disjunct; also can be described as terraced dynamics. The distance
between notes and pitches became very irregular, and you can clearly notice the jumping from a
very low pitch into a high one, like in Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s fugue in d minor, and Vivaldi’s
four seasons. In addition, some of the composers like Bach “the most influential composer of all
time,” has done a lot of contribution to the baroque music. He was able to do everything that’s
hard and impossible, and especially with the polyphonic texture. He mixed a lot of different kind
of melodies with different kinds of instruments all together, in a very imitative way, like in air
on the g string, and fugue in d minor.
On the other hand, another important musical period that came directly after the Baroque
period, is the Classical Period (1750-1825). This musical era was during the Age of
Enlightenment, and it has some connection with the ideas and principles of this age, for example
“clarity over complexity,” and “human over divine.” The result was that the music purpose
became entertainment (not to educate or impress). The music also became less complicated and
easier to hear. The music genre had a lot of improvement in the instrumental form. The
symphony became very popular, and there was also another different instrumental music like
chamber (ensemble of 2-8 players; one player performs at a time), concerto (multi-movement
work for solo work), and also the Sonata music. Beside the instrumental music, vocal music
didn’t change a lot in this era. The only addition was opera buffa, which is based on a love story.
The most important thing about the classical period was the composers, and some of these
composers are Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, who are the
most popular composers we know in the present time.
The musical style in classical era has changed from complexity of the imitative
polyphonies (in the Baroque Period), into more simple homophonic textures. It became very
clear that all of the instruments “or musical color” are all playing in one melody. Great examples
of homophonic music are Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachmusic, and also in Beethoven’s symphony
no. 5. Beside the texture, other musical style’s elements have not changed a lot, but what was
really important in this era was the symphony.
The Symphony is typically elaborate musical compositions for an orchestra that present a
four movements work. The first movement is a sonata form, or “sonata allegro,” and in this
movement two main melodies get presented (exposition). Then it gets reshaped and changed in
another stage called “development,” and finally “the recapitulation section,” where the themes
are heard again. One of the greatest first movements in the history of music is “Beethoven –
symphony no. 5.” This whole movement was based on four notes that were repeated and
modulated for about ten minutes. The second movement in a symphony is usually slow “for
relaxation.” This stage usually has one melody only, but it keeps changing its harmony, rhythms,
textures, and tone color during the whole movement. The third movements is in “dance” form,
and it has a system that’s called “minuet and trio” (A-B-A). Finally the fourth movement which
could be a sonata form, or rondo form (which is musical form where you hear the main melody
several times). Some of the most important music pieces in classical era (beside the one I have
listed) is Haydn’s symphony #94, Beethoven’s moonlight sonata, and Mozart’s symphony no. 40.
When it comes to comparing the Baroque Period, with the Classical Period, there are a lot
differences and similarities between the two. Before comparing anything, we should realize that
all the changes in the Classical Period were led by the contributions in the Baroque Period. The
main differences between these two periods were the texture. In the baroque period, music was
way more complicated and it had a lot of imitative polyphony. Unlike the Classical Period, it
contained a simple homophonic music that was easier to compose and listen to. Great example
of this comparison is the texture differences between Bach’s fugue in d minor, (a lot of melodies
and very complicated) and Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachmusic (very simple homophonic example).
Beside the texture, the melody and harmony were very similar between this two periods. Both
had disjunct melody that had big jumps between the highest and lowest pitch, and both had a
functional harmony, where you can decide if it is major or minor. Great examples for the
functional harmony is Bach’s Air on the G String, (it’s very clear that the harmony is major) and
Beethoven’s Moonlight sonata 1st mov. (in this movement you can definitely tell that the
harmony is minor and sad). Talking about the similarity of disjunct harmony, a great example
will be four seasons, and Eine Kleine Nachmusik. As a result, we found that these two eras have
a lot of similarities because they came right after each other, but they also have a lot of
differences, and I haven’t discussed those specifically, but one of the most notable differences
between the two is the texture.
I personally think that these two eras are very great. They can be considered as better
than the periods that were before them (renaissance and Middle Ages…), and after them
(Romantic Period). The main reason I like the Classical Era (this could also be the same reason
for the other people), is the popular composers that were during that era. The other periods
(especially the Romantic Era) had a lot of important composers, but none of the composers
during those periods were famous to the same level Beethoven and Mozart reached. Also, the
main reason I chose the Baroque Era is the main composer who was during this period, Bach.
Bach is the most influential composer of all time, and he has made a lot of contribution to music.
He composed things that were considered as impossible. Finally, I personally prefer the Classical
Era because it had brought more entertainment to music, and Beethoven have taken the music
into the next level during this era. He also composed some music that invoke emotion, like
moonlight sonata 1st mov. In addition, his music still heard now days, and I personally know a lot
of people who admired and studied his music, as well as Mozart’s music. Definitely these
periods are so important and it have impacted hugely on the music we hear nowadays