MUSIC APPRECIATION
Class #6
October 15, 2009
The “Classical” Period*

1750 – 1800

“C”lassical vs. “c”lassical
Pompeii* (0079 AD-1748)
http://www.pompeiisites.org/
Herculaneum*
Principal Driving Thoughts*
(The Classical Aesthetic)
Equality
 Balance
Symmetry
 Logic
 Restraint
 Form
 Clarity
 Simplicity

“The Age of Enlightenment”*

Rationalism*
 Education

Secularism*
 Religion

< Science
Utilitarianism*
 Laws
“Enlightened Despotism”*

Habsburg Empire
France
Marie Antoinette*
Austria
Franz Josef II*
"Everything for the people, nothing
by the people."
Classical Philosophers
Rationalists*
 "I think, therefore I am."
 Empiricalism*
 Science
“Tabula rasa”*
 Politics
 Revolution

Education!

John Locke
"I
think I may say that of all the men
we meet with, nine parts of ten are
what they are, good or evil, useful
or not, by their education.“
Implications?



Change
Improvement
Questions
Writers

Francois-Marie Voltaire*
 Candide* (1759)
“The Best of All Possible Worlds”
 Political sarcasm
 Religious ridicule
Scandal!
 Banned!

The Middle Class
Income + Education
 leisure time
 Available music
 public concerts, concert series
 printing
 skill level

Music of The Classical period

Franz Josef Haydn* (1732-1809)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart*
(1756-91)


Ludwig van Beethoven* (1/3?)
(1770-1827)
Classical music “ideal”
Universal
 Entertaining
 Expressive
 Simple
 Pleasing
 Accessible

Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809)
“Papa” Haydn


Father of Classical Music
Forms
Symphony*
“Chamber Music”*
String Quartet* (83!)
Benevolent and generous
Form

Sonata* (“Sonata Allegro”)
1.
2.
Allegro
Adagio (Andante)
(Optional 3rd movement: Allegro)
3.
Allegro
Form within a form

Exposition*

Development*

Recapitulation*
Chamber Music*

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe*:
 “Four
rational people in polite conversation.”

“Chamber” = room

Musicians
 Two
up to…
 Amateurs*

(?!)
Difficulty level
“The Joke”

String Quartet
Op.

33 No. 2
IV. Presto
Patronage System*
Civilian employment
Guaranteed income
Artistic freedom

Esterhazy family castle (#1)
Employment

Composition
 Chamber
Music
 Symphonies
 Opera
 Ballet



Rehearsals
Performances
Travel
Two representative selections

“Surprise
Symphony”
1791

“The Creation”
1798
“Surprise!”
The “London” Symphonies*
1791-1795
 Orchestration
Flute, Oboe, Bassoon
French horn, Trumpet
Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass
Timpani

Theme and Variations*

Theme
Two parts
Simple
Hummable
Folk song?
Theme (2-parts)
1st part:
2nd part:
Variations

Four variations
1.
Ossia* (Countermelody)
Laughter?
2.
Key change
C Major to c minor
3.
Rhythm
Faster?
4.
Tutti
“The Creation”*

Messiah performance
 “He

(Handel) is the master of us all.”
Libretto*
 Genesis
 Psalms
 John
Milton: Paradise Lost
Baron Gottfried von Swieten



Librarian
Patron
Translator
 Editor?

Producer
Inspiration


“I was never so devout as when I was at work on The
Creation. I fell on my knees each day and begged
God to give the strength to finish the work.”
Time line
 1796-98
Premiere -- 1798

Schwarzenberg Palace
 Government
 Royalty
 Composers

Special police crowd control

120 instrumentalists and 60 singers
Performances

Success!
London
(English)
Europe
Paris
-- Napoleon
Russia
United
States
 Final
Vienna performance
Composition

Soloists
 Soprano,

Tenor, Bass
Chorus
 SATB*

Full Orchestra
 Harpsichord
and fortepiano
Roles

Soprano
 Angel
Gabriel
 Eve

Tenor
 Uriel

(God of Light)
Bass
 Angel
 Adam
Raphael
Chorus



Narrative
End of each day
Interaction with the characters
Tone Poem*

Fully orchestrated “Program Music”
 Symphonic Poem*
Orchestral prelude*

William Herschel
 Astronomer
 Composer

Nebular Hypothesis
 Chaos
into order
 Darkness into light
Musical “creation”

Void
 Harmony
 Melody
 Dissonance

Order
 Unique
Harmonies
 Dynamics
 Instrumental combinations
Angel Raphael
(track #4)
And God made the firmament, And divided the waters
which were under the firmament from the waters which
were able the firmament: and it was so.
Then howling winds raged the blast of the tempest;
The clouds then were driven like chaff in the wind,
The lightnings slashed the heavens asunder,
And crashing thunder resounded on high.
From waters rose at His command the all-refreshing rain,
the devastating hail, the light and flaky snow.
Uriel
(track #12)
And God said, “let there be lights in the
firmament of heaven to divide the day
from the night, to give their light upon
the earth; and let them be for signs
and for seasons, and for days and for
years. He made the stars also.
Uriel
In shining splendor, radiant now the sun bestrides
the sky; a wondrous, joyful bridegroom, a giant
proud and glad, he runs his ordered course. With
softer steps and wistful shimmer, steals the moon
through still enshadowed night. The boundless
vaults of heaven’s domain shine with unnumbered
magnitude of stars. And the sons of God rejoiced
in the fourth day in chorus divine, praising God’s
great might, and saying:
Later life…

Austria/Hungarian National Anthem
 String
Quartet in C Major Op. 76 No. 3
 "Kaiser“


2. Poco adagio: cantabile
Friendships and students
 Mozart
 Beethoven
CD #1, track 12
“London Symphony” Menuetto: Allegretto
 Listen for…
 Simple,
strong rhythm
 Dynamic contrast
 Exposition/Development/ Recapitulation
Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf

1739-99
Musical style




German structure*
Italian melody*
Very little development*
Almost no le style français* ornamentation
Musical fantasy!

String Quartet
 Violin
1: Haydn
 Violin 2: von Dittersdorf
 Viola: Mozart
 Cello: Johann Baptist Vanhal
Recorded by Michael Kelly (1762-1826)
CD 1, track #13

Listen for…
 Simple
melody
 Minimal ornamentation
 Continual “exposition” with almost no development or
Recapitulation