THE CLASSIC ERA
CONVENTION IN CLASSIC MUSIC
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18th century a time of strict social conventions
In upper class society, dress codes were followed: people wore
powdered wigs, brocaded coats and silver shoe buckles.
There was an elaborate pattern of rules of social behaviors:
When to curtsy, bow, and when it was appropriate to discuss
certain topics. Written communication was also highly
formalized.
This was reflected in the music composed in this period: The
instruments used for particular types of works, the number of
movements and the length of each movement, keys were all
fixed by convention.
Some keys were linked with a certain mood or atmosphere. D
Major is ceremonious and bright, F minor is strained and
melancholy.
Trumpets and drums, often used for ceremonious events, played
well in D major so it comes as no surprise that this key was
chosen for festive music.
FORMS OF CLASSIC MUSIC (SONATA FORM)
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Sonata Form – the most important single-movement from in Classic
music. Used for almost all first movements in instrumental music.
Used is sonatas, symphonies, string quartets and many other genres.
Sonata form has three sections: Exposition, Development and
Recapitulation.
Exposition – Begins in the tonic key and presents the opening
material. If then moves to another key and presents new material in
that key. It ends with a clear cadence.
Development – Explores many different keys, includes a lot of
counterpoint, fragments material from the Exposition. It leads to the
recapitulation often without an intervening cadence. Often turbulent
sounding.
Recapitulation – Brings back all the music of the exposition but with
one change: The material that was previously heard in the second
key is now played in the tonic key. This allows the movement to end in
the same key in which it began.
Sometimes a Coda is heard at the end of the piece, which rounds off
the work. Coda = “tail”
ARIA FORM
Often used for the second, slow movement of a
sonata, symphony or string quartet
 Designed to be lyrical and song-like
 ABA
 (A) slow, lyrical opening and often in triple
meter
 (B) contrasting the A section and heard in a
new key. Sometimes it has slightly fast notes
 (A) section is repeated, often decorated or
slightly modified
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MINUET-AND-TRIO FORM
Standard for the third movement of a sonata,
symphony and string quartet.
 Minuet – Trio – Minuet Music of the Trio often
contrast to the minuet – in instrumentation,
texture, dynamics, or key
 Minuet = AABB
 Trio = CCDD
 After the Trio, the Minuet is played again (often
without repeats)(AB)
 It is always in ¾ meter, it has a moderate tempo,
its large form is Ternary (ABA) and the Trio always
presents some kind of contrast to the minuet.
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RONDO FORM
Often used for the fourth movement of a sonata,
symphony or string quartet.
 Usually fairly fast with a lively, catchy tune that
keeps returning.
 Between appearances of the theme (tune) are
episodes of contrasting material. If A is the main
theme, then the form would look like ABACADA.
 Sometimes composers use the first episode again
just before the last appearance of the refrain. In
which case the form would look like ABACABA
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THE EARLY CLASSIC PERIOD
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Even though the end of the Baroque Period marked by the death
dates of Bach, it begins much earlier than that
As early as 1730 a new style emerges that is lighter, more
accessible, more varied and less demanding. The name give to
this musical style at the time was galant = “fashionable” or “up to
date”
Composers writing in this early part of the Classic Period were two
of Bach’s sons: C.P.E. Bach and J.C. Bach, as well as, Johann
Stamitz (1717-1757) and Giovanni Battista Sammartini (17011775)
Classic music has far more variety than that of the Baroque. It has
frequent changes of texture, dynamic and instrumentation. The
phrases are shorter and each phrase may be quite different from
the one that precedes it.
Many early Classic compositions only have three movements, as
the minuet did not become a standard until the second half of the
18th century.