GENERAL BACKGROUND ON THE CLASSIC ERA
The Classic Era is referred to both as "The Age of Reason" and "The Age of Revolution." On
one hand, it was a vital period of scientific discovery, learning, and philosophical "Enlightenment";
on the other, it was marked by bloody social conflicts that ravaged much of Europe.
The quest for greater order and understanding in this era led to scientific breakthroughs
such as the first vaccine, the discovery of oxygen and hydrogen, the invention of the steam engine
and electric motors, and the start of the Industrial Revolution in England. Classic writers and
philosophers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, Kant and Jefferson proclaimed the necessity for social
equality and believed the surest path to social enlightenment was through mass education. This
widespread thirst for knowledge led to the publication of the first "how-to" books and the first
encyclopedias (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1799).
As the lower classes increasingly questioned the norm, civil unrest intensified into major
conflicts. The two most famous revolutions of this era saw the American colonists win their
independence from Britain, and the French lower classes overthrow the French monarchy. The
victorious generals—George Washington (USA), and Napoleon Bonaparte (France)—both set their
common countrymen free and subsequently became the first freely-elected Presidents of their
respective countries. For Napoleon, however, this was not enough: In 1803, he betrayed his people
by crowning himself Emperor, then over the next twelve years he attempted to conquer Europe
piece by piece. Even the powerful Holy Roman Empire, centered in Vienna, was threatened by
rebellion from within; however, when Napoleon began to attack, the people begged the Austrian
Emperor for protection, leading to the institution of intense censorship that remained in place
until the 1860s (and which had a noticeable impact on the arts of that era).
Important Musical Considerations in the Classic Period
In the Classic period, the Baroque aesthetic of dramatic contrast was replaced
by debate (direct conflict between opposing ideasfor the ultimate purpose of
resolving that tension and unifying the structure). Whereas a Baroque movement portrays a single
mood, aClassic movement relies on contrasting melodic themes and key centers within the same
movement. Clarity and balance are essential aspects of the Classic style:
- Melodies are simpler, shorter and more regular in design.
- Rhythm is usually structured by a recognizable meter.
- Dynamics are more carefully controlled and used in greater extremes than in the Baroque
(crescendos and decrescendosallow for gradual instead of sudden changes of volume).
- Major/minor Tonality (harmony centered around a "home" key) became standardized
along with major and minor keys. Intonal music, each chord assumes a specific
"function" within the key (much like every word in an English sentence bears a specific
relationship to the verb/subject of a sentence). The process of moving to other key
centers ("modulation") became analogous a "solar system" of closely-/distantly-related
keys.
- Musical forms, genres and performing ensembles are standardized.
- More Structural Control—The improvised Baroque technique of basso continuo was
replaced by fully notated musical parts, giving Classic composers more control over the
final product.
Representative Composers of the Classic Period
Throughout the Classic era, the Imperial capitol of Vienna was the primary center for
musical innovation; thus, the three most important composers of this period all spent parts of
their mature careers working there (hence, this era is sometimes called "The Viennese Classic
Period"):
- Franz Josef HAYDN (1732-1809; Austro-Hungarian)
The most influential innovator of the early Classic style; known primarily for his
symphonies, string quartets and piano sonatas.
- Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791; Austrian)
Arguably the greatest musician in the Western history. This common-born child prodigy
began composing at the age of four; by age seven, he had amazed every major Head-ofState in Europe with his miraculous abilities as a pianist, violinist and singer. His
undeniable God-given talent directly challenged the supposed superiority of the upper
classes. By the time he died at age 35, Mozart had written nearly 700 works, mastering
every genre known to him, and bringing art music to a new height of personal
expression. His operas, concertos, symphonies, sonatas and choral music are still widely
performed around the world.
- Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827; German)
In the mid-1790s, while still in his 20s, Beethoven was recognized as the greatest pianist in
the Empire; however, at the height of his performing career—at age 32—he
went deaf! Despite this tremendous obstacle, through raw determination—he became the
most revolutionary musician of the age, especially via his intense expansion of personal/
political expression through orchestral, chamber and keyboard music.
Standardized Classic FOUR-MOVEMENT Instrumental Design
The majority of European instrumental works written between 1760 and 1830 feature a
large-scale four-movement design—with each movement having its own particular combination
of tempo, character, form and key:
Movement Tempo (usual character)
Form
Harmonic Tonal Center
1st
Fast (strong)
Sonata Form
"Home" key (I)
2nd
Slow (lyrical)
(various)
Another key (usually IV)
3rd
Moderate (3/4 dance)
Minuet & Trio
"Home" key (I)
(Trio can be in another key)
4th
Very Fast (light/cheerful) Rondo Form
"Home" key (I)
-------------------------------------Although four movements was the standard for many Classic genres,
some Classic sonatas may have fewer than four movements, and a few
late Classic symphonies and quartets have more than four movements.
In Classic instrumental music, the primary exception to the standard four-movement design was
the Classic concerto—which like its Baroque predecessor always has a 3-movement format.
Standardized Classic INSTRUMENTAL Genres
In an effort to make music more intelligible for listeners, Classic musicians clarified preexisting terms (such as concerto andsonata), and devised new ones to consistently describe
emerging multi-movement instrumental categories:
A COMPARISON OF CLASSIC INSTRUMENTAL GENRES
If a multi-movement work is performed by............. then, the work is called a
Orchestra
SYMPHONY
A small group of winds and/or strings
SERENADE
2 Violins, Viola & Cello
STRING QUARTET
A Pianist (playing alone)
PIANO SONATA
A [Solo Instrument]
with PIANO Accompaniment
[
] SONATA
a SOLO VIOLIN with PIANO accomp. = a VIOLIN SONATA;
whereas, a SOLO FLUTE with PIANO accomp. = a FLUTE SONATA
A [Solo Instrument]
with ORCHESTRAL Accompaniment
[
] CONCERTO
a SOLO PIANO with ORCHESTRA accompaniment = a PIANO CONCERTO;
whereas, a SOLO FLUTE with ORCHESTRA accomp. = a FLUTE CONCERTO
---------------------------------------------------------Other generic Classic chamber groups are referred to as Trios, Quintets, (etc.)
and these usually follow the Classic four-movement design.
Symphony (a multi-movement work for orchestra):
Symphonies normally follow the Classic 4-movement design. The Classic model was first
established by Haydn (who wrote 104), enhanced by Mozart (who wrote 50) with greater
emotional expression and expanded use of woodwind color, and brought to its highest point
of personal/ political intensity by Beethoven (who wrote 9).
EXAMPLES of Classic SYMPHONIES
MOZART: Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K.550 (1788)
(Click to see the Music Guide for this work)
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op.67 (1804-8)
(Click to see the Music Guide for this work)
Click here for more on Beethoven's nine symphonies
Serenade (a multi-movement chamber work for outdoor entertainment):
Serenades most often follow the 4-movement Classic design. The best-known serenades for
woodwinds and/or small string ensembles are by Mozart (who wrote over 50 such works).
EXAMPLE of a Classic SERENADE
MOZART: Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K.525 (1787)
(Click to see the Music Guide for this work)
String Quartet (a multi-movement work for 2 violins, viola and cello):
String quartets usually follow the 4-movement Classic design. Haydn gradually refined this
genre through his 68 quartets; Mozart—though less influential in this genre—is best known
for his famous set of six quartets dedicated to Haydn; Beethoven significantly expanded the
expressive range of the genre through his 16 quartets (the last five, written from 1823-26,
are particularly experimental).
EXAMPLE of a Classic STRING QUARTET
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in C minor, Op.18, No.4 (1798-1800)
(Click to see the Music Guide for this work)
Sonata (a multi-movement work for a pianist alone [called a piano sonata], or for a single
instrument with piano accompaniment):
Classic sonatas commonly have 3 (sometimes 4) movements based on Classic forms. Haydn
wrote 62 sonatas, and Mozart composed over 70; however, again it was Beethoven who
revolutionized the genre with his 37 sonatas (especially his 32 piano sonatas):
EXAMPLE of a Classic PIANO SONATA
BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata in C minor, Op.13 (1797-8)
(Click to see the Music Guide for this work)
Concerto (a 3-movement work for a featured soloist vs. an orchestra):
Classic concertos are different from their Baroque predecessors in three important ways: 1)
they do not use basso continuo; 2) there is greater balance between the soloist and orchestra;
3) their movements are based on Classic forms (similar to a four-movement
designwithout the minuet & trio movement). The greatest Classic concertos are by Mozart
(particularly his 23 piano concertos).
EXAMPLE of a Classic PIANO CONCERTO
MOZART: Piano Concerto in A major, K.488 (1786)
(Click to see the Music Guide for this work)
VOCAL Genres in the Classic Era
No new vocal genres emerged in the Classic period; however, all Classic vocal music was
impacted by Classic instrumental music, forms and aesthetics:
Sacred Vocal Music
As in the Renaissance and Baroque eras, Mass, motet and oratorio remained important
sacred vocal genres throughout the Classic era. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven all
composed outstanding examples in these genres.
EXAMPLE of a Classic MASS
MOZART: Requiem Mass, K.626 (1791)
(Click to see the Music Guide for this work)
Click here to watch a YouTube video of the "Lacrimosa" movement (showing the Latin scared text
and English translation)
Secular Vocal Music
Opera was the influential vocal genre of the Classic era. During this era, comic
opera styles rivaled traditional Italian operaseria (serious opera). The most important
Classic operas were composed by Mozart, who transformed serious and
comicopera into a vehicles for his personal and political commentary:
Major opera types of the Classic era:
Opera seria: 3-act serious opera (sung throughout in Italian).
Opera buffa: comic opera with no spoken dialogue (sung throughout in Italian).
Dramma giocoso: a category of opera featuring a mixture of comic and serious
elements (sung throughout in Italian).
Singspiel: a category of opera aimed at the lower classes. Singspiel features spoken
German dialogue (instead of sung recitatives) interspersed with simple songs.
(Mozart's The Magic Flute raised this lowly category of theatre music to an
extremely sophisticated level.)