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Classical
Classical
CLASSICAL
PERIOD
Franz Joseph Haydn
&
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
General Characteristics of
Classical Music
◦ It is meant to be easy on the ear.
◦ Direct reaction to the complexity of Baroque
music.
◦ Balance, clarity, accessibility.
◦ Melody with accompaniment (homophony).
◦ Melodies are tuneful and catchy (2-4 measure
phrases).
◦ Harmony is simple, logical and clear (few
dissonances).
◦ No basso continuo (walking or Alberti Bass).
Three Main Qualities
◦ Melody is most important
part.
◦ Tuneful and balanced.
◦ Simple harmony.
◦ Light accompaniment.
◦ Dominated by three
composers, making up the
Viennese School
Classical Opera
◦ Opera buffa – comic
opera.
◦ Simple music, amusing plot,
real characters.
◦ Performed in palace and
public opera houses.
◦ Reaction to problems with
Baroque Opera.
◦ Mythology/historical
◦ Not real people or situations
◦ Music too heavy and
complex.
Symphony
◦ Most important
instrumental genre.
◦ Began as sinfonia
(overture to opera).
◦ Three movements (Fast,
Slow, Fast)
◦ Begins to look like the
modern symphony.
Mannheim, Germany
◦ Center of symphonic composition and performance.
◦ Johann Stamitz, conductor
◦ Expanded sinfonia to four movements
◦ Mvt 1 – Fast and serious (sonata form)
◦ Mvt 2 – Slow and lyrical (aria form)
◦ Mvt 3 – Graceful and moderate (dance form)
◦ Mvt 4 – Fast and lively (Rondo form)
◦ Structure of the orchestra expanded
◦ Full strings, woodwinds (flute/oboe, horn), trumpets
and drums, later added bassoons and clarinets.
◦ Mannheim Steamroller - Crescendo
Chamber Music
◦ Music for the Middle Class to play at
home.
◦ String Quartet – Violin I & II, viola, cello
◦ Ideal balance to match SATB voice types.
◦ Followed the symphonic patterns.
◦ Sonatas
◦ Solo keyboard or keyboard + solo instrument.
◦ 1775 – pianoforte replaces harpsichord.
◦ Composers wrote and improvised from the
keyboard (often performing their own music).
Strict Conventions and Forms
◦ Mvt. 1 - Sonata Form ◦ Mvt. 2 – Aria Form
◦ Exposition – state the two
themes (firs in tonic, ◦ Lyrical and song-
second in dominant). like.
◦ Development – develop
the themes by changing ◦ ABA form
keys, etc. ◦ Triple meter
◦ Recapitulation – replay ◦ Contrasting keys with
the two themes, both in
the tonic key. new material.
◦ Coda – optional ending ◦ Less serious than
◦ Used for the most serious Sonata Form
musical ideas.
Forms (cont.)
◦ Mvt. 3 – Minuet and ◦ Mvt. 4 – Rondo
Trio Form form
◦ Minuet – Dance in ◦ Simplest of all
Binary form (AABB
usually in ¾ time) forms (most
◦ Trio – Different music
accessible).
in binary form (CCDD) ◦ New music always
◦ Return to original returns to a main
Minuet (AB) theme.
◦ Makes for an overall ◦ ABACADA…….
ternary form (ABA).
Franz Joseph Haydn
(1732-1809)