o Opus- musical work, set of compositions by a
Music Reviewer composer ordered by date
“Classical” Era
o Refers to the period roughly from the death of
Bach to Beethoven
o Focused on instrumental work ((mostly about
instrumental compositions))
Sonata
o “suonare”– italian means “to sound”
o Sonata Cycle- 3-4 contrasting movements
o Used specifically for a chamber piece for 1or2
instruments.
o Concerto – solo instrument with the
accompaniment of an orchestra and a symphony
o The First Movement
 Most highly organized and characteristic
movement
 Fast tempo-“allegro”
 Written as sonata-allegro form / sonata form
 Has 2 opposing keys
 First theme- home key or tonic
 Second theme- contrasting key
 First Section- Exposition
 Second Section- Development
 Third Section- Recapitulation/ Restatement
o The Second Movement
 Slow movement, contrasts the first
 Gives the composer the opportunity to present
the lyrical aspect of the musical art
 Tempo: andante/adagio
 Variation- important procedure
o The Third Movement
 Minuet- embodies the idea of grace of an
aristocratic age
 Trio- arrangement for 3 instruments
 Structure is elaborated through repetitions
 Scherzo- (“jest”-abrupt change of mood) used
by Beethoven as a substitute for the minuet
o The Fourth Movement
 Rondo- lively movement suffused with the spirit
of dance
 Symmetrical sections
Symphony
o A sonata written for the orchestra
o “sinfonia”
o Each symphony has a unique form and style
Chamber Music
o Written for a small group of solo instruments
o Each player has an individual part to play but all
the players must think and feel together as a
group
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
o Most exceptional musician of the classical era
o Violinist, virtuoso pianist, organist, conductor
o Composed different genres of music and many of
his masterpieces were a success
o Born in Salzburg, Austria, Leopold Mozart:
father- greatly influenced his musical skills
o Greatest musical genius
o Age: 3- played the harpsichord, 6- played for
aristocrats w/ his sister, 11- composed his first
opera “Apollo et Hyacinthus”
o Constanze Weber- wife, 2/6 children survived
o Died before his 36th birthday
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
o Artist imbued with the idea of revolution
o His music is knowledge of the times in which he
lived.
o His father and grandfather were musicians
o He has poor music education, left school when
he was 11 y/o
o Organ Teacher- helped him publish his
compositions and look for primary professional
positions
o He played for Mozart during his teens and
impressed Mozart with his potential
o He moved to Vienna, and had short studied with
Haydn though they had opposing characteristics
o “Best Pianist in Vienna”
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
o Born in Rohrau, Austria
o Began musical training at a young age as a choir
boy in Vienna
o Chorister at St. Stephen Cathedral until he was 16
y/o
o He taught and accompanied roving bands of
musicians in the streets
o Composed different genres of music
o “Father of the String Quartet”