The Classical Age
1750-1820
Historical and cultural events:
 Watt incents steam engine.
 American declaration of independence.
 Frederick the Great continues his reign then
Joseph II reigns in Austria.
 French revolution begins.
 Napoleon becomes first consul of France.
 Napoleonic wars.
Arts and Letters:
 Voltaire
 Rousseau
 The first publication of 2 French encyclopedia.
It is the age of Enlightenment.
There is the rise if public concerts.
The piano forte is invented and it replaced the
harpsichord.
Composers of this period:
 Haydn, Austrian.
 Mozart, Austrian, he lived a short life and
ended up in poverty.
 Beethoven, German.
Characteristics:
 Contrast of mood in a musical composition:
fluctuation of mood and emotion.
 Rhythm: flexibility of rhythm containing many
rhythmical patterns.
 Texture: mainly homophonic.
 Melody: Most tuneful and easiest to
remember.
 Dynamics: Gradual dynamic change (crescendo:
gradually getting louder, decrescendo:
gradually getting softer).
 Basso continuo was abandoned.
Classical orchestra:
It is bigger than the baroque orchestra.
Strings: 1st and 2nd violins, violas, cellos, basses.
Woodwinds: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2
bassoons.
Brass: 2 French horns.
Percussion: 2 timpani.
Classical chamber music is for a group of 2 to 9
instruments, performed in a small room.
Classical forms:
Many new forms were invented.
Sonata form, Theme and Variations, and Rondo.
Sonata form:
Exposition: 2 themes linked with a bridge.
Development: themes mixed and treated.
Recapitulation: the return of the exposition.
Coda: ending.
o Mozart, Symphony N.40:
Homophonic, nice melody, fast, difficult,
crescendo, decrescendo.
Theme and variations form:
Present theme and repeat many variations.
o Haydn, Symphony N.94:
Homophonic, nice melody, difficult, crescendo,
decrescendo, musical jokes.
st
1 Genre: Symphony:
It is an instrumental genre.
There are 4 movements each one in a form:
 1st movement, fast, sonata form.
 2nd, slow, any classical form.
 3rd, moderate, minuet and trio.
 4th, fast, sonata form or rondo.
2nd Genre: String quartet:
4 movements and forms similar to symphony.
It is a chamber music genre using Violin 1 and 2,
viola and cello.
Homophonic, nice melody, difficult, medium loud,
only strings.
3rd Genre: Classical sonata:
3 movements with same classical forms.
A work for 1 or 2 instruments.
o Mozart, Piano Sonata:
Homophonic, fast, difficult, nice melody, rondo
form, only piano.
th
4 Genre: Classical concerto:
3 movements.
Double exposition form, very similar to sonata but
with 2 expositions.
o Mozart, Piano concerto N.23:
Homophonic, nice melody, fast, difficult, double
exposition form.
th
5 Genre: Opera Buffa:
Comic Opera. There is always overture.
Ensemble: a number sung by 2 or more singers in a
comic opera.
o Mozart, Dion Giovanni, Librettist: Da Ponte:
Homophonic, difficult, nice melody, moderate
fast, men and women singing, Italian.
Beethoven:
He is German, he stopped hearing by the age of 30, his pieces were so difficult, and he composed 9
symphonies, 1 opera, 1 mass, concertos and sonatas.
o Piano Sonata, Virtuosity: Homophonic, fast, difficult, nice melody, only piano, rondo form.
o Symphony, Unity of rhythmic motif: Homophonic, medium fast, very difficult, nice melody, crescendo,
sonata form.
o Symphony, The choral Symphony: Homophonic, German, men and women, medium fast, very difficult,
nice melody.
Romantic Period
1820-1900
Historical and cultural events: Forms of Lieder:
 Revolutions in Europe. Strophic: same music for each stanza.
 Darwin, Origin of species. Through composed: new music for each stanza.
 American civil war. Song Cycle:
 Franco-Prussian War. It is a group of art songs with a common theme or
 Bell invents telephone. story connecting them.
 Spanish-American War.  Schubert, Winterreise or Winter Journey, text
Arts and Letters: by Muller.
nd
 Keats. 2 Genre: Character pieces:
 Hugo, Notre Dame. Chopin, half Polish half French composer of piano
 Monet. music:
 Munch.  Nocturne: Slow romantic night piece:
Homophonic, romantic melody, slow, soft,
There is romantic melody, freedom of expression, difficult, emotional, Piano.
lots of love affairs.  Etude: Very virtuosic technical study:
Characteristics: Homophonic with little polyphony, fast,
Individuality, expressiveness, nationalism, virtuosic, emotional, energetic, piano.
exoticism, colorful harmony, expanded ranges of Style Characteristics:
dynamics, pitch, and tempo. Program music:
Composers work for themselves Instrumental music associated with a story, poem,
Decline of music patrons. idea, or scene.
Rise of public concerts and operas, people are able Nationalism:
to read and write. The use of rhythms, tone color, melody, texture
Founding of lots of conservatories. from national tradition and culture. The use of folk
The orchestra is large with lots of winds and songs and melodies within a classical composition.
percussion. o The Russian five.
The tuba was invented. o Les six.
Poets: Grandiose Genres:
Muller, Heine, Goethe. 1st Genre: Symphony:
Miniature Genres: o Berlioz, French composer of symphonies and
1st Genre: The art song, Lied: orchestral composition, operas, choral works,
German classical song named Lied. and songs: Symphonie Fantastique:
1 singer with a piano. Homophonic with little polyphony, medium
 Schubert, Austrian, wrote over 600 Lieds, The slow, very difficult, expressive, Program music.
Erlkonig, text by Goethe. o Mahler, Bohemian composer: Funeral March:
 Schumann, German, In the lovely sun of May: Homophonic, slow, crescendo, lovely melody,
Homophonic, men or women, medium slow, national.
difficult, German, Piano.
2nd Genre: Concerto: o Puccini, La Boheme.
o Mendelssohn, German: Concerto violin in e  French Opera:
minor. o Bizet, opera comique: Carmen:
rd
3 Genre: Concert overture: Homophonic, French, women, aria, medium
One movement programmatic orchestral work. fast, difficult.
o Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet:  German Opera:
Homophonic, very difficult, fast loud soft, o Wagner,
Program music. Opera as a music drama: a unified work of art
o Tchaikovsky, Russian: Overture: combining poetry, drama, music, song, and
Homophonic, fast, very loud, difficult, painting.
crescendo, Nationalism. Lietmotif: Leading motive which is a musical
4th Genre: Ballet: theme linked to a specific character, symbol,
o Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker and Swan Lake. or concept that recurs throughout the whole
5th Genre: Opera: work.
 Italian Opera: The Ring Cycle Lohengrin, Tristan and Isolde:
o Rossini, comic opera: Barber of Seville: Homophonic, German, very difficult,
Homophonic, Italian, men, aria, very fast, very dissonance.
difficult. 6th Genre: Choral Music:
o Verdi, grand opera: Aida, Otello:
Homophonic, Italian, men, very difficult,
medium slow.
20th Century
1900-2000
Historical and cultural events:
 Freud, interpretation of Dreams.
 Einstein
 First World War.
 Second World War.
Arts and Letters:
 Picasso.
 Kandinsky.
 Eliot.
 Joyce.
 Rowling, Harry Potter.
 Lots of technology and science.