III.

BAROQUE (1600-1750)
A. CONTEXT
Term comes from the Portuguese barroco, describing a misshaped pearl. Following the definition
given by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in 1768, Baroque is full of dissonances, modulations, harsh and little
natural, difficult to understand harmonically. “Music has the power and the obligation to stir the
passions,” Claude Palisca said. Change your body chemistry for the art and music stimulus, as in
antiquity happened.

Painting illustrates a movement at a distance from expression contained within form to passion as
determiner of form. Exaggeration, extravagant expression, contrasts, chiaroscuro, dynamisms,
intense light and color, and theatrically.

The four temperaments (or humours), is the idea that human body was preside over by those four
fluids that are in charge of one’s mood:
• Blood: sanguine, or happy.
• Phleghm:: unemotional, or phlegmatic.
• Yellow bile (choler): Choleric, or angry.
• Black bile (melancholer): Melancolic, or sad.

The architecture was part in due to the Counter Reformation:

• University Church in Vienna: Grandiose, glorious. As a way to catch back people due to
Protestantism, churches were built to show their power through its amazing and huge
architecture full of gold.
• Altar at Ottobeuren (where the Carmina Burana’s score lies): Angel statues. Lots of colors.
Pilgrim. Instead “less is more,”, here is “more and more.”
• Altar at The Vatican: Grand and extravagant.

Sculpture:
• Bernini’s “The ecstasy of St. Theresa”: The statue’s face shows a lot of passion (in opposition
to the Renaissance art).
• Bernini’s “The rapt of Proserpina”: Intense emotions, tension. Astonishing details.
• Bernini’s “Apollo and Daphne”: Daphne is being turn into a tree to avoid the attacker Apollo.
Hands and feet turn into a roots and leaves. Very thorough details.

Painting:
• “Vanitas Imagery”: Prepare the spirit for the next life. Moralizing people.
• George de la Tour’s “The Penitent Magdalen”: Symbolism as the skull on her lap (death), the
candles (blow and gone), and mirror (life pass nearby). Sharp contrasts (charioscuro)
• Caravaggio’s “The conversion of St. Paul”: Intense passion to determine form. Chiaroscuro
present as well.
• Caravaggio’s “Medusa”: Eyes and mouth shows passion. Caravaggio’s self-portrait. Perfection
in the intensity of passion.

And Music:
• Idea to make music an imitation of this orating power, sharing the Greek oration & drama
concept.
 • Characteristics such as sadness, lament, through chromaticism & dissonances were already
present in Gesualdo’s music.
• Contrast come to be a controlling value (solo-choir, two-choirs, soft loud).
• Solo singing becomes important.
• Drama sung as recitative (from the key word recite) will lead to the opera.
• Passion is moved by the Virtuoso vocal writing.
• Two types of basso:
o Basso seguente, that later was developed into…
o Basso continuo* (real defining characteristic of the baroque era).
*the basso continuo is a 2-part ensemble: a bass line
instrument (viola da gamba, cello, bassoon) and a chordal
instrument (lute, harpsichord, organ…).
• Concerted church music: choir + instrument.
• Idiomatic instrumental writing (music written for the particularities of each instrument);
• Instruments are specified on the music (and not only as a mere “soprano” or “bass” or “tenor”
line). Baroque is the first golden age of instrumental music.

B. FLORENTINE CAMERATA (fl. 1570s-1580)

Was an intellectual meeting to discuss about art and other matters. They met at Giovanni de’ Bardi’s
home, to talk about music particularly. The group included Vincenzo Galilei, Girolamo Mei and Giulio
Caccini, that was the only composer, and also the only non-noble in the group.
Result of the meetings: music should be sung tuneful with attentive text declamation (articulating
the text) & limited ornamentation. This will lead to the importance of solo singing as ancient people
did with Greek drama.

GIULIO CACCINI (1551-1618)

Opera composer, also famous by a document for solo song: Le nuove musiche (1602), a major
publication of the early baroque. This also was the first book of monody (genre for solo singer with
basso continuo accompaniment, with cautious emphasize on text declamation).

• Le nuove musiche Preface:

Caccini also tells us that music has to be passionate rather than “just pretty”. One way to do
that is eliminating counterpoint (6 people at once were too hard to understand for the text
declamation’s sake); speaking in music; idea of nonchalance to dazzle and amaze but with
containment.

• Le nuove musiche innovations:

o Narrower voice ranges, even monotone (imitating speaking).
o Vocal line frame worked closely to the text.
o Rhythms were freer following the words declamation (poetic meter).
o Specifically composed accompaniments (basso continuo)
o Freer dissonance use (contrasts among passion, beauty, suffering and more).
o Melismas and small ornaments usually enclosed to main accents (end of lines and
accented places).
o Imitation of rhetorical speech for expression’s sake.
 ♫Caccini – Filli, mirando il cielo (1602) (monody)
A lot of passion and sentiment in this text. Basso continuo accompaniment and solo voice (monody)
Trill is not the same as actually is, is a repeated tone, also known as “Goat’s trill.” Basso continuo is
very flexible for tempo/rhythms, in order to help text declamation.
• [Escl.] on the music: exclamation.
• [senza mis.]: unmeasured.
• Little melisma on “o” (declamation).
• Ornamentation at the end of the line.
• Some elements of word painting.
• Virtuosity.
• Sprezzatura di canto (lack of regular rhythm).

Earlier polyphonic madrigals became solo madrigals took the polyphony and reduced it down to
voice + accompaniment, but still in 7-to-11 syllable lines.

C. EARLY BAROQUE OPERA

Renewed interest in classical antiquity. How Greek dramas were set to music. Solo singing with focus
attention on passion speech.

• Texts & plots drawn from classical antiquity/ancient history (Camerata interests’ reflections.
Recapture antiquity glory)
• Tales include noble & divine figures & include moral lessons (stories from a distant past).
• High-cost stage machinery (just for wealthy crowds. When it was changed to all public,
expensive conditions went away due to economic and financial model).
• Intermezzi (late 16th century ~ one of the forerunners to opera) – elaborate ceremonies with
musical members (ex. 1589 Medici wedding); short scenes between main scenes of the play.
• 1637 – in Venice, first public commercial opera house opening (from the Tron family).
• Style of music is about to change – in the middle of the 17th century, primacy of aria (spoken-
like becomes more sung-like – this was the end of the 17th-century big ABA arias).
• Special occasions productions (like royal weddings) were commissioned, and those were the
Early works.
• Music: variety of genres & types (instrumental interludes, recitatives, arias…)

JACOPO PERI (1561-1633)

First opera (beating Caccini by 3 days). In his Euridice (premiered on Oct. 6, 1600 in Florence): text &
basso continuo (laid by orchestra), starts with tragedia/prologue/setting scene.

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)

He is one of the most celebrated composers in late 16th – early 17th-century. He wrote a lot of
madrigals, a set of vespers, some operas, but no purely instrumental music. His L’orfeo (1607) is
based on the same story than Peri’s Euridice (the story mostly set in the history of opera).

• Commissioned by Accademia degli Ingaghiti (Charmed One’s Academy), sponsored by

Gonzaga’s family in Mantua
• Large instrumental ensemble (over 40 players)
 • Close to 2 hours of music in 5 acts (without break)

Monteverdi’s two endings:

• 1607 version (which doesn’t exist anymore): Orfeo fails the test and is killed by the Bacchus’
worshippers in the underworld (very close to the myth).
• 1609 version (better for honeymoon!): Orfeo fails the test and is saved by Apollo taking him
to heaven to gaze upon Euridice among the stars (not close to the myth but has a better
ending).

Also, see Rubens’ “Orpheus & Euridice” for pictural representation of these ideas.

♫Monteverdi – Selections from Orfeo: Toccata (1607)

Starts with instrumental movement (toccata, that is more common on keyboards). Piece conceived
for instruments (idiomatic instrumental music). Orchestration changes.

♫Monteverdi – Selections from Orfeo: “Tu se’ morta, mia vita” (1607) (arioso)
Orfeo’s lament, the rests are critical for emotions; listen, notice “seconda prattica” dissonances (F#
against G minor), some word paintings. A chitarone (little chordal instrument) is playing on the
recording.

Artusi (a theorist of the time), said that Monteverdi’s madrigals were not “good” because of the use
of wild dissonances not making any sense (i.e. not following the rules). He was advocating prima
prattica (consonant style, like Palestrina).

Monteverdi was advocating the seconda prattica (dissonances for the sake of text expression – the
text is mistress/is in charge of the music).

♫Monteverdi – Selections from Orfeo: “Possente spirto” (1607) (aria)

Orpheus is coming to the underworld, Aria is not considered as expressively (in that time) as a
recitative, but this is a melodic and lively example.

In the score we have 2 lines, but it’s not a DUET!

• Top line: Slow notes (originally written)
• Bottom line: More decorated, the way that Monteverdi says to the singer has to realize it.
(different from French Baroque where ornaments are throughout the entire piece. Italian is
freer in ornaments in different places, more to performers’ decision

If you see an elaborate line with ornament additions, those are called diminutions. Very common in
Italian baroque.

You have specified accompaniment part (2 violins, Idiomatic).

More melodic (due is an aria). Decoration in the line (trillos).

D. BAROQUE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

The real golden age of instrumental music, given the fact composers wrote sort of works for specific
instruments (Idiomatic concept).
 • 17th-century – Idiomatic instrumental music writing development (previously based on vocal
models).
• Instrumental technology development.
• New genres seek to impress, astonish, and move the passions of the listeners (specially string
instruments).
• Giovanni Batista Doni (1640’s) definition of violin in “new style of violin writing”

Emergence of the violin & sonata:

• Earliest violin sonata with figured bass: Cima’s Concerti Ecclesiastici (1610), reminding of
1602’s monody of voice + basso continuo.
• Music derived from unwritten practices.
Side note on history of violin:
• Ferrarese paintings (c. 1508) show three-strings
violin
• 1556 – 4-string instrument tuned in fifths.
• 16th-century is used for dance music.
• 1581: first music written for violin: anonymous
“French dances à 5 parts”)

1. BAROQUE SONATAS
(it. suonare, to play) Piece to be played as opposed to cantata (to sing).
• By 1620, was the most usual term for most varieties of Italian instrumental chamber
music (taking the place of canzona or fantasia);
• Initially, it was made of many distinct but continuous sections (Quilt Sonatas);
• By the end of the 17th century, the sections became self-contained movements.
Instead to go through random ideas, they have more regular structures (slow-fast-
slow)
• Typically, one or two high instruments + basso continuo; often rhapsodic & through
composed.
• Similar to keyboard toccata (harmonic surprises, changes of character, virtuosic
figuration) = Quilt sonatas:
Looking the patch work of the Quilt, you will see similar
spread ideas, all strong together with no any resemblance.
In music you have a slow movement and made a transition
to a fast one without any melodic connection between
them.

2. TRIO SONATAS
Trio Sonata is played with two melodic instruments plus continuo (4 players because the
continuo has 2 players (chords and bass line); different to Solo Sonata (played with one
melodic instrument), i.e. 3 players.

• Sonata da camera (chamber sonata)

o Court or noble homes performance
o Four movements: (S-F-S-F)
 o Preludio + three national dances (possibly: Allemande, Courante,
Sarabande, Gigue).
o Dances almost in BINARY FORM (A B A)
o Movements usually in the same key (probably one in related key).

• Sonata da Chiesa (church sonata):

o Non-based in dance
o Set up in the same way, but more serious in character.
o Tempo marking instead of dance types was Allegro, Adagio, Andante,
among others.

ARCANGELO CORELLI (1653-1713)

Was one of the first composers in history who his reputation was made by his
instrumental music.

♫Corelli – Trio Sonata, Op. 4, no. 1 a. Preludio (1694)

Chamber sonata. Three music lines, lower one with figured bass. Third line has a chain
of suspensions (non-harmonic tune that resolves to a chord tone). Adding
ornamentation around the cadences. Little diminutions.

♫Corelli – Trio Sonata, Op. 4, no. 1 b. Corrente (1694)

Running dance in binary form. Very dance mood and characteristic for Baroque binary
form. Hemiola is very characteristic in this dance.

3. BAROQUE CONCERTO
As same as Motet, has different meanings throughout the time
• Derived from Antiphonal canzone & Bolognese trumpet sonatas. (Antiphone: groups
in several places playing back and forth)
• Three movements: (F-S-F)
• Solo concerto or concerto grosso:
o Solo: single player against larger ensemble (e.g. Vivaldi’s Four seasons)
o Grosso: small group of soloists against a larger ensemble (the ripieno, also
called concerto grosso or simply tutti).
• Small group: Concertino (2 violins & continuo).
• Large group: Ripieno or Concerto Grosso (2 violins, viola & continuo).

Ritornello form:
Ritornello is a repeated musical section that intersperses with different passages of
contrasting material.
(Ritornello) + solo + R2 + S2 + R3, etc.
Baroque concertos 1st movements were organized in ritornello form.
 ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678-1741)
a.k.a. “The red priest from Venice,” was one of the composers who made a large amount
of works with this form. Wrote around 600 of these concertos.

♫Vivaldi – L’estro armonico, Op. 3, no. 8 (1711) (concerto grosso)

Ritornello form, two soloist and ripieno. Sequences are present, circle of fifths. Idiomatic
writing.

Conclusion (at the end of the 17th-century):

• Sonata: 4 movements (S-F-S-F) in binary form
• Concerto: 3 movements (F-S-F). 1st movement in ritornello form.

E. BAROQUE VOCAL MUSIC

1. ITALIAN CHAMBER CANTATA
• Cantatas are works of a secular nature.
• Piece composed for several discrete sections exploiting multiple styles for one or two
voices, occasionally three, accompanied by basso continuo group.
• First used for this term was given by Alessandro Grandi in 1620 where the term “aria”
didn’t quite fit, given the fact it is a generic term.
• Numerous early cantatas were strophic variations, seen frequently in Early Baroque
Operas.
• Rome and Venice, along with the noble houses, were the main centers.
• Music were focused on learned crowds interested in music and poetry, sort of
intellectual context.

BARBARA STROZZI (1618-1677)

Born in Venice. Adopted daughter of Giulio Strozzi, who wrote many of the text she set to
music. Came for a noble descent.

♫Strozzi – L’Amante Segreto: Voglio Morire (1651) (cantata)

• Arias tend to be more melodious; Recitative is when music tends to be more in
speech way.
• Lament bass (cliché of the time): descending chromatic or diatonic tetrachord in
Arias. Recitative the bass is less regular.
• No rest between sections.

By the end of the 17th, beginning of the 18th century, cantatas with distinct movements
started to appear (Handel, Vivaldi).

2. CHORALE CANTATA
 • Employs the text and tune of a preexisting Lutheran chorales in several or all its
movements.
• Sacred vocal genre based in Biblical readings, tend to leave a poetical reflection.
• First and last chorale text strophes are kept, some others are poetically paraphrased
and set as an arias or recitatives.
• Last movement is a simple four-part setting of the melody
• No fixed structure (some have 6, 7, or 8 movements)

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)

The great master of the late Baroque, and all times as well (said by Mozart, Beethoven,
Wagner, Schoenberg, and others.) He was from Eisenach (very special Lutheran stronghold
where Luther translated The Bible).

Major music appointments:

Armstadt-Mülhausen (1703-08) as an organist (D. Buxtehude played there). Here wrote
some of the great organ works in all time.
Weimar (1708-17) for the Duke (he wrote some chorales and chamber music there).
Cöthen (1717-23): first volume of the Well-Tempered Clavier, and Brandenburg concertos.
Leipzig (1723-50) in St. Thomas church. He was the third-choice candidate after Telemann &
Graupner who declined the job offer. He wrote a cantata every week over there.

♫J.S. Bach – Cantata BWV 140, “Wachet auf, ruft uns sie Stimme” (1731)
Wake up, the voice calls. (BWV= Bach Werke Verzeichnis). BWV are organized by genres
and are only chronological within each group.
Chorale cantata in 7 movements (cantatas were not necessarily based on chorales).
Written for the 27th Sunday after Trinity (Parable of the Ten Virgins, from Matthew 25:
1-13).

Movement 7: Chorale, “Gloria sei dir gesungen”

• Very last movement is in general a simple 4-part setting of the chorale tune.
• Bar form (AAB)
• Easy to listen to, to sing, and in the language of the people.

Movement 1: Chorus, “Wachet auf”

• Chorale fantasy tends to be the first movement of the cantata
• Expansion of the choral here: Orchestral Ritornellos: /A / R2/A/R3/A/R4
• The chorale tune here is used as a cantus firmus.
Dotted rhythms (idea 1): 4 bars.
Idea 2 starts measure 5.
Idea 3 (ascending scale) measure 9.
Measure 14: all three ideas are amalgamed together.
Measure 17: cantus firmus (chorale tune) on Soprano.
Measure 32: word painting on the word “hoch” (high).
 Movement 6: Duet, “Mein Freund”
love poetry (Pietism, love metaphors). Here we have a kind of an ode to the Pietist
movement. Soprano represents the soul; Jesus is traditionally represented by the Bass
(God’s voice).

Pietism: sect of Christianity emphasizing a deep relationship with Christ.

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)

With J.S. Bach were the greatest composers in Late Baroque. Violinist and Organist. Very
different career that Bach due to goes to Italy to study, wrote opera (Bach didn’t),
especially opera seria. Also, in 1712 he moved to London: seat of major changes
(industrialization, big concert scene).

3. OPERA SERIA
• Storyline supported on ancient history (ex. Roman civilization)
• Music: Recitative (tell story. Dry recitative: harpsicord or continuo) + Da capo Aria
(ABA’). Some sort of ornamentation on second A theme).
• Each aria has one prevailing mood (joy, rage, anger, sadness). One mood per piece.
• Doctrine of the affections: music change body chemistry – 1 mood per aria.

Opera Seria Aria Types:

• Aria de bravura: Fast (tempo, rhythms), difficult melismas, wide leaps. Joy, rage,
and related
• Aria cantabile: Moderate-slow tempo, major key, narrow range, slow harmonic
rhythm. Love, peace, and related.
• Aria patetica: Slow tempo, minor key, chromaticism, dissonances, descending
lines. Sorrow, lamentation, and related.
• Aria parlante: Fast tempo, syllabic text setting, many exclamations, repeated
pitches. Anger, defiance, and related.
• Aria di mezzo cattatere (not very common): Mixture alternation.

Italian opera: very elaborate costumes/plays/scenic organization.

The Castrato
They were big stars in the opera at that time. Why would a family decide to do that to a
child? For MONEY!

The most celebrated castrato was Carlo Broschi (a.k.a. Farinelli) (1705-1782). His brother
wrote lots of pieces for him.
Alessandro Moreschi (1858-1922) was the las castrato (a.k.a. the angel of Rome).
Recording was in 1902.

♫Handel – Giulio Cesare, “V’adoro pupile” (1724) (aria)

 Historical background; in Italian (even though in London)/aria cantabile (major key, slow,
stepwise motion, non-dissonances). ABA’

Pepusch & Gay – The Beggar’s opera (1728)

• Satire of Italian’s opera seria.
• Sang popular tunes.
• Became a symbol for the downfall of Italian’s opera seria in London (because too
expensive and performed in a language not understood).

Handel got bankrupt and traveled back to Northern Germany (where the oratorio
tradition was strong) and came back to London to create more oratorios.

Why Oratorios?
• Was open for all social classes (no just for high crowds)
• English music was more reachable for people instead Italian
• Low production cost: no costumes, staging and expensive castrati.
• Old Testament text resonated with Anglicans (English Church). No foreign
ancient history concept.

4. ORATORIO
Based on biblical stories that would play well for the London audience.
Written for choir, soloist & orchestra; just standing up and playing at you.
Can be dramatic or non-dramatic (in sense of individual, with characters being named).

Handel’s Messiah (1741)

§ Written very quickly
§ In 3 parts
§ “Charity piece”, not done with regular “performing force”
§ Parts more manageable, not that challenging.

♫Handel – Messiah, “He shall feed his flock” (aria)

• Text from Isaiah 40:11, and Matthew 11:28-29
• Clichés predictable to capture mood (here is rest, comfort)
• In F Major (associated with pastoral scenes);
• 12/8 (dance movement – siciliana);
• Violins often played in 3rds (comforting feel)

♫Handel – Messiah, “Hallelujah Chorus”

• Exclamation of joy, triumph piece.
• Timpani and Trumpet provide force in the piece.
• D Major shows a royalty symbol.
• During the performance, the king stood up at some point & everybody therefore
stood up, as the tradition went. This is why this is still done when the Hallelujah
is performed.
 Suites: collection of stylized dances for ensemble or solo instrument. All of them are in
the same key. (Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue).
Stylized dances: not particularly written to actually be danced (Minuet, Bourrée,
Gavotte, Hornpipe).
Agréments: ornaments in French baroque music (all written out); not as much
improvisation (cf. Couperin’s orders – his collection of dances, being keyboard dances in
binary form).
Notes inégales: French baroque practice where eighth notes would be played as
eighth/sixteenth (unequally) – not notated (cf. Couperin, Lully, sometimes even Bach or
Handel).
French overture: typical instrumental composition; instrumental work in 2 parts:
• Slow, dotted rhythms, sometimes double dotted.
• Triple meter, faster, contrapuntal (typically imitative) cf. The Messiah ‘s
Overture.
Tragédie lyrique/en musique: basically, French baroque opera.

F. LATE BAROQUE ERA

J.S. Bach, Scarlatti, Handel (all born the same year of 1685).
Sense of extravagance (cf. .1737’s Johann Adolph Scheibe’s der Critische Musicus critique of Bach’s
style, essentially saying that too much is going on in Bach’s style) vs. more simplicity comparing
Bach’s “Ein feste burg ist unser got” to Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.”

18th-century come back to Antiquity, but less interested in rhetoric than before, now more interested
in architecture (cf. Acropolis & Jefferson’s Monticello proportions, that could be read from left to
right as an ABA form, well-balanced and very structured).

Paintings to please its audience; no passion or religious message. French Academy in 18th-century
established the highest painting level was Historical painting, especially in ancient times.

IV. CLASSICISM (1750-1820)

A. ENLIGHTENMENT (Les “Lumières”)
• Also known as “Age of Reason.” People were interested in scientific perspective/method;
they figured out what’s going on based in empirical observation (see, test), not just in
Church’s point of view.
• Codifying knowledge through L’Encyclopédie, Dictionaries, and First Histories of Music (1776)
• Secularization of society started due to people believe more in test and experiences more
than in the Church instructions.
• Famous figures of the period: Rousseau & Diderot (France), Franklin & Jefferson (some of the
USA’s founding fathers), Locke in England.

AGE OF REVOLUTIONS
• American Revolution (Treaty signed on July, 4th of 1776).
• French Revolution (La Bastille, 1789).
• Industrial revolution:
o Starts in England. Mass production/machines doing the work of humans.
o New form of employment.
 o Population settling in cities.
o Upper-middle class emerges.
o First permanent concert audience.
o Smaller halls replaced by larger venues: bigger & better money.
o Amateur market: cheap sheet music.
o New genres from the 1730’s (appeared thanks to the new concert halls to play them):
• Symphony
• Keyboard concertos
• Keyboard sonatas (for amateurs)
• Accompanied sonatas (generally by another instrument, doubling the melody
(Flute or Violin); this part was therefore not necessary, just a way to make more
money).
• Duo sonata (more equality in parts)
• Comic opera
• Songs without written-out accompaniments (melody with basso continuo)
• String quartets (from 1750’s): music for the home at this time.

B. STYLE GALANT (c. 1720s to 1770s)

Also called Post-Baroque era (or Pre-Classical era). Music designed to please those new audiences.
Bach’s sons were composing in this style.
Not much harmonic changes/easier to listen to, lyrical melodies. Cf. J. Stamitz, Haydn, G.B.
Sammartini, young Mozart.

EARLY SYMPHONY
No textbook to define it precisely in its earliest days.
A lot of instrumental pieces, not a predictable form early on (could be called serenade, quartet,
quintet, overture, partita, among others).
(1732: oldest symphony written)

GIOVANNI BATTISTA SAMMARTINI (1698-1775)

Born in Milan, he was a church musician (violinist, organist, composer and teacher).

Characteristics of his symphonies (c.1730-40):

3 or 4 strings parts.
3 movements (from Italian overture*)

*Italian opera overture:

Called “sinfonia” in Italian, appears before Italian opera: 3 sections (F-S-F).
1st mvt.: binary form
2nd mvt.: more melodic (“singing”, operatic character), lyricism.
Final: minuet or other dance (rondos by 1750’s).

♫Sammartini – Symphony in D Major (J-C-14), 1 st

movement. (Rounded binary form).
• Purely a “string symphony”, no winds.
• Simple harmonic accompaniment (2 chords only, I & V in the whole first phrase!)
• Less counterpoint.
• Rounded binary.
 • Whole movement: 2’30’’ (tiny works because of the binary form).
• Use of sonata allegro.

C. MATURE CLASSICAL ERA

Sonata da chiesa, sonata da camera and Italian overture were “parent genres” of this musical epoch.
Movement increase to 3 by 4, form expansion, “singing allegro” emerges as well as thematic
development. Enrichment of texture with growing role of wind instruments.

JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809)

Fun facts: Born the same year as G. Washington, died 18 years after Mozart.
One of the great masters of Clasicism. Was also one of the “Old School style” musicians. He was a
choir boy in Vienna, until his voice cracked; then became a “freelance composer”.
In the early 1760’s, he was hired by the Esterházy (Hungarian wealthy family) and will stay there for
30 years. Haydn was pretty much a servant of the house. He had a steady paycheck (quite strange
for a musician!). These economic circumstances will change for other composers with more
possibilities to reach greater audiences, such as Mozart & Beethoven later on.

Haydn was an early great writer of string quartets and of a cello-like instrument called Baryton (the
instrument of the Esterházy prince).
He wrote 110 symphonies (104 with number), and by and large all in 4 movements (following a
rhetorical structure):
• Fast (Sonata form* (basically like all the 1st movement of instrumental music at the time).
*Sonata form (also “Allegro form”): internal structure of a single movement.
• Slow (No fixed form, composer’s choice).
• Minuet+Trio (The minuet is in binary form, played a second time after the Trio, without repeat
–and is in triple meter).
• Fast (Can be sonata form, theme & variations (in string quartets, it tends to be Rondo).

SONATA FORM
Major formal structure in Mature Classicism. Essence lies in key relationships between different parts
of this.

Exposition: Introduce the melodic materials.

Principal Key area Transition Second key Closing :|

I Major V/V V V
i cadence III III

Development: totally unstable (lots of key changes/modulations).

(Long) V-pedal => retransition (prepare the ear to go back to the principal key area)

Recapitulation:
PTSK*(*for Principal theme, Transition, Secondary theme, [K]closing) à Coda (tail).
Keeps the Principal key area (no transitions)

♫Haydn – Symphony No. 99 in E-flat Major (1794), 1 st

movement.
This symphony is part of the 12 “London symphonies” he wrote in London (first 6 in 1791 when he
went there for the first time, second 6 in 1794).
Late works. 4 movements. Woodwinds timpani, separate cello and bass parts. Slow introduction
(non-required), used for playing around with your ears.

Structure of the movement:

Bar Detail 89 End of the exposition. Goes

1 Slow intro back to 1st theme once.
19 Principal key area/theme (E- 90 Development section
flat). Repeated phrase. 134 Retransition (long B-flat pedal)
34 Transition 138 Recapitulation (E-flat)
(fast rhythms, syncopations, 145 Transition
sfz to create instability) (fast rhythms, syncopations,
44 V/V (F in the bass) sfz to create instability)
48 Second key area. Same theme, 157 Skip the second theme and
different key (B-flat) goes to the closing material
71 K= closing material (more wind theme (I)
solos) 167 Closing material (K)
191 Coda

SONATA FORM IN A CLASSICAL CONCERTO

3 movements (FSF), not unlike baroque concerto.
1st mvt: sonata form* (vs. baroque ritornello form).
*Classical concerto sonata form (a bit different from the “symphonies” sonata form).

R1 S1 R2 S2 R3/ S3 R4 CODA
Elements of Exposition Development Recapitulation Cadenza Comes
sonata form PtSK at the after a
(PtSK). No end. long
repeat: (in Mozart, ends trill.
thematic with big long
material trill).
already
heard twice)
I IàV Tonally Tonally I I64
unstable unstable
(Might have
fragments)

♫Mozart – Piano Concerto in A Major, K488 (1786), 1 st

movement.
• K.488: Köchel (organized chronologically) (KV: Köchel Verzeichnis).
• Mozart gets in Vienna in 1781 and starts writing piano concertos & operas. Cello &
bass on same line; paired woodwinds; clarinet now established in orchestra (about
11-minute long!).
2nd mvt: freer
 3rd mvt: in general, rondo.

Structure of the 1st movement:

Bar Detail 136 Big trill (Mozart’s

1 Ritornello (R1) signal)
18 Transition 137 R2
(non-modulating, 143 New theme! K3
orchestral) 149 S2
31 Second Theme 179 Retransition
(still in tonic) (dominant pedal)
46 Closing Material Three-part long dominant
(K1) closing: preparation.
52 K2 very 198 Recapitulation
62 K3 common in (R3)
(end of the Mozart. 206 S3
orchestral Tricky pack 213 Transition (non-
exposition) from J. C. modulating)
Bach in 229 Second theme
London (tonic region)
67 SOLO 1 (S1) 244 K1
82 Transition
250 K2
(moving to
261 K3 (New theme’s
Dominant)
back)
93 V/V (B pedal)
284 R4
99 Second key area
297 I64 that opens a
(V)
Cadenza
114 K1
299 Coda
120 K2

18TH-CENTURY COMIC OPERA (1810-20s)

National styles emphasized naturalness (Enlightment concepts, simplicity) over artificiality
(cf. crazy melismas).
• Ballad opera: England – (cf. The Beggar’s opera). In English, spoken dialogues
between numbers. Based on lower-class crowd. Simple tunes.
• Opera comique: France – (cf. J.J. Rousseau’s Le devin du village). Same deal.
• Opera buffa: Italy – buffoon. Italian variety – only variety of opera still maintaining
recitative.
• Singspiel: Germany (cf. Die Zauberflöte), about fairy tales, magic stuff.

Plots about contemporary life from all classes + class struggle (but not so much in Singspiel).
• Vernacular language
• Spoken dialogue (except opera buffa)
 • Simple, folk, syllabic arias, NOT da capo (think of the Papageno character)
Singers that were actors. No castrati (unnatural).
Opera buffa comes from comic intermezzi.

COMIC INTERMEZZI
In between (18th century).
o Tiny comedic scenes between opera seria acts (2 intermezzi per opera seria).
o Stock characters: (servant cleverer than masters, guys who seduces ladies).
o Set in present day (not ancient history).
o Often incorporates slapstick (=cf. the Three Stooges).
o Text deliberately unsophisticated.

GIOVANNI BATTISTA PERGOLESI (1710-1736)

His most famous work is the most known comic intermezzi, La serva pedrona (1733).
One example of comic intermezzo performed between 2 acts of his own opera seria, Il
prigionero superbo.

War of the buffoons: War of letters between French opera fans vs. Italian opera fans in Paris.

COMIC OPERA IN VIENNA

1760s: regularly produced (opera buffa)
It flourished in the middle of 1770-90
1770s & 80: almost no opera seria in Vienna
For rich people mostly.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791)

Master of opera composition in Vienna, where arrived at 25 (1780).
Wrote 9 opera seria, 6 Singspiel, 7 opera buffa.

Le nozze di Figaro (1786)

Is based on a play by Beaumarchais (Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, who also wrote libretti for
Cosi fan tutte in 1787 and Don Giovanni in 1790). Rossini’s Barber of Seville is a prequel to Le
nozze.
Characters:
Susanna & Figaro
Count & Countess
Cherubino (Trouser role; woman playing the part of a man)
Don Basillo.

Story based on feudal rights (old practice of the time).

Aria “non so più”: terzetto (basically a trio): Count, Basilio & Susanna.
Mozart did it in sonata form.
END of part II