Classical Era

1750-1820

Viennese Classical Style

Age of Enlightenment Age of Reason

Definition of Classic

• Two Definitions– General: pertaining to the highest order of excellence

in literature and the arts– Specific: pertaining to the culture of ancient Greek and

Romans

• A “classic” exhibits values that are timeless and universal

• Classical versus pop, rock, folk, jazz, ethnic, world music

The Times

• Fascination with ancient Greek and Roman civilizations

• Philosophical and political ferment led to revolutions French (1789-1799) and American (1775-1783)

• Rise of the middle class• Spread of literacy• Life for the middle class still depended on lower class

servants• Industrial Revolution• Scientific Advancements• Intellectual Revolution• Humanistic Writings/Philosophical Debate

Geographical Center

• Vienna, Austria

Visual Arts

• Rococco– 18th century style

characterized by less symmetry and increasingly more ornamented and fluid style

• Neoclassical– Reaction against

Rococco style– Looked back to the

linear qualities of ancient Greek and Roman architecture

Artist Life

• 18th-century artist generally functioned under the system of aristocratic patronage

• Socially, little better than a servant• Patronage system gave the artist

economic security and a social framework

• Artistic Patrons: middle class patrons, court, church

Musical Genres

Vocal Instrumental

Vocal Genres

Mass Motets Opera Oratorio Art Song

Instrumental Genres

Symphony – four movements: fast, slow, minuet and trio, fast

Solo Concerto – three movements: fast, slow, fast

String Quartet – chamber music genre, four instruments: two violins, viola, cello

Sonata – typically for piano, teaching piece

Classical Orchestra

Blending of the four instrumental families: strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion

30 to 40 players Established gradual dynamics (Mannheim

crescendo) Piano was the favored accompaniment/solo

instrument. Alberti Bass was the favored accompaniment texture.

Musical Elements

Melody Harmony Rhythm Texture Dynamics Form

• Melody: vocal in conception, symmetrical (question/answer), typically four to eight measures in length

• Harmony: tonal

• Rhythm: simple and metered

• Texture: homophonic (with some polyphony)

• Dynamics: gradual

Form

• Sonata Allegro: an outgrowth of binary formExposition: use of two contrasting themes, a bridge theme and an ending theme, section is repeated

Development: develops themes and rhythms

Recapitulation

||:Exposition:|| Development || Recapitulation ||Theme 1 Theme 1

Theme 2 Theme 2

A B A

• Theme and Variation

– Theme is varied by the elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, timbre, dynamics)

• Minuet and Trio

– Utilizes binary form, ¾ time signature

• Rondo– Utilizes a section of music that alternates with

new music– ABACA

Composers

Franz Joseph Haydn Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Ludwig von Beethoven

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Symphony No. 40,

First Movement

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Franz Joseph Haydn

• Symphony No. 2

“Surprise”

Second Movement

Ludwig von Beethoven

• String Quartet in c minorFourth MovementRondo form

Romantic Era(1820 – 1900)

The Times

Age of … Historical Influences Literature Visual Arts Other Writers Musical Culture

Age of …..

• Age of Extremes

• Age of Unending Lyricism

Historical Influences

• Looking back to the Medieval Era

• “Roman” – a French medieval novel about romance, chivalry

• French Revolution: liberty, quality, brotherhood

Literature

• Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805)– Philosophical papers on

ethics and aesthetics– Plays– Ode to Joy

• Victor Hugo(1802-1885)

– French poet and playwright

– Les Miserables

• Charles Dickens(1812-1870)– British novelist– Concern for social

reform– Oliver Twist

A Christmas CarolA Tale of Two Cities

Visual Arts

• Eugene Delacroix(1798-1863)

– Leader of the French Romantic School

– Liberty Leading the People

• Francisco Goya(1746-1828)– Spanish painter– Considered the last of

the Old Masters and the first of the moderns

– Satan Devouring His Son

Other Writers

Scientific writings Philosophical writings Ethical writings Aesthetic writings

• Charles Darwin(1809-1882)– British naturalist– Natural selection– On the Origin of

Species

• Karl Marx(1818-1883)– German

philosopher, – social scientist– political theorist

Musical Culture

• Stressed emotion, imagination, individuality• Composers moved from patronage to free agent,

composers wrote for their own social class• Formation of the orchestra and instruments (influence of

Industrial Revolution)• Emergence of the conductor• Public concerts/subscription concerts• Conservatories founded• Public captured by virtuosity; which centered on a

virtuosic performer• Music was seen as a means of expression

Music in the Romantic Era

Characteristics

Musical Elements

Composers

Characteristics

• Individuality

• Expressive Aims and Subjects

• Nationalism and Exoticism

• Program Music/Absolute Music

Musical Elements

• Melody– Unending melody– Longer, more irregular in length– Themes more complex and chromatic– Theme transformation

• Harmony– Basically tonal– Chromaticism stretches the harmonic sound

resulting in greater tension

• Rhythm– Metric– Use of effects, especially rubato– Articulation is heavy– Uses emotional designations: allegro agitato,

con amore

• Dynamics– Wide range– Use of extreme dynamics– Gradual

• Texture– Essentially homophonic– Sonority is thick, heavy and lush

• Instrumentation/Timbre– 70 or more in the orchestra– Full exploration of the instrument and its range– Instruments were used for both their individual timbre and for

their collective color potential– Instruments used to convey mood and atmosphere (emotional

expression)– Woodwinds improved by better fingering system “Boehm”– Valves introduced into Brass – first time these instruments could

play a full chromatic compass– Saxophone, baritone and tuba invented by Adolf Sax– Piano became the standard keyboard instrument

• Form– Stretching of the Classical era forms: sonata-

allegro, rondo, theme and variation, minuet and trio

• Genres– Absolute (abstract music): symphony,

concerto, sonata, string quartet– Program: program symphony, tone poem

(Strauss), symphonic poem (Liszt), opera, music drama (Wagner), art song

– Genres are both large works and small, miniature works called character pieces

Composers

• Ludwig van Beethoven(1770-1827)– German composer

and pianist– Transitional figure

between the Classical and Romantic eras

– Symphony No. 5• first movement

• Frédéric Chopin(1810-1849)– Polish composer– Virtuosic pianist– Composed only for

piano– Etude

• Hector Berlioz(1803-1869)– French symphonist– Known for his

orchestration techniques

– Symphonie Fantastique

• Movement 4

• Bedřich Smetana(1824-1884)– Czech nationalist

composer– Má Vlast

• The Moldau

Other Composers

• Johannes Brahms• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky• Franz Liszt• Robert Schumann• Felix Mendelssohn• César Franck• Giuseppe Verdi• Giacomo Puccini• Franz Schubert• Richard Wagner