Music of the Classical Period

(1750-1820)

Classicial Historical Highlights

Age of Enlightenment; using reason to solve social problems

Age of violent upheavals - French & American Revolutions, Napoleonic Wars

Political power shifts from noble courts and church to the newly empowered middle class – Composers move from high-class servants to free-lance, self-

employed artists

“Classical” Defined A “classic” is any supreme accomplishment of lasting

appeal (for example a movie classic or classic rock song)

“classical” music (lowercase “c”) usually refers to any music that is NOT rock , jazz, folk, or popular

“Classical” music (uppercase “C”) refers to music written between 1750-1820, which exhibits some of the artistic ideas found in “Neoclassic” visual art and architecture– In visual art and architecture, “Classical” Art refers to Greek

and Roman antiquity

Classical Artistic Highlights New emphasis on balance and clarity of

structure– Neoclassic Architecture and Painting

• firm lines & clear structure• balance & symmetry• moralistic subject matter• Greek & Roman references

Arts meant to please and entertain rather than instruct: new emphasis on naturalness & pleasing variety– Rococo artists: Watteau; Fragonard

Upper Belvedere, Vienna 1721-22

Karlskirche, Vienna 1716-33

Petite Trianon at Versailles, 1726-68

Temple of Love at Versailles, 1775

David,Mars disarmed by Venus, 1824on next page

Paris & Helen, 1788

Fragonard

–The Bathers

–The ReaderWatteau

–Pierrot

Classical Musical Highlights New emphasis on pleasing variety

– Highly flexible rhythms (i.e. all different lengths of short and long notes) – More difference between musical ideas within a single movement or

piece– Introduction of crescendo and diminuendo into varied dynamic changes

New emphasis on naturalness– Demand for simplicity and clarity in melody and harmony– Use of secular pop/folk “tunes” in art music– More melody & accompaniment (homophonic) textures– New emphasis on morality, common people, and everyday life in OPERA

Example: – W.A. Mozart’s Act 1, Scene 1 from Don Giovanni

Opera

Sung theatrical work Staged with costumes and sets Example: WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Act 1,

excerpt from Opening Scene from Don Giovanni

Classical Music Genres

Vocal Music Genres– Opera

Instrumental Music Genres– Orchestral Music

• Symphony• Concerto

– Chamber Music• String Quartet• Serenade

Classical Music Style Characteristics

Timbre End of basso continuo; evolution of standard orchestra with all four “choirs”; strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion; transition from harpsichord to piano

Rhythm Emphasis on flexibiliy and naturalness; unexpected pauses; syncopations; frequent changes from long to short note patterns

Melody Tuneful, easy to remember; folk-like, often “borrowed”; balanced and symmetrical phrase lengths; tend to be rounded

Form New emphasis on symmetrical structures and clear formal designs; new emphasis on rounding; new emphasis on multi-movement instrumental works; widespread use of Sonata form

Dynamics Widespread use of gradual dynamic changes (I.e.crescendos & diminuendos); transition from harpsichord to piano

Texture Basically HOMOPHONIC MELODY & ACCOMPANIMENT but flexible; sudden appearances of small bits of imitative polyphony

Harmony Less dense; simpler and more stretched out harmonic progressions; gradual abandonment of basso continuo

Mood Emphasis on variety and contrast

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Ludwig Van

Beethoven