The Classical Period1750 - 1820

Listen to the following excerpt of music from the Classical Period.

In groups, answer the following 2 Questions:

• Describe what you hear in the music. Think about

• Instruments and how they are played

• Dynamics

• Tempo etc.

• How does the excerpt differ compared to the music we

heard from the Baroque Period?

The Classical Period

• The term ‘Classical Music’ is often used to describe music that is

not rock or pop music.

• However, when musicians talk about Classical music, it is usually

to define a style of music.

• The transition from the Baroque period was an evolution and not

a clean break

The Classical Period

• The texture is now mainly HOMOPHONIC

• The Orchestra GROWS with the woodwind section in particular

gaining importance

• Melodies became more graceful and beautiful.

• Richer variety of contrasting melodies, rhythms, keys and dynamics

• The Piano takes a main role.

From Baroque to Classical

Characteristics of the Classical StyleMELODY Short and clearly defined musical phrases with 2 or more contrasting

themes.Clearly marked cadences

RHYTHM Very defined and regular

TEXTURE Mostly homophonic– one melody line with accomp. Using notes of the chord.In piano music Alberti bass is used.

TIMBRE Symphony orchestra – arranged in 4 sections, clarinet used.Harpsichord is rarely used.Piano in use but not normally in orchestral music unless as a solo instrument in a concerto.

DYNAMICS Greater range of dynamics, use of crescendo and sforzando.

FORM Sections clearly definedIn Vocal music: scared – Mass and OratorioSecular – Opera and songChamber music – trios, quartets, quintets, etc.String quartet – developed during this period.Sonata – solo piece for piano or for solo instrument with piano accomp.

COMPOSERS Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert

Important Composers of the era

Mozart(1756 -1791)

Austria

Haydn(1732 – 1809)

Austria

Beethoven(1770 – 1827)

Germany

The PianoDuring the classical period the PIANO replaced the harpsichord in

much of the music.

DYNAMICS, LEGATO and STACCATO could now be used in

keyboard music for the first time.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Born in Salzburg in 1756, Mozart, who played both the violin and piano,

was one of the greatest and most influential composers of the Classical

period.

Mozart started to write music when he was only 5 years old! He composed

over 600 pieces in his lifetime, including concertos, symphonies, operas

and chamber works.

He died in December 1791, not long after the successful premier of his

final opera, The Magic Flute

The Magic Flute - The Queen of The Night

The singer in this example uses SYLLABIC and

MELISMATIC word setting. What is the difference

between these concepts?

• Listen to SONATA in C by W.A. Mozart

(The left hand accompaniment looks like this)

• A style of accompaniment which was very

popular in the Classical period.

Broken chords are played by the left hand to outline the

harmonies whilst the right hand plays the melody.

Alberti Bass

Listen to again to this Sonata by Mozart and identify FOUR

features that you hear in the music:

SEQUENCES TRILL GROUND BASS CONCERTO

COMPOUND TIME SIMPLE TIME MAJOR MINOR

String QuartetThis was a piece of chamber music written for 4 stringed instruments. Watch the following String Quartet by Mozart and comment upon the following:

Mozart - String Quartet in D Minor

- TEMPO

- TEXTURE

- DYNAMICS

- MELODIC, HARMONIC & RHYTHMIC TECHNIQUES

Joseph Haydn

Joseph Haydn, born in Rohrau Austria, in 1732, had a musical career

spanning over 60 years.

He played a big part in the development of both the symphony (he composed

104 of these!) and the string quartet (he wrote 68) and was one of the first

composers to have such works performed in concert halls.

Haydn - String Quartet - 'The Lark' – Movement 2

1. What Italian word would you use to describe the tempo of

this piece?

2. What Italian word would you use to describe the way in

which the strings instruments are being played?

Listen to this String Quartet composed by Haydn and answer the following questions:

1.Are the strings playing mainly in unison/octaves or in harmony?

2.Is the music primarily Homophonic or Polyphonic?

3. Are the strings being played Arco or Pizzicato?

REVISION BREAK!

Beethoven

Beethoven (who was deaf!) was born in Germany in 1770. A composer who lived in both

the classical and romantic periods, Beethoven was greatly influenced by the music of

both Haydn and Mozart, however he strived to stretch the bounds of music to new limits.

Beethoven was the main composer who saw the transition from ‘Classical’ to ‘Romantic’

Listen to the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven and identify

FOUR concepts you hear in the music. Choose from the

following:

MINOR MAJOR ALBERTI BASS BROKEN CHORDS

PIANO HARPSICHORD COMPOUND TIME SIMPLE TIME

• The use of a pair of horns gradually replaced the continuo, filling out the texture of the orchestra.

• The woodwind took their place as a proper section, (usually combined in pairs).

• The clarinet was also added to the orchestra.

The Classical Orchestra

The Concerto

Cadenza

• This is a piece for SOLO instrument with

orchestral ACCOMPANIMENT.

• The music for this has 3 movements.

• Usually at the end of the 1st movements the orchestra stops

and the soloist has a chance to show off, CADENZA

Mozart - Clarinet Concerto - Adagio

The Symphony

• Usually has 3 movements, (FAST-SLOW-FAST) but towards the

end of the Classical period, another movement was introduced.

• Played by all four sections of the orchestra.

Listen to this symphony composed by Mozart and select FOUR concepts you hear in the music:

Major Minor Adagio

Allegro Arco Pizzicato

Alberti Bass Chromatic movement

Beethoven - Symphony No.1

First Movement Usually Fast and in

SONATA FORM

Second Movement Slower, often in

TERNARY FORM

Third Movement Often MINUET & TRIO

Fourth Movement Fast tempo, light

hearted. RONDO FORM

Layout of the Classical Symphony

Binary Form

Ternary Form

Music which has two different sections

Music which has two different sections, however the B part is sandwiched between two A sections

Rondo FormA form where the first section (A) comes back between contrasting sections

Listen to this piece by Mozart and answer the following questions:

1. Is this an example of a symphony or a concerto? 2. Identify the solo brass instrument.3. Identify the time signature: 4/4 6/8 3/4

Minuet and Trio

The minuet is a graceful French dance with 3 beats in a bar. The trio

is a contrasting minuet after which the first minuet is repeated. This

is rather like ternary form.

Haydn - Symphony No.8 - Minuet and Trio Listen to and comment upon the following:

- TEMPO

- TEXTURE

- DYNAMICS

- MELODIC, HARMONIC & RHYTHMIC TECHNIQUES

Theme and Variation• In this form the composer presents a melody called the THEME

• It is then built up by repeating the theme but varying it each time and altering it.

There are many ways a theme can be varied.

1. Decorating with ornaments.

2. Change of tonality.

3. Imitation between parts.

4. Inversion, augmentation, diminution..

5. Changing accompaniment.

6. Adding to the existing melody.

7. Doubling the notes.

REVISION BREAK!

Literacy

(a) Name the key of this excerpt

(b) Insert the time signature in the correct place.

(c) State the bar number where an ascending sequence begins

(d) Write an Italian term at the correct place to indicate the tempo.

(e) Complete bar 3 by inserting the missing notes.

This extract is in ………....... time

This excerpt is from a …………..

The solo instrument heard is a …………….

Listen to the following extract of music and insert the appropriate concepts

into the sentences below to describe what you hear.