70yrs
The Classical Period
1750-1820
WHAT WAS HAPPENING?
1769 – Watt invents steam engine
1776 – Declaration of Independence
“Heroic Symphony composed to celebrate the memory of a great man.”
1803/04Beethoven tears out the title of his Third Symphony “Bonaparte” renames it “Eroica.”
1813- Jane Austen writes a novel
LOS 3 GRANDES
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart
Franz Joseph Haydn
The Classical Style
Contrast of MoodRhythmTextureMelodyDynamics and the Piano
The Classical Orchestra
T
The Classical OrchestraA standard group of four sections came to be.
Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion
Strings: 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello, double bass
Woodwinds: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons
Brass: 2 French horns, 2 trumpets
Percussion: 2 timpani
The strings were the most important section, with the first violins, taking the melody most of the time and the lower strings providing an accompaniment.
The woodwinds added contrasting tone colors and were often given melodic solos.
Horns and trumpets brought power to loud passages and filled out the harmony, but didn’t usually play the main melody.
Timpani were used for rhythmic bite and emphasis.
Classical Forms
Common four movement patterns emerged from instrumental compositions such as symphonies, sonatas and string quartets.
Example:1. Fast Movement 2. Slow Movement3. Dance-related Movement4. Fast Movement
Symphonies were written for orchestras.String quartets were written for 2 violins, a viola and a cello.Sonatas were for one or two instruments.
Composer, Patron and Public
Haydn was a paid servant for the Esterházy family.Mozart couldn’t stand being a servant and left to Vienna to become a freelance musician.Beethoven went to Vienna as well and catered to the middle class.
ViennaThe Rise of the Middle Class
Public organized its own concerts
Composers wrote popular folk tunes into their music.
Operas were written in more rustic fashion as opposed to a courtly fashion often times making fun of aristocracy in the story line.
How is Vienna like Nashville?
Vienna was a music center for Europe.
All of “Los 3 Grandes” were born away from Vienna but were drawn there for recognition.
Beethoven traveled to Vienna at 16 to play for Mozart; at 22, he returned to study with Haydn.
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