Music of the Classical Period
(1750-1820)
“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
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 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
Temple of Love at Versailles, 1775
David,Mars disarmed by Venus, 1824
Fragonard
–The Reader
Classical Music Genres
Vocal Music Genres– Opera
Instrumental Music Genres– Orchestral Music
• Symphony• Concerto
– Chamber Music• String Quartet• Serenade
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 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
Karlskirche, Vienna 1716-33
Petite Trianon at Versailles, 1726-68
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ludwig Van
Beethoven
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