The Classical Era

Week 5 YouTube PlayList

The Classical Period

• “classical music” is general meaning, “Classical music” specific means music from 1750 to 1820.
• Opera seria replaced by Opera comique in French or Opera buffa in Italian

Recognizing a Piece by Bach or Handel

• String Dominated
• Melody spins out in long, sometimes asymmetrical phrases
• Late Baroque full of polyphony
• Strong bass
• Consistent rhythmic patterns
• Consistent mood or ethos

Recognizing a Piece by Haydn or Mozart

• String dominated, but with occasional solo by woodwinds
• Melody shorter, often in units of 2, 4, or 8 (symmetrical)
• Texture of Classical music mostly homophonic (melody + chordal harmony); texture is generally lighter
• Bass much less obvious
• Rhythmic patterns, more of a stop and go process
• Mood can change within the same piece or movement; no constant ethos

• Vienna: City of Music
  • A city of the aristocracy
  • Cosmopolitan center
  • Viennese Classical School → Viennese Classical Style
• Franz Joseph Haydn
  • Patronized by Esterhazy family
  • Earned a lot of money by writing 12 London symphonies
  • Commissioned to write The Emperor’s Hymn
  • String quartet: “A civilized conversation of learned and equal participants”
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Classical Genre and Form

• Classical music back in the days
  • “classical music” was once only for entertainment and is disposable.
  • People go to concert to listen to new music. They may not even pay attention to it, but rather drink and eat and chat and flirt.
  • Pop music are played in both theater and casino.
  • Then becomes “High Art” that is written and studied
• Genres
  • Symphony = played by “symphony” orchestra
  • String Quartet = played by a string quartet
  • Concerto = usually soloist + orchestra
  • Sonata = piano or solo + piano
  • Opera

The movements in symphony and string quartet is as below.

Movement	1	2	3	4
Form	Sonata-allegro	Large ternary, Theme and variations, or Rondo	Minuet and trio in ternary form	Sonata-allegro, Theme and variations, or Rondo
Mood	Serious and substantive despite fast tempo	Lyrical and tender	Usually light and elegant, sometimes spirited	Bright, lighthearted, sometimes humorous
Tempo	Fast	Slow	Lively	Fast

As for Concerto and Sonata, the 3rd movement from the above table is removed, other movements remains the same.

• K. followed by number = Ludwig von Kochel, who gave a chronological list of Mozart’s works, aka K. Number.
• Alberti bass - turning chord into triad
• Sonata-Allegro form - the “King Kong” of musical forms
  • Exposition = Presents thematic material
  • Development = Thematic material from exposition is developed, dramatic tension
  • Recapitulation = Themes return in original order, resolution, calm is restored
  • Optional introduction and coda
  • Example: Mozart, K.545, Eine Kleine Nachtmusic

• Themes and Variations form
  • Example: Haydn, Symphony No.95 “Surprise”
• Rondo form
  • Usually at the finale, light and active
  • Example: Mozart, Rondo alla Turca

Putting the Art in MozART: 3 Classical Pieces

• D minor for Mozart - Demonic key
• Piano Concerto in D minor, K.466
  • Mozart = the Father of Piano Concerto
  • Double Exposition Form - an additional exposition played by orchestra
  • Piano soloist will conduct; the lid on the piano is taken off
  • End of recapitulation → Cadenza
• Don Giovanni
  • = Don Juan in Spanish
  • Vocal ensemble - singing counterpoints
• The Requiem
  • Mass = Kyrie → Gloria → Credo → Sanctus → Agnus dei
  • Requiem Mass = Introit → Kyrie → Dies irae → Confutatis → Lacrimosa → Sanctus → Agnus dei

What Makes Mozart Great?

• Universality
• Perfect balance and proportions
• Endless supply of melodies
• Greatest beauty from simplest of ideas
• Fullest range of musical emotions

The Essential Mozart According to CMW

Listed in order of preference

• Piano Concertos
  • D Minor K. 466
  • C Major K. 467
  • A Major K. 488
  • C Minor K. 491
  • C Major K. 467 “Elvira Madigan”
  • G major K. 453
• Other Concertos
  • Clarinet Concerto K. 622
  • Flute and Harp K. 299
• Symphonies
  • Little G Minor No. 25 K.183
  • Prague Symphony No. 38 K. 504
  • Big G Minor No. 40 K. 550
  • Jupiter Symphony No. 41 K. 551
• Serenades
  • Eine Kleine Nachtmusik K. 525
• Chamber Music
  • String Quintet in G Minor K. 516
  • Clarinet Quintet in A Major K. 581
• Piano Sonatas
  • Sonata in C Major K. 545
• Religious Music
  • Mass in C Minor K. 427
  • Requiem Mass K. 626
  • Masonic Funeral Music K. 477
  • Motet: Ave verum corpus K. 618
• Operas
  • Marriage of Figaro
  • Don Giovanni
  • Magic Flute