classical era 1750-1820. viennese classical style age of enlightenment age of reason
TRANSCRIPT
Classical Era
1750-1820
Viennese Classical Style
Age of Enlightenment Age of Reason
Definition of Classic
• Two Definitions– General: pertaining to the highest order of excellence
in literature and the arts– Specific: pertaining to the culture of ancient Greek and
Romans
• A “classic” exhibits values that are timeless and universal
• Classical versus pop, rock, folk, jazz, ethnic, world music
The Times
• Fascination with ancient Greek and Roman civilizations
• Philosophical and political ferment led to revolutions French (1789-1799) and American (1775-1783)
• Rise of the middle class• Spread of literacy• Life for the middle class still depended on lower class
servants• Industrial Revolution• Scientific Advancements• Intellectual Revolution• Humanistic Writings/Philosophical Debate
Geographical Center
• Vienna, Austria
Visual Arts
• Rococco– 18th century style
characterized by less symmetry and increasingly more ornamented and fluid style
• Neoclassical– Reaction against
Rococco style– Looked back to the
linear qualities of ancient Greek and Roman architecture
Artist Life
• 18th-century artist generally functioned under the system of aristocratic patronage
• Socially, little better than a servant• Patronage system gave the artist
economic security and a social framework
• Artistic Patrons: middle class patrons, court, church
Musical Genres
Vocal Instrumental
Vocal Genres
Mass Motets Opera Oratorio Art Song
Instrumental Genres
Symphony – four movements: fast, slow, minuet and trio, fast
Solo Concerto – three movements: fast, slow, fast
String Quartet – chamber music genre, four instruments: two violins, viola, cello
Sonata – typically for piano, teaching piece
Classical Orchestra
Blending of the four instrumental families: strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion
30 to 40 players Established gradual dynamics (Mannheim
crescendo) Piano was the favored accompaniment/solo
instrument. Alberti Bass was the favored accompaniment texture.
Musical Elements
Melody Harmony Rhythm Texture Dynamics Form
• Melody: vocal in conception, symmetrical (question/answer), typically four to eight measures in length
• Harmony: tonal
• Rhythm: simple and metered
• Texture: homophonic (with some polyphony)
• Dynamics: gradual
Form
• Sonata Allegro: an outgrowth of binary formExposition: use of two contrasting themes, a bridge theme and an ending theme, section is repeated
Development: develops themes and rhythms
Recapitulation
||:Exposition:|| Development || Recapitulation ||Theme 1 Theme 1
Theme 2 Theme 2
A B A
• Theme and Variation
– Theme is varied by the elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, timbre, dynamics)
• Minuet and Trio
– Utilizes binary form, ¾ time signature
• Rondo– Utilizes a section of music that alternates with
new music– ABACA
Composers
Franz Joseph Haydn Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Ludwig von Beethoven
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 40,
First Movement
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Franz Joseph Haydn
• Symphony No. 2
“Surprise”
Second Movement
Ludwig von Beethoven
• String Quartet in c minorFourth MovementRondo form
Romantic Era(1820 – 1900)
The Times
Age of … Historical Influences Literature Visual Arts Other Writers Musical Culture
Age of …..
• Age of Extremes
• Age of Unending Lyricism
Historical Influences
• Looking back to the Medieval Era
• “Roman” – a French medieval novel about romance, chivalry
• French Revolution: liberty, quality, brotherhood
Literature
• Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805)– Philosophical papers on
ethics and aesthetics– Plays– Ode to Joy
• Victor Hugo(1802-1885)
– French poet and playwright
– Les Miserables
• Charles Dickens(1812-1870)– British novelist– Concern for social
reform– Oliver Twist
A Christmas CarolA Tale of Two Cities
Visual Arts
• Eugene Delacroix(1798-1863)
– Leader of the French Romantic School
– Liberty Leading the People
• Francisco Goya(1746-1828)– Spanish painter– Considered the last of
the Old Masters and the first of the moderns
– Satan Devouring His Son
Other Writers
Scientific writings Philosophical writings Ethical writings Aesthetic writings
• Charles Darwin(1809-1882)– British naturalist– Natural selection– On the Origin of
Species
• Karl Marx(1818-1883)– German
philosopher, – social scientist– political theorist
Musical Culture
• Stressed emotion, imagination, individuality• Composers moved from patronage to free agent,
composers wrote for their own social class• Formation of the orchestra and instruments (influence of
Industrial Revolution)• Emergence of the conductor• Public concerts/subscription concerts• Conservatories founded• Public captured by virtuosity; which centered on a
virtuosic performer• Music was seen as a means of expression
Music in the Romantic Era
Characteristics
Musical Elements
Composers
Characteristics
• Individuality
• Expressive Aims and Subjects
• Nationalism and Exoticism
• Program Music/Absolute Music
Musical Elements
• Melody– Unending melody– Longer, more irregular in length– Themes more complex and chromatic– Theme transformation
• Harmony– Basically tonal– Chromaticism stretches the harmonic sound
resulting in greater tension
• Rhythm– Metric– Use of effects, especially rubato– Articulation is heavy– Uses emotional designations: allegro agitato,
con amore
• Dynamics– Wide range– Use of extreme dynamics– Gradual
• Texture– Essentially homophonic– Sonority is thick, heavy and lush
• Instrumentation/Timbre– 70 or more in the orchestra– Full exploration of the instrument and its range– Instruments were used for both their individual timbre and for
their collective color potential– Instruments used to convey mood and atmosphere (emotional
expression)– Woodwinds improved by better fingering system “Boehm”– Valves introduced into Brass – first time these instruments could
play a full chromatic compass– Saxophone, baritone and tuba invented by Adolf Sax– Piano became the standard keyboard instrument
• Form– Stretching of the Classical era forms: sonata-
allegro, rondo, theme and variation, minuet and trio
• Genres– Absolute (abstract music): symphony,
concerto, sonata, string quartet– Program: program symphony, tone poem
(Strauss), symphonic poem (Liszt), opera, music drama (Wagner), art song
– Genres are both large works and small, miniature works called character pieces
Composers
• Ludwig van Beethoven(1770-1827)– German composer
and pianist– Transitional figure
between the Classical and Romantic eras
– Symphony No. 5• first movement
• Frédéric Chopin(1810-1849)– Polish composer– Virtuosic pianist– Composed only for
piano– Etude
• Hector Berlioz(1803-1869)– French symphonist– Known for his
orchestration techniques
– Symphonie Fantastique
• Movement 4
• Bedřich Smetana(1824-1884)– Czech nationalist
composer– Má Vlast
• The Moldau
Other Composers
• Johannes Brahms• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky• Franz Liszt• Robert Schumann• Felix Mendelssohn• César Franck• Giuseppe Verdi• Giacomo Puccini• Franz Schubert• Richard Wagner