the classical period (1750-1820) mozart
TRANSCRIPT
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The Classical Period
(1750-1820)
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The Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Reason
Emphasis on learning and intellectual pursuits
Rationality, not emotion, should control behavior
Natural Law: the search for order and structure
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Important Events
Seven Years War (1756-1763)
Australia colonized by the British
Louisiana Purchase
Abolition of slavery in the British Empire
Wars of Independence in Latin America
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Period of Revolution
American Revolution
French Revolution
Industrial Revolution
First steam engine
The cotton gin
First commercial steam railroad
First transatlantic steamer
The telegraph (morse code)
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The Classical Ideal
Revival of ancient Greek ideas about order and symmetry
Art as communication
Replication of Greek and Roman architecture
The real rise of the middle class
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Music in the Classical Period
Simple structure
Balanced and orderly
Symbolic, not imitative of nature
Symmetrical and memorable melodies
Regular rhythms
Folk-like melodies
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Musicians in the Classical Period
Musicians as servant: the Patronage System
Women finally allowed on the opera stage
Women as teachers and court musicians
Rise of the public concert and public concert halls
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Music in The United States
Strong British influence
Large cities had concert series
Opera was popular
Well-educated people usually played an instrument
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Musical form in the Classical Period
The Sonata cycle
Built out of themes: the building block of melody
Motive: smallest melodic unit of a theme
Can grow into a melody
Can be played over and over as asequence: a repetitive musical motive
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The Sonata
Sonata: Instrumental piece for one or two players
Piano sonata: for one piano soloist
Flute sonata: flute plus piano accompaniment
Violin sonata: violin plus piano accompaniment
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Sonata-allegro Form
Almost always used in first movements
Usually a fast tempo
Sometimes used in fourth movements
Based on themes or motives
Involves contrasting keys and themes
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The sections of Sonata-allegro form
Introduction (sometimes)
The Exposition (introduces the themes)
1. Theme #1
2. A transition/bridge to the new contrasting key
3. Theme #2
4. Closing section
Then repeated
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The Development section:
Breaks the themes up into motives
Varies, contracts, and expands the themes
May go through many keys (major and minor)
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The Recapitulation:
Theme #2 is in the same key as Theme #1
A sense of finality in the home key
The Coda (or ending)
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
The most gifted child in the history of music
Composed music by age 5
On tour throughout Europe by age 6
As an adult, worked for the Archbishop of Salzburg
Eventually quit the patronage system, and went free-lance, but wasperpetually poor
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Mozarts compositions
Piano sonatas and concertos (he was primarily a pianist)
Symphonies (about 40 of them)
Operas (both comic and serious)
String quartets and other chamber music
Religious larger works, including the Requiem Mass
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Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A littlenight music), K. 525, firstmovement,1787
For string quartet or chamber orchestra
Listen for:
Intimate chamber music style
Quick-paced movement
Sonata-allegro form, with three themes and a quick development section
Contrasting themes:
Theme #1 is disjunct and rocket-like
Theme #2 is conjunct and graceful