Classical Era 1750-1820

Classical Music In the late eighteenth century, melody took a dominant role in both vocal and instrumental music. A major aspect of the Classical style is that the music is organized into regularly recurring phrases. Classical music allows for much more rhythmic variety than did Baroque music. The structural basis of Classical music is harmony. In the Classical style, the dominant chord (V) introduces tension, which is resolved with the tonic chord (I).

Classical Music Modulation in Classical music is usually to closely related keys (such as V and IV) or to the relative major or minor key. The texture of Classical music is usually homophonic. The classical orchestra was comprised of 30 to 40 players, and was dominated by the string section. In the seating arrangement of a Classical orchestra, the violins usually set on the conductor’s left and the cellos on the conductor’s right as today.

Classical Music The most common musical form of the Classical era was the sonata cycle which could be found in the sonata for piano, the symphony for orchestra, and the concerto for soloists and orchestra. The three basic parts of sonata form were: Exposition Development Recapitulaion Occasionally a short section called the coda was added to the end of a piece of music in sonata form. A popular Classical form which involves the recurrence of a principal theme with the interspersion of two or more secondary themes, was the rondo form.

Classical Music The two basic forms of the Classical era were the binary form and the ternary form. Another popular form of the Classical era was the theme and variation form. A dance form which was added to the symphonic form in the 18th century was the minuet.

Symphonies of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven The first major compose of symphonies was Haydn who wrote and composed 104 symphonies. The standard length of the symphony was four movements. Mozart, one of music’s most brilliant child prodigies, was first taught by his father. In addition to his 41+ symphonies, Mozart wrote 27 piano concertos and 5 violin concertos. Mozart’s last three symphonies were written with the space of six weeks.

Symphonies of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven Although known as a pianist, Beethoven began his musical career as an organist. Beethoven wrote 9 symphonies, far fewer than either Haydn or Mozart. A brass instrument Beethoven added to the symphony orchestra was the trombone. In his ninth symphony, Beethoven made a remarkable change in the structure and makeup of the symphony by adding voices in the last movement.

Symphonies of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven The sixth symphony is also unusual in that it has five movements, rather than the traditional four. In his third symphony, Beethoven replaced the traditional slow second movement with a funeral march, and the traditional minuet third movement with a scherzo In his fifth symphony, Beethoven used a simple four-note motive in the first movement, cited by Beethoven himself as representing “fate knocking at the door.” The second movement of Beethoven’s fifth symphony is written as a double theme and variation.

Concertos The Classical concerto is a musical interplay between solo instrument and orchestra. A solo section of a concerto, usually toward the end of a movement, during which the orchestra remains silent while the soloist plays, is known as the cadenza. A Classical concerto is usually made up of three movements. The first movement of a Classical concerto includes some traits of the ritornello principle and some of the sonata form, and usually begins with two exposition.

Concertos The tempo of the second movement of most Classical concertos is slow. The third movement of most Classical concertos has traits of both the sonata and the rondo form. Essential features of the Classical concerto involve the contrast between the movements and the structural uses of theme and tonality. Mozart is said to have written four piano concertos while Beethoven wrote five.

Chamber Music Chamber music is generally defined as music written for a small group of performers with one player to a part and without a conductor The most common type of chamber music composition of the Classical era was string quartet which is comprised of two violins a viola and a cello, An instrument often added to a string trio or quartet was the piano. Classical era chamber works usually written for one instrument were known as sonatas.

Chamber Music The string quartet usually has four movements, the forms of which were much like those in the symphony. A leading figure during the Classical era in the establishment of the string quartet as a major chamber music form was the composer Haydn. Mozart wrote 23 string quartets. The leading composer of the piano sonatas during the Classical era was Beethoven.

Vocal Music The major vocal form of the late eighteenth century was probably opera. The operatic heroine is almost always sung by the soprano. Lower female voices appearing in operas are the mezzo-soprano and contralto. The highest male voice in the opera is the tenor while the two lower male voices are the baritone and bass.