1. 1750-1820

2.  The Baroque Period was very ornate artistically. After 1750, artists wanted a cleaner, less opulent art form. They began to emulate the uncluttered nature of Classical Greece.

3.  1752- Benjamin Franklin discovers electricity  1775-1781: American Revolution  1789-1795: French Revolution  1806: Napoleon crowns himself emperor  1826: Ottawa (aka Bytown) is established

4.  The church and royalty were no longer the main benefactors of musicians.  It was the wealthy aristocracy who were hiring composers to write music. They wanted tuneful melodies and often wanted to become educated in music themselves.  The first public concerts with paid admission.

5.  Vienna was the capital for music in the Classical Period.  Works of the period are often called “Viennese Style”.

6.  Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787)  Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)  Ludwig van Beethoven (1797-1828)

7.  Listen to Mozart’s Symphony no. 40 in G minor. One of only 2 (of 40!) symphonies he wrote in minor keys!  In groups discuss one of the following musical elements: ◦ Pitch (describe the themes/melodies) ◦ Timbre (orchestral colour), ◦ Texture ◦ Dynamics (how does it depart from Baroque terraced dynamics?) ◦ Form (are there clearly defined sections?

8.  Texture: dominated by homophony  Pitch: melodies have CLEARLY defined phrases with contrasting themes  Dynamics: now use cresc. and decresc. No longer terraced  Style: strictly followed form, intended to please society at large. Variety of emotions, with CONTROL.  Timbre: new instruments like piano, valved trumpet, clarinet, french horn, trombone.