1. The Classical Era

2. What is “Classical Music”?
Describe the thoughts and feelings you experience when you hear the term “Classical Music”.
“When I hear the term ‘Classical Music’, I think/I feel…”

3. Well…
In actuality, the term “Classical” applies only to aspects of art from a specific time period (about A.D.), so it’s possible that we have been using incorrect vocabulary for most of our lives…

4. Goals
1. To become acquainted with the historical context of the Classical period and how it affected the development of music in the time period.
2. To become aware of the different styles of music in use in the Classical period and of the development of new forms.
3. To become able to describe some of the basic characteristics of Classical music using appropriate vocabulary terms.

5. Terms American revolution French Revolution Louisiana Purchase
Napoleonic Wars
War of 1812
Age of Reason
Nationalism
Symphony
String Quartet
Sonata
Theme and Variation
Aria

6. What was happening around the world?
1751- Benjamin Franklin “discovers” electricity.
American Revolution
1789- George Washington inaugurated
French Revolution
1803- The Louisiana Purchase
1804- Napoleon crowns himself Emperor.
War of 1812
1822- The Rosetta Stone is deciphered

7. Famous People of the Era
King Louis XIV of France
Napoleon Bonaparte of France
George Washington of America

8. Louis XIV

9. Napoleon

10. George Washington

11. Famous Classical Artists
Fransisco de Goya
John Constable
Eugene Delacroix
Jean-Honore Fragonard

16. What does the term “Classical” mean?
From 1750 on artists, musicians, and architects wanted to get away from the opulence of the Baroque period and move to emulate the clean, uncluttered style of Classical Greece.
This period is called Classical because of that desire to emulate the works of the ancient Greeks.

17. Characteristics of the Classical Period
Historians have labeled the time around or so “The Age of Enlightenment” or the “Age of Reason”. The Enlightenment advocated reason as a means to establishing an authoritative system of aesthetics, ethics, government, and even religion, which would allow human beings to obtain objective truth about the whole of reality.

18. The Church and Monarchs were no longer the principle benefactors of the arts due to the political upheaval in Europe at the time.
The aristocracy were the main patrons of the arts. They wanted impersonal but tuneful music from their composers. This led to the term “absolute” music - which is music that is written for music’s sake.

19. Most of the Classical artists of all types were employed by various wealthy patrons. Most of their work was written as commissions, including music.

20. The center of Classical music was Vienna, which is where all of the major composers lived and worked.
There was also a sense of Nationalism (love of a specific country) growing in many forms of art, including music.

21. Vienna

22. Musical Characteristics
Great attention to musical form
Use of dynamics as thematic material
Inclusion of percussion instruments
Strong sense of tension and release
Use of modulation (going to a new key)
Opera

23. Use of comic, witty and tuneful melodies
Invention of the modern Piano (1709), as well as evolution of many other instruments
Music in Europe continued to evolve towards greater sophistication: as evidenced by this Mozart work from 1776.
Music in America was growing in popularity and influence in rousing the population to nationalistic feelings, as shown in this Revolutionary War hit “Chester”:

24. New Forms
Symphony
Sonata
String Quartets
Theme and Variations

25. The Symphony
An extended, multi-movement work for full orchestra - usually minutes in length.
Mastered by Franz Joseph Haydn - he wrote 104 of them.
Usually contains three or four movements which contrast each other. In a four movement symphony the order usually is a fanfare type or fast opening movement, followed by a slower movement. The third movement is usually a dance, and the final movement is fast.

26. The Symphony Orchestra

27. The Sonata Form
A one-movement piece for a solo instrument, usually accompanied by a piano - as opposed to a concerto, which is a multi-movement piece accompanied by an orchestra.
There are three sections of a sonata-
Exposition
Development
Recapitulation
All sonatas follow this form.

28. The String Quartet A composition for four solo string instruments:
2 Violins
1 Viola
1 Cello
Each part is equally important.
Haydn was the first to write one - he also mastered them. “Father of the String Quartet”. His quartets were mostly intended for background music at parties, so he often “snuck” in ideas that would not be accepted in larger styles.
Piece usually has four movements similar to that of the symphonic form.

29. Opera
While opera was invented much earlier in musical history, it was during this period and the one that followed that many of the most famous operas were written. One important change in opera was that the libretto (the storyline) was no longer expected to be just about gods, heroes and legends. Three of the most famous operas of this period are:
The Magic Flute
The Marriage of Figaro
Don Giovanni

30. All of these operas were written by Mozart.
A selection from “The Marriage of Figaro”
Operas of the time were also famous for arias, solos for expert singers

31. The Opera

32. Theme and Variation
Taking an initial musical idea and expanding on its potential.
This Mozart melody is a perfect example:

33. Famous Classical Composers
Christoph Willibald Gluck ( )
Franz Joseph Haydn ( )
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ( )
Ludwig Von Beethoven ( )
Franz Schubert ( )

34. Franz Joseph Haydn

35. Haydn Spent most of his life as a servant to the Esterhazy family.
Father of the string quartet, master of the symphony form (he wrote 104 symphonies!!).
Was a mentor to many young composers, earning the affectionate nickname “Papa” Haydn.
“Surprise Symphony, No. 94”-written with a musical joke to make audiences stay awake during after-dinner concerts.

36.
In one summer, the Esterhazy family stayed longer at their country estate than normal, so Haydn composed a symphony in which the players each blew out their candles one-by-one and left the stage in the growing darkness as the music grew softer. The head of the Esterhazy family took the hint and sent all of the servants back to Vienna the next day.

37. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

38. Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a son to Leopold, an accomplished composer and violinist.
Mozart and his sister—Nannerl—both displayed early talents for performing, so their father took them on concert tours of the royal courts of Europe.

39. Mozart started composing at about age 4 and had written a full symphony by age 8, an opera by age 12, etc. In his life he composed over 600 works, including 18 masses, 10 operas, 27 piano concertos, and 41 symphonies.
Mozart resented the class system that kept him a servant to nobles. He frequently argued with his patrons and tried to become an independent composer in Vienna…a situation that high society was not ready to accept.

40. Mozart
Mozart’s music was mostly light, elegant and tuneful…quite easy to hum in most cases!!
Mozart’s most well know works include the melody we call “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and the waiting music in the gameshow “Jeopardy”.

41. Mozart died young (age 35)
Mozart died young (age 35). His death remains a mystery, though some have speculated that his raucous lifestyle led to a failing of his liver…being poor, he was buried in a pauper’s grave.
Mozart’s influence on later composers was so profound it is likely that the entire world of music would have been different if Mozart had lived longer and composed more.

42. Mozart Listening “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”—A Little Night Music
In a famous scene from “The Shawshank Redemption”, Mozart’s music helps prisoners transcend the confines of blank walls…
His last symphony, No. 41 “Jupiter”

43. Ludwig Von Beethoven

44. Beethoven Ludwig was born the son of a poor chorus singer.
His father was determined that Ludwig could be another Mozart and make money for the family while still a young boy. He forced Ludwig to practice many long hours and would often come home late and wake the boy to give impromptu concerts for he and his drunken friends.
Legend says that while still young, Ludwig travelled to Vienna where he met Mozart for a music lesson. Mozart is reputed to have said, “Keep your eye on him; one day he will give the world something to talk about.”

45. Beethoven was as intense in his personal life as he was in his music
Beethoven was as intense in his personal life as he was in his music. He apparently had affairs with many rich, influential women. He also had a long battle with one of his brothers over custody of his nephew. The family rift was never healed.
Beethoven refused to be a servant to anyone and made a comfortable living as an independent composer. “Why bow to social status?”--Beethoven

46. Beethoven
Beethoven’s music is intense and seems initially simple…usually just a few notes start a piece. His genius lies in what he was able to do with just those few notes.
Beethoven’s music also expressed more direct emotion than had been favored by Classical era patrons…until they heard his pieces performed, then they too were swept away by the power of the music.

47. Much of the growing passion in Beethoven’s music could be attributed to his growing deafness. His rage at losing his hearing just as his compositional powers were at their height gave his works even more power to affect the spirit of the listener.
With works growing longer as well as more expressive, Beethoven only wrote 9 symphonies.
His music actually helped create a welcoming atmosphere for the emotional indulgences of the music of the next time period.

48. Beethoven Moonlight Sonata
A masterpiece of simplicity expanded into emotional brilliance…

49. Beethoven
Fur Elise
One of the most well-known pieces in all of piano music…

50. Beethoven Symphony 5, Movement 1
Listen as Beethoven uses just 4 notes to create an entire movement of a symphony.
This was also the first symphony to use trombones (they were usually reserved for masses and operas because they were thought to have a sinister sound).

51. Beethoven Symphony 6 “Pastorale”, Movement 1
This work evokes (calls to mind) the scenes out of the window of a carriage during a ride on a pleasant spring day…

52. Beethoven Symphony 7, Movement 2
Listen as Beethoven uses just a few notes to outline an entire movement by adding subtle layers of sound (theme and variation).

53. Beethoven
Symphony 9
Considered by most music historians to be the greatest musical work yet written by man.
The first movement begins with sounds that seem to be the orchestra just warming up and tuning their instruments, then the audience is struck by chords of immense power.
Listen to a few minutes of the first movement:

54. Beethoven Symphony 9, Movement 2
This movement includes a fugue worthy of Bach.
The movement was so popular that at the premier of the entire symphony the crowd gave the 2nd movement a standing ovation. Beethoven could not hear the applause (being completely deaf) and kept trying to get the orchestra to start the 3rd movement. He grew more furious as the players just sat there doing nothing until one of them finally stood up and turned him around so that he could see the audience already standing and cheering for just the 2nd movement out of 4.
Of note are the sudden timpani hits, unheard of in the time.

55. Beethoven Symphony 9, Movement 3
Quietly passionate, it displays a reserve unusual in this period of Beethoven’s life.
Listen to just a bit of it to get a chance to rest your ears before the big finale…

56. Beethoven Symphony 9, Movement 4
The first time this movement is encountered in a classroom setting, it should be listened to in small pieces over two or three days, both for its length and for its variety of sounds.
The 4th movement starts with a musical “review” of the previous three movements (something never done before) before starting a new journey.
The important parts are from the beginning to about the 7 minute mark, and the last 5 minutes.

57. The piece proceeds in “normal” fashion for some time before coming to a complete halt to introduce a new element: singers (another first in a symphony).
The section with singers includes several full chorus moments as well as solos and quartets, etc. The entire orchestra and chorus unite for an outpouring of musical joy unlike any before or since, bringing the work to a close that leaves audiences roaring with approval.
4th Movement

58. Beethoven Symphony 9, 4th Movement
Choral words taken from Friedrich Schiller’s poem “Ode to Joy”
Joy, thou beauteous godly lighting, Daughter of Elysium, Fire drunken we are ent'ring Heavenly, thy holy home! Thy enchantments bind together, What did custom's sword divide,* Beggars are a prince's brother,* Where thy gentle wings abide. Chorus Be embrac'd, ye millions yonder! Take this kiss throughout the world! Brothers—o'er the stars unfurl'd Must reside a loving father.

59. Conclusions-the big takeaway…
Many of the most famous composers in history come from this era.
By 1825, the modern orchestra was almost fully in place (except for the tuba and low woodwinds).
It was during this era that many of the most famous pieces of music were written, including symphonies and operas.
Tracing the careers of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven also parallels the development of the ideas of freedom in the world in this time. Haydn was content to be a servant; Mozart wanted to be independent but society was not ready for such a thing, and Beethoven succeeded in being independent of any need for the approval of nobles to make his music.