1. This chapter lays out the major features of the Classical period and its music. No musical work is included in it.

2. Classicism and Classical Music
Chapter 15
Classicism and Classical Music
Begins on page 132

3. A Classic “Something of highest quality”
People generally use the word classical to describe art or concert music. To musicians, however, the word classical refers to music composed between roughly 1750 and It is indeed “something of highest quality.”

4. Cultural Setting Centered in Vienna Age of Enlightenment Architecture
Encyclopedias published
Interest in science
Architecture
The center of musical activity moved from Italy to Vienna, Austria. Four great composers lived there during that period: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. The city was alive with music.
The period is often called the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason. It was a time of much intellectual activity. The first encyclopedias were published and intellectual leaders promoted reason and logic in all endeavors.
The interest in the architecture of the ancient Greece and Rome can be seen in many government buildings in Washington, especially the Supreme Court Building and the west front of the U.S. Capitol.

5. Four Leaders Voltaire Jean-Jacques Rousseau Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
In his writings, Voltaire, whose real name was Francois Marie Arouet, challenged the repressive French government and its king, as well as established religion. He was very influential in promoting an enlightened outlook.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a strong advocate of natural goodness of people and believed that civilization and governments had corrupted them. He was an active musician who composed musical comedies and advocated a new system for notating music.
Benjamin Franklin published books and magazines, invented a type of stove and bifocal glasses, discovered the nature of lightning, and was influential in the creation of the Constitution of the United States. He also invented a musical instrument called the “glass harmonica,” which consisted of spinning glasses of different sizes that the player touches with his or her dampened fingers.
Thomas Jefferson was the author of the American Declaration of Independence, third president of United States, and founder of the University of Virginia and the Library of Congress. He often played violin in string quartets in his home and developed a special music stand for quartet playing.

6. Rococo Style Also called “galant style” Highly decorative works French
Couperin and Rameau
A precursor of the Classical style was the rococo style, also called the galant style. Works of music and art in this style were typically highly decorative, almost frivolous. It was largely confined to France and associated with the court of the French kings. In art, it can be seen in the paintings of Boucher and Fragonard and their highly decorative paintings of cupids and scantily clad young women. Boucher’s “Venus and Cupid” on page 135 is a good example of Rococo painting.
Rococo music was also highly ornamented. Its musical works were suites of stylized dance music composed for the harpsichord.

7. Philosophy Reason is way to truth
Universe is governed by permanent and universal laws
Intellect should control people’s activities
The belief of intellectuals during the Age of Enlightenment was that reason, not emotion, was the way to truth. They also believed that the universe was governed by permanent laws that people cannot alter. What is true is true throughout the world for all time. It is, therefore, universal and eternal.
For these reasons, reason and the intellect should control people’s activities, including art and music.

8. Art Subjects often of ancient Greece and Rome Balanced design
“Cool,” detached quality
Painters in the Classical style favored subjects from the ancient world of Greece and Rome. David’s “The Death of Socrates” (page 134) is typical in that regard. It presents a balanced, symmetrical design. Although depicting an emotional scene, the work has a detached, “cool” quality about it. The colors are also muted.

9. Characteristics of Classical Music
Patronage
Borrowing of themes
Structured music
Composers thought more about creating beautiful and interesting works of music than pouring out their personal feelings in their music.
Copyrights were unheard of during the Classical period. Composers borrowed freely from one another. In fact, they thought it a compliment if someone used one of their themes.
Classical music was quite highly structured. Mozart, Haydn, and other composers were able to create games in which one would roll dice and then select the indicated measure from the music included with the game. Whatever one’s luck with the dice, a pleasant little piece of music was assured.

10. Features of Classical Music
Melody
Texture
Harmony
Rhythm
The melodies in the style of the Classical period tend to be pleasant and tuneful. They often consist of short phrases that are strung together to form a complete melody. Frequently they are arranged in a statement/answer pattern.
Homophonic music prevails. Counterpoint is heard only occasionally.
The harmony in the Classical music is very systematic and structured. Gone is the continuo line that was a feature of Baroque music. The chords do not change as frequently as they did in the Baroque. The role of harmony in Classical music was more as a backdrop to the melodies.
The rhythm is regular and metrical. It tends to lack the persistent quality found in many Baroque works.

11. Features of Classical Music
Dynamic levels
Performance
Forms
The gradual crescendo and decrescendo were developed in the Classical period. At the time, they were considered quite dramatic.
Orchestras in the Classical period were larger than those found during the Baroque, but they were still noticeably smaller than today’s symphony orchestras. The players often held other jobs in addition to playing in an orchestra, and there were no permanent orchestras. A few public concerts were given in cities such as London and Paris.
The Classical period is probably most noteworthy for the forms of music that were developed. The forms of the Baroque were still retained, but new ones were added and refined, especially sonata form. Other forms often seen in Classical music include theme and variation and rondo.

12. Summary A Classic Cultural Setting Four Leaders Rococo style
Philosophy
Art
Characteristics of Classical music
Features of Classical music
Potential examination material
Terms Classical Period
Rococo (Galant style)
Crescendo
Decrescendo
Absolute music
Information Prominent intellectual leaders
Characteristics of Rococo art and music
Features of music in the Classical style
melody
homophony
harmony
rhythm
dynamic levels
performances
forms