1. Key styles, composers and their works.
The Classical Era
Key styles, composers and their works.

2. Key facts.
Dates from
Chief features of the classical style were:
Simpler, more memorable melodies, often developed from short motifs using sequence and repetition.
Balanced 2, 4 and 8 bar phrases with regularly spaced cadences.
Elegant melodic decoration including appoggiaturas; chromatic passing notes; mordents; turns and trills.
Simpler, diatonic structural harmony, with a slower rate of change of chords, often accelerating towards the cadences.
Light, clear, homophonic textures. (Melody and accompaniment)

3. Instruments
The Baroque era had seen wind instruments used infrequently and often merely doubling parts with the strings.
By 1800, the full orchestra consisted of 2 of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets and timpani, plus an enlarged string section.
This larger ensemble had no need of the support a continuo part had played during the Baroque, and so the continuo disappeared.

4. Key musical genres.
Symphony: means literally “sounding together”. Written for and consisting of 3 or 4 movements. Often following the following pattern: 1=Allegro, 2=Slow Movement, 3=Minuet/Scherzo, 4=Allegro.
These are weighty orchestral works, which can often represent emotions and reflect the political climate of the time. Early classical examples however are much more lighthearted.

5. Opera
A drama set to music, to be sung with instrumental accompaniment with the singers in costume.
The essence of opera is that the music is integral and not incidental, as is the case in a musical or a play with music.
Important styles within opera include: aria (solo song); recitative; overture (orchestral – introduces the main musical themes of the opera); chorus (often commenting on the action from the main characters)

6. String quartet Consists of
An example of very highly regarded chamber music (music written for smaller ensembles)
Very expressive works which exploit the full range and possibilities of sounds created by string players.
Key classical composers: Mozart, Beethoven & Haydn.

7. String quintet Consists of Not as popular as the quartet
Great works written for them by Mozart.

8. Sacred Choral Music
Christian works, often designed to be sung as part of a church service.
Examples of styles include the mass; requiem; chorale.
Often sung in Latin.
Using text from the bible.

9. Concerto Work for solo instrument with orchestral accompaniment.
Usually contain 3 movements (often following the fast-slow-faster pattern).
The first movement is usually in sonata form, with the final movement containing a cadenza.
Favoured instruments for concertos include the piano and the violin.

10. Piano sonata A solo piano work.
Usually in 3 movements (allegro-andante-allegro)
The last movement of a sonata often uses Rondo form