1. Piano Period History Examining significant composers of piano music through music history.

2. Baroque 1600 - 1750 Decorative music (characteristic of time period) Fundamental Bass Line All parts of Baroque music must be subservient to a bass line. Fugue: composition with musical line articulated in one voice and rearticulated by following voices in repeat, inversion, etc

3. Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750 German composer Was an organist Known as one of the greatest fugue writers. Pianoforte was created in his mid-life Listen to Minuet in G

4. Classical Period 1750-1830 Orderly music (return of interest in Greek time period) Sonata (composition & form) Sonata Form: Exposition – introduce theme Development – develop theme Recapitulation – return of theme

5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791 Austrian composer Melody writer Wrote many Sonatas Died young Listen to Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major

6. Romantic 1860-1920 Emotion in sound Dramatic music through: – strong dynamic changes – large instrumentation – drastic key changes

7. Ludwig van Beethoven 1770-1827 Crossover composer - began in Classical period ended in Romantic period THE composer to push the Romantic style Extreme personality helped in extreme music Know for his 9 Symphonies Became deaf at end of life Listen to Sonata Pathetique

8. Johannes Brahms 1833-1897 Structured composer – followed style of Bach But incorporated dramatic Romantic qualities such as drastic key changes Listen to Intermezzo in A

9. Frederic Chopin 1810-1849 French composer Wrote almost exclusively for the piano Wrote “etudes” (studies) – Each explored a single technical problem, usually set around a single motif. – Listen to Etude #4 in C# minor, Op 10, Nocturne in E flat Major

10. Franz Liszt 1811-1886 Hungarian composer Know mostly for piano works Extremely big hands and long fingers – which made for difficult compositions Pieces technically difficult Listen to Hungarian Rhapsody

11. Impressionism late 19 th century French movement in the arts Characteristics: – Creating mood – Asian pentatonic scale – Whole tone scale – Tone color – Irregular rhythm – Dissonance

12. Claude Debussy 1862-1918 French composer Didn’t like the label Impressionist (meant to be derogatory from the painters) Know for his piano works Listen to Claire de Lune

13. Modern/Contemporary 1920 - present Breaks with or redefines the conventions of the past. Uses experimental techniques. Show the diversity of society and the blending of cultures. Jazz – syncopation, call & response, unique harmonies

14. Scott Joplin 1867-1917 African American composer Known for writing Ragtime (style leading into Jazz) Duke Ellington 1899-1974 African American composer Known for Jazz style