Classical Period

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Classical Period

• 1750-1825

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Sonata Cycle

• Four movement plan common in symphonies, sonatas,
  and other works of the Classical period - FSDF

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Sammartini Symphony

• First Movement
• An immature version of Sonata Allegro Form
• Exposition is repeated, and has two themes, but
  they are very short
• Development and Recapitulation are repeated (not
  typical later on)

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Sammartini Symphony

• First Movement
• Classical characteristics?
• Frequent pauses
• Changes of themes
• Crescendo/decrescendo
• Binary form brings back the original theme in
  original key

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Sonata Cycle

• Fast - most sophisticated movement - more
  sections - twists and turns.
• Slow - usually a Theme and Variations, or ABA
  form. Easier to listen to and follow.
• Dance-like - triple meter Minuet and Trio form.
  Even easier to listen to.
• Fast - often Rondo - easiest of all to listen to.

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Sonata Cycle

• Four movement plan common in symphonies, sonatas,
  and other works of the Classical period - FSDF
• Philosophy - Hit the listener with the hardest
  material first while their brain is still
  fresh!!!

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Sonata-Allegro Form

• Also acceptable to call it just Sonata form - See
  the book on pp 125-131 for a description and
  diagram

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Sonata Allegro Form

• - The form (formula) that you will find for the
  first movement of EVERY work from the Classical
  Period. Consists of three main parts Exposition,
  Development, Recapitulation, and smaller Coda
  ('tail').

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Exposition

• First section, where the keys and themes are
  exposed for the listener. Theme 1 in home key,
  transition modulates, Theme 2 in new key, closing
  section. The exposition is played twice.

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Development

• The second section. Themes 1 and 2 are fragmented
  and made into motives. Constant modulation with
  NO occurrence of the home key. Lots of tension,
  and even polyphonic texture. At the end of nearly
  every development, you can sense that it?s
  "running out of steam".

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Recapitulation

• The third section. You hear the home key coincide
  with Theme 1 again. Your ear remembers this sound
  from the very beginning. Structurally, the
  recapitulation is like the exposition, except
  that there is NOMODULATION IN THE RECAPITULATION.
  Theme 2 is in the home key.

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Coda

• "tail" the very end of a movement. Nothing new,
  just a nice big cadence to signify that THIS IS
  THE END.

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Symphony

• A Multi-movement work for orchestra. Usually,
  the work is in 4 movements and follows the
  standard Sonata cycle Fast-Slow-Dancelike-Fast
  plan.

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W.A. Mozart

• 1756-1791
• Composed first pieces at age 5
• First symphony at age 8.
• First opera at age 12.