The Classical Era A study guide

1
The Classical EraA study guide

• Overview of the Culture
• Music in the Classical Era
• Music Journalism
• 3 Classical Composers
• Log Check
• Genre check
• Exam Topics Summary

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About this Study Guide

• This study guide of Classical culture and music
  In the Classical Era does NOT replace or attempt
  to outline Kamien Chapters 1 and 2. Rather, it
  provides the big picture, and Kamien adds
  information details to this presentation. You
  are responsible to know what 18thC life and
  society are like, and how music fits into that
  culture.

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17th-18th C transition

• Baroque Era
• Monarchs, aristocrats hold absolute POWER
  wealth
• Louis XIV, XV
• Frederick the Great
• Catherine the Great
• Protestant Reformation and Catholic
  Counter-reformation inspired a more spiritual
  society. On many of Bach's compositions Soli
  deo gloria (to God alone the glory!)

• Classical Era
• French and American Revolutions
• Middle class becomes more influential
• Baroque eras religious fervor wanes. The first
  law is to enjoy oneself, says Charles Burney.

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The Classical Era

• Approximately the 18th Century
• Classical, classic, classicism
• Classical Greek architecture is probably
  inspiration for 18thC tastes.
• simple, uncluttered clean lines
• symmetrical, balanced

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The Classical Era

• Cultural, societal adolescence--much change
  (often violent) growth
• Industrial revolution causes societal changes
• Shift from agrarian to industrial economy
• Migration from country to cities
• Huge cities--e.g., 1800 Vienna 250,000 Paris
  550,000
• American and French Revolutions
• French aristocrats out of power ( dead)
  commoners take power
• Napoleons expansionism causes turmoil in Europe.
• Relationship of government and constituents
  changes
• people no longer serve governing wealthy nobles
• government serves people

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The Classical Era

• European society ? more cosmopolitan.
• Rise of the middle class
• industrialization produces more money for lower
  classes
• eventually more wealth produces more leisure
  time
• more leisure time produces search for
  entertainment that produces . . . . . . . . . . .
  . . . .
• Classicisms entertainment music for middle class
  Music must meet listeners where they are,
  therefore much of it is simpler than that in the
  Baroque Era.

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The Classical Era

• The Enlightenment
• Whats IN?
• rational, logical, empirical, reasoned
• equality, brotherhood of man
• Whats OUT?
• status quo (Unjust traditions are brought into
  question.)
• Supernatural, mystical (Religion, Gods nature
  and/or existence come into question)

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Music in the Classical Era

• Austria and Germany cultural centers.
• Patronage, a VIMP music/economic institution in
  the mid-1700s breaks down by 1790. Why?
• Ubiquitous concert halls and opera houses
  entertain middle class audiences.
• Function of Music Entertainment
• in the concert hall, opera hall, theater, estate
  drawing room, home parlor
• In the homeVIMP filler of leisure time
• Dancing
• Family members performing for each other

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Middle Class interests change music

• More music-making in the home creates needs
• simpler music for less skilled musicians
• growing music industry (instrument manufacture,
  publishing, performing organizations)
• music education (instrument voice lessons,
  composition, appreciation)
• Simpler, folksong-like music
• Opera characters and plots revolve around
  commoners, not the aristocracy or mythology as in
  the Baroque era. Some plots ridicule the
  aristocracy.
• Publishers influence what composers write. Why?
  What is the connection to middle class
  music-making? (Go back to previous slide)
• More secular music composed and performed.
  Religious fervor of earlier Baroque composers
  such as Bach is gone.

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Music Journalism
Ca 1790 Music Journalism exploded on the
European scene. Middle class people wanted to
read about anything music essays, analyses and
critiques of new compositions, performers,
performances, concert halls, instruments, and
biographies of composers and performers. Music
newspaperssome high quality, but most badly
written tabloid journalismsold by the millions.
Journalists influenced tastes, and they made or
broke careers. Ludwig van Beethoven was one of
their favorite targets. While these music rags
praised Beethovens pianistic virtuosity (until
deafness curtailed his playing), their writers
mercilessly and audaciously condemned many of his
compositions for about ten years! Their insulting
diatribes claimed his music was eccentric, too
intellectual and complex, and that nobody wanted
to hear it. Deeply hurt, he sometimes reacted
contemptuously, and he is known to have answered
at least one upstart reporter, Of course you
dont understand this composition. I wrote the
piece for future generations. They will
understand and appreciate it. He was correct.
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• The Classical Composers

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Joseph Haydn

• pronounced Hi-den, NOT Hay-den
• lived most of life comfortably as a highly paid
  musical servant in patronage to the Esterhazys
  (You must understand patronage.)
• wrote serenades divertimentos (entertainment
  music), masses, sonatas, concertos, string
  quartets, symphonies (104!), more hes probably
  best known for symphonies.
• developed the orchestra
• much more use of woodwinds
• standardized the instrumentation (instruments and
  number of each in a typical orchestra)
• developed the symphony
• longer works
• more development ideas procedures

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• pronounced Mot-sart, NOT Mo-zart
• child prodigy
• pianist performing in public by age 4 astounding
  virtuosity by age 6
• composer writing serious and world class music
  by age 8
• adulthood
• patronage
• lived when patronage was waning
• aristocracy could no longer afford it
• Austria was at war
• rebelled against idea of being a musical
  servant
• several bad experiences Mozart separated himself
  from patrons
• may not have managed personal finances well
• wrote serenades divertimentos, operas, masses,
  sonatas, concertos, symphonies (41), more.
  Probably best known for operas and symphonies.
• made fundamental changes to opera fixed problems

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Ludwig van Beethoven

• Beethoven views music as much more important to
  human existence than mere entertainment!
• made his living by
• selling compositions to publishers
• concertizing as a pianist
• Beethoven NEVER has a patron patronage is gone.
  Besides, Beethoven considers himself equal to,
  not the servant of, any noble!
• virtuoso pianist--Worlds best!
• dazzling technique and power
• genius improviser

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Ludwig van Beethoven

• composer
• composed by evolving and revising musical ideas
  and compositions
• kept notebooks of themes and ideas
• Bs manuscripts, unlike Mozarts, are a
  MESScluttered with cross-outs, arrows,
  re-writes, etc.
• Much of Bs music was composed in deafness (total
  by age 29!) He could only hear the music in his
  head.
• works are larger, longer, more complex
• wrote sonatas (esp. piano), concertos, string
  quartets, symphonies (9!), serenades
  divertimentos, masses, more. Probably best known
  for symphonies, piano sonatas, string quartets.
  much music for piano.
• Beethoven wrote notes that were too high or low
  for current pianos, then told manufacturers to
  build instruments that included them. and they
  did!)
• TRANSITION composer Classicism?Romanticism
• Bs middle and late composition periods and
  styles clearly point the way to the coming
  Romanticism.
• composed for himself and future, NOT for
  publishers demands or middle class market

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Classical Listening Log Check

• Mozart, Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, Mvt 1(Sonata
  form)
• Haydn, Symphony No. 94 in G Major, Mvt 2(Theme
  Variations)
• Mozart, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Mvt 3(Minuet
  trio)
• Beethoven, String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No
  4, Mvt 4 (Rondo)
• Mozart, Don Giovanni
• Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Mvt 1

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Match Genres with their descriptions(Sp 14
Green only)

• Sacred vocal, monophonic, no beat/meter, Middle
  Ages
• Polyphonic composition based on one theme, a
  subject
• Secular vocal, Renaissance, mostly polyphonic,
  features much text painting
• Collection of dance-inspired movements
• 4 highly contrasting movements for orchestra that
  exploit its expanded range, timbre, and
  dynamics. Movement 1 is always set in sonata
  form.
• Multi-movement work for chorus, vocal soloists,
  orchestra, organ, most sacred ones are based on
  a familiar chorale
• Large-scale work combines visual, vocal
  instrumental music, and literature
• 5 movement setting of sections of the Mass
  ordinary
• Large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, narrator,
  usually based on Old Testament story
• A hymn, important in Lutheran worship service
• Multi-movement instrumental music that features
  two performing
• groupssoloist(s) and accompanying orchestra
• Sacred vocal, Renaissance examples feature much
  imitation,
• text may NOT be from the mass ordinary

• Cantata
• Chant
• Chorale
• Concerto
• Fugue
• Madrigal
• Mass
• Motet
• Opera
• Oratorio
• Suite
• Symphony

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Classical Era Exam Topics

• Culture/society and the Classical music style
• 3 composers and how they fit into the culture
• Forms (structure)
• Sonata
• theme variations
• minuet trio
• rondo
• Listening
• Recognition of the pieces
• Perception of formal elements
• Perception of development procedures
• Perception of elements that balance unity and
  contrast
• Comprehensive genre check