|
|
Classical with a 'c' means anything that is top class, and particularly refers to the ancient Greeks and Romans. With a 'C' it means a specific style of composers. The term classical is commonly and incorrectly applied to any music which is not modem. The correct term for this is actually art music.
| Composer | Period | Composer | Period |
| Stamitz | German (Bohemian) | Beethoven (1770-1827) | German |
| Gluck (1714-1787) | German | Haydn (1732-1809)* | Austrian |
| C.P.E. Bach | German | Mozart (1756-1791)* | Austrian |
| J.C. Bach | German |
The composers marked with an asterisk are the most important to remember.
Style Galant
This is an early classical style, and a very courtly style. It was meant to please
the listener, as opposed to making the listener think. C.P.E. Bach and J.C. Bach were the
main composers who made use of this style.
Later Classical Style
This style made more of balance and control, grace and beauty of melody, and the
fonn or design became important.
Texture
Classical music is basically homophonic. (Baroque music was polyphonic.)
The Orchestra
The Orchestra began to grow. The harpsichord continuo gradually fell out of use.
Wind instruments became more important, especially the homs to bind the texture. Strings
were still the main instrument to which were added two homs, one or two flutes, or a pair
of oboes. Gradually, composers added one or two bassoons, and occasionally a pair of
trumpets, or a pair of kettle drums. Clarinets were introduced towards the end of the 18th
Century. Mozart was the composer responsible for popularising the clarinet. The woodwind
section became a selfcontained section:
Music for Piano
Invented as early as 1698, by Cristofori in Italy. This instment allows soft and
loud notes to be played. The strings were hit by hammers, as opposed to being plucked.
More expression could be played (e.g. Legato, staccato, cantabile.)
The Alberti Bass is simple broken chords, repeated in the left hand, which keeps the music going, and outlines the harmony.
C.P.E. Bach was one of the first piano composers, and started composing around 1750. J.C. Bach gave the first piano performance in London. A lot of music was printed for harpsichord or piano, but the harpsichord gradually faded out of use.
Sonata
A Sonata is a work, in several movements, for one or two instruments. With three
instruments it is a trio, with four it is a quartet, and with five it is a quintet.
The Symphony
Symphony means a sonata for orchestra. It grew from the Italian Overture, but the
Symphony has three movements, instead of three sections. Later on, a fourth movement was
added (commonly a minuet in trio). Stamitz was the frost famous symphony composer, and the
father of this style, Haydn and Mozart perfected the Symphony in the second half of the
18th Century. The Symphony can be broken down into:
Haydn wrote numerous sonatas, including the Surprise Symphony, the Drum Roll Symphony and the London Symphony. Trios and quartets were also in four movements. Sonatas might have three or four movements. The Classical Concerto did not include the minuet, so only had three movements.
Sonata Form
Sonata form, is a way of building up an individual movement, not a piece. It
consists of three sections:
The Concerto
It contains a solo instment and an orchestra. There are three movements (slow,
fast, slow). The first movement has a double-exposition. The fffst is for the orchestra
alone, followed by the soloist. The second, with the second subject group in the related
key. Then comes the development and the recapitulation, for both the orchestra and the
soloist. Towards the end, the orchestra pauses, and the soloist plays a cadenza (a short
passage,'based on themes heard earlier, which displays the brilliance of the player.) When
the soloist finishes, the soloist ends with a trill, which signifies the orchestra should
come in and finish off the piece. The orchestra plays the coda to end.
Opera
Classical composers wrote much vocal music, especially opera. Gluck was an
important opera composer. Orfeo ed Euridice is one of his works. He made the actions more
important in the opera. At the start of the opera, the overture prepared the audience for
what was to come, Mozart wrote operas including The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute
and Don Giovanni. The Magic Flute is an example of singspiel (an opera in which singing is
mixed up with dialogue). The orchestra mirrors the mood and drama of the action. Don
Giovani is an example of 'opera buffa' (comic opera).
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Beethoven composed to please himself. He wrote 32 piano sonatas, nine symphonies.
The 9th Symphony is the Choral Symphony. He wrote one opera, called Fidelio. Towards the
end of his life he became deaf. He could still composer, and hear the sounds in his head,
but had great difficulty in conducting his works.
Beethoven modified Classical music. His music is weightier, and on a larger scale. There is more emotion in his music, and his last movements are usually the most important. He uses more discords, more dynamic contrast and more contrast in pitch. He increased the size of the orchestra, for example, he often added a 3rd horn and a piccolo, and also added a choir in his 9th symphony.
The Main Characteristics of Classical Music