Musicianship quiz 4

Classical

The Western Art Music time period from roughly 1750 to the first third of the 1800s For convenience, we are defining it as ending in 1830, which is late, but it approximates the death of Beethoven in 1827, so it's a nice musical mnemonic. Changes in patronage for composers: continued patronage of the church, wealthy/nobility, but also moving towards independent composers, working for multiple commissioners or the public. Center of musical activity: Vienna (Austria/Germany). Opera houses and concert halls: open more for the public than for the private enjoyment
of the wealthy/nobility. More women in opera and church music

String quartet

An ensemble consisting of two violins, a viola, and a cello. A composition, usually in several movements, for a string quartet. [Note: this is a type of chamber music.]

Minuet

Originally a French dance in moderately slow 3/4 and found in Baroque suites. During
the Classical, it gets faster and becomes the standard dance movement in genres like the string quartet and the symphony.

Trio

From the 17th century onwards, the second of two alternating dances was called a 'trio' whether or not it is actually scored for three voices. The example you should keep in your head: the middle section of a minuet or scherzo.

Movement

A complete section or subdivision of a piece of music, often unified by tempo, key, or mood.

"Pants role"

In opera, a male character played by a female singer, usually a mezzo-soprano

Piano

Keyboard instrument with strings of graduated size and length strung over a wooden
soundboard and enclosed in a wooden case. Developed by Bartolomeo Cristofori in Italy in the early 18th century. The big deal about the piano is that, due to its internal workings, it could produce different dynamics, which the older harpsichord could not. (It was referred to as pianoforte— soft/loud—you will also see the word fortepiano used, especially in "period instrument" contexts

Sonata

A freestanding piece for solo instrument or instruments, with or without accompaniment. (One has the solo sonata, which is either piano itself or solo instrument itself; and one has the accompanied sonata, which is the solo instrument and accompaniment, which from the Classical onward that accompaniment is usually piano). From the Classical onward, it's usually a three-movement work in a fast-slow-fast design, sometimes with a dance movement worked in or in place of one of those, but, as with all of these forms, exceptions/variations are common.

Romantism

A term denoting romantic ideals such as nature's vastness and indifference to man, the bizarre and fantastic, rejection of the rational and embrace of the emotional and sensual and passionate. The ROMANTIC classical time period extends from ca. 1820 to ca. 1910. [Note: we'll expand on this definition when we study the Romantic in our next listening list. This will do for now.]

Rondo

A multisection form in which the melodic material heard at the beginning returns one or more times. These appearances, called refrains, are interspersed with episodes of contrasting character. The rondo tunes are often quite obvious and easily grasped, and the form of rondo movements usually let the listener easily hear that the rondo theme is going to, predictably, return. It was a favorite design of last movements (sonatas, concerti, and sometimes symphonies) giving a predictable "big finish."

Symphony

A large-scale composition for orchestra, usually consisting of more than one movement. An outgrowth of genres of the Baroque (sinfonia), it becomes a dominant orchestral genre of the 19th century. It gets a somewhat standardized format as it becomes standardized in the Classical era. A rule of thumb for a standard Classical/Romantic symphony: four movements in a I. (slow intro) FAST - II. SLOW - III. DANCELIKE - IV. BIG FINISH configuration. II/III can switch around...the idea is that II/III contrast somehow with I/IV.

Concerto

A work for one or more solo instruments and orchestra. A Baroque invention It comes of age as we know it in the Classical period. In the Classical concerto, we usually have a FAST-SLOW-FAST order of sections/movements, with the first movement in sonata form. (This structure isn't uncommon moving past the Classical.) And the concerto is usually a vehicle to display the virtuosity of the solo performer. Cadenzas (often at the end of the first movement in the Classical) are common and allow the soloist to show off right before the conclusion of the movement.

Sonata form

In the Classical sonata form one can expect a formulaic approach: (Intro); Exposition (including Theme 1 and contrasting Theme 2); a repeat of that (sometimes omitted in modern performance); Development of the themes; Recapitulation of the themes; (Coda)

Piano trio

Chamber music featuring piano and two other instruments, often violin and cello. This variety of chamber music was very popular and comes of age in the Classical.

Libretto

Italian for booklet (derived from the libro, Italian for book), it is the text of an opera or other work for the musical theatre.

Virtuoso

A musician with an extraordinarily well developed technique; and adjective used to describe passages or pieces that are particularly challenging from a technical standpoint, or playing that successfully meets such challenges.

Haydn (Franz Joseph) (1732-1809)

Time period: Classical; Piece: Menuetto and Trio, from String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2 (Quinten) -1797, Piece Details: Movement III (the Dance-like movement in the (Slow Intro)Fast-Slow-Dancelike-Big Finish string quartet/symphony formula); Composer Details: Austrian. First Viennese School. (Considered) Father of the string quartet (68ish) and symphony (104ish) and establishes norms for both. Helps establish Classical style.

Mozart (Wolfgang Amadeus) (1756-1791)

Time period: Classical; Piece: "Quanto duolmi, Susanna" (recitative), and "Voi che sapete" (aria) from The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro), K. 492 - 1786. Piece Details: Opera (recitative and aria). Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte after a play by Beaumarchais (he also wrote libretti for Don Giovanni and Cosi fan Tutti). "Quanto" is recitative between The Countess, Susanna, and Cherubino, "Voi" is performed by Cherubino, which is a "pants role. Composer Details: Austrian. Composer, Pianist, Violinist. First Viennese School. Child prodigy, he wrote operas, concerti, symphonies, and chamber music of the highest order and renown. Worked as a court musician (Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg) before turning to Vienna to make his way as a freelance composer and performer, working on commissions from nobility or other wealthy patrons, and putting on concerts or opera.

Lorenzo da Ponte (1739-1838).

Roman Catholic priest who wrote many opera libretti, including those for Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così Fan Tutte.

"Who was Mozart's librettist for The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così Fan Tutte

da Ponte

Beethoven (Ludwig van) (1770-1827);

Time period: Classical/Romantic; Piece: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 (Pathétique) - 1799 (published). Piece Details: Piano Sonata. Three movements: I. Slow intro, Allegro [Fast][Has Classical sonata form, but he does unexpected things, including the slow intro and its return], II. Adagio Cantabile [Slow][5 part rondo form], III. Rondo. Allegro [Fast][7 part rondo] - This is a common model for sonatas and concerti. Composer Details: German-born Composer and Pianist. First Viennese School. Born in Bonn, he was already a working musician/composer with patrons, when he makes his way to Vienna in 1792 in order to interact with Haydn (which he does off and on) and also study with others. He establishes himself as a piano virtuoso and also finds patrons in Vienna who support his work and he continues to explore the traditional forms of classical style. He is very much a transitional figure between the Classical and Romantic musical periods, using classical models and expanding and innovating within them. Known for symphonies, concerti (piano, violin), chamber music (string quartets), other choral and instrumental music.