Music History II Final - Short Answer Questions

Revolution (Historical Context)

Changes to class structure in Europe; French and American Revolutions were the result of “enlightened” people calling for reform, Napoleon was a hero spreading Enlightenment ideas (liberty, equality, brotherhood) until his downfall - all of this had an impact on music

Industrial Revolution (Historical Context)

Explosion of printed music production and instrument manufacture, more leisure time for middle class (because of tech innovations in the work force), newly expanded market for music and instruments

19th Century Nationalism (Historical Context)

Presenting ethnic identity in music, nationalist ideologies from composers like Wagner and Verdi versus composers who simply incorporated nationalistic elements like Chopin; nationalist French opera = Grande Opera

Classical vs. Baroque Style/Aesthetic (Evolving Musical Styles)

Classical - stile galant (simple yet sophisticated) and empfindsamer (emotional and full of depth), simplicity, easier to digest

Baroque - drama, showiness, and complexity

Classical Greats: Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven (Evolving Musical Styles)

Haydn - short phrases, reuse of same ideas, comedy, melody + acc, classical form

Mozart - long phrases, constantly new ideas, sophistication, melody + acc, classical form

Beethoven - motifs from Haydn, flexible phrases like Mozart, expanded all the forms, more emotionally expressive and intense, 3rd period catered to connosseiurs

Romantic vs. Classical Style/Aesthetic (Evolving Musical Styles)

Romantic - melody-driven, emotional, novelty, individuality, ideology (individuality, hero), developing variation

Classical - stile galant over empfindsamer, simple sophistication

Symphonic Form from the Classical through Romantic Eras (Evolution of Musical Language and Form)

4 Movements: allegro, andante (slow), minuet + trio or scherzo, vivace (fast - typically dance in duple meter)

Evolution towards thematic unity in instrumental music (evolution of musical language and form)

ASCH theme in Carnaval, beloved theme in Symphonie Fantastique (idee fixe), leitmotifs (Schubert and Wagner), reminiscence motives (Donizetti and Verdi)

Harmonic complexity in the Romantic Era (evolution of musical language and form)

Chromatic mediants (3rds), prolonging and/or decorating dissonances for uncomfortability, unresolved dissonance, linear harmonies (melody-driven)

Art Song (origins and evolution of specific genres)

Tell stories and have characters, TEXTPAINTING, German lied stands apart from other vocal music because text/poetry and music are equals, SCHUBERT

Opera (origins and evolution of specific genres)

Gluck to Mozart to bel canto to Wagner to Verdi

Changing roles of singers, composers, orchestras, and drama - people would first go to see the singers (and their improv), but then the composers became more important in Verdi’s time and they didn’t want the singers changing their music anymore (not as much improv)

Symphonic Forms (origins and evolutions of specific genres)

Haydn = father of symphony, Beethoven = “what now?” movement, symphonic poems = program symphonies but vaguer (Liszt, Strauss’ tone poems)