Music History: Classical Era, Beethoven, and the Symphony

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the music history lecture on the Classical era, Viennese landmarks, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and symphonic forms.

O5

A sign of Austrian resistance carved during the Nazi occupation of Austria in World War II, where the number 5 represents the fifth letter of the alphabet (E), creating the abbreviation 'OE' for Österreich.

Saint Stephen's Cathedral (1950 Roof Date)

The year marked on the cathedral roof denoting when it was replaced after sustaining bombing damage during World War II, having previously been preserved as an accurate landmark for placing bombs.

Broken Column Memorial

A sober graveyard monument erected in memory of Mozart, featuring a broken column as a symbol of his life being claimed prematurely before reaching its full flowering.

Lorenzo Dahonte

Mozart's collaborator and librettist on his greatest operas, including the scene from The Marriage of Figaro.

Van (in Ludwig van Beethoven)

A Dutch or Belgian prefix in Beethoven's name that denotes his family heritage, distinct from the German aristocratic title 'von' conferred by nobility.

Classical Period

The musical era spanning roughly from 1750 to 1820, whose boundaries Beethoven expanded as he pushed into Romanticism.

Scherzo

A movement title meaning 'joke,' innovated by Beethoven to replace the outdated minuet dance movement in the traditional four-movement symphonic and sonata structure.

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony

A groundbreaking symphonic work requiring the largest orchestral forces of its time, incorporating full winds and brass, a chorus, and four vocal soloists.

Ode to Joy

The final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which begins with a recapitulation of themes from the preceding three movements and sets texts expressing Beethoven's social ideal that all men are brothers.

Riccardo Mutti

The Italian conductor whose performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra achieved over 56,000,000 views.

Handel

The composer of Messiah and musical hero of Beethoven, whose mastery of the oratorio served as an inspiration for the choral dimensions of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

Mozart's Symphony No. 25 in G minor

One of only two or three symphonies written in a minor key out of the 41 total symphonies composed by Mozart.

Haydn (Symphony Output)

The Classical composer noted for writing at least 104 symphonies, vastly exceeding Mozart's total of 41.

Classical Concerto

A musical genre characterized as a symphony combined with at least one featured soloist, exemplified by Beethoven's piano concertos.

Beethoven's String Quartets

A set of 16 chamber music masterworks composed by Beethoven, widely recognized as some of his most profound late-period compositions.

Salieri

Mozart's great rival composer in Vienna who engaged in operatic contests against him.