Music of the Classical Period

These flashcards provide key terms and definitions from the music of the Classical Period, focused on important concepts, forms, and individuals related to the subject.

Classical Period

A musical era spanning roughly from 1750 to 1815, characterized by the works of composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

Cadenza

A section of a concerto in which the soloist plays alone without the orchestra, often in an improvisatory style.

Chamber Music

Music primarily performed in small venues, often for personal entertainment, which includes ensembles like string quartets.

Coda

An optional final section of a movement that reasserts the home key and provides a sense of conclusion.

Da Capo

An instruction commonly found at the end of the B section or Trio of a Minuet and Trio, indicating a return to the first section.

Double-Exposition Form

A form of the first movement of a classical concerto that combines the exposition, development, and recapitulation of sonata form with the ritornello form.

Exposition

The first section of a sonata form movement where the themes and key areas are introduced.

Hemiola

A momentary shifting from a duple to a triple feel or vice versa in musical rhythm.

Minuet and Trio Form

A ternary form based on the minuet dance, consisting of a Minuet (A), contrasting Trio (B), and returning to the Minuet (A).

Opera Buffa

A comic style of opera made famous by Mozart, often featuring middle-class characters and humorous plots.

Pizzicato

The plucking of a bowed string instrument like the violin, creating a percussive effect.

Recapitulation

The third and final section of a sonata-form movement where themes of the exposition return in the home key.

Rondo

An instrumental form consisting of the alternation of a refrain 'A' with contrasting sections ('B', 'C', 'D', etc.), often used as the final movement.

Scherzo

A fast, light-hearted movement that replaced the minuet in later symphonies and string quartets.

Sonata Form

A musical structure often used in the first and last movements of compositions, consisting of exposition, development, and recapitulation.

String Quartet

A performing ensemble consisting of two violins, one viola, and one cello, typically performing compositions known as string quartets.

Symphony

A multi-movement composition for orchestra, often structured in four movements.

Ternary Form

A musical composition in three parts, typically with a structure A - B - A.

Theme and Variation Form

A form that consists of a theme followed by various musical variations on that theme.