Music Baroque Period

Classicism

Artistic movement emphasizing order, balance, clarity, and reason in art and music.

Enlightenment (Age of Reason)

Intellectual movement stressing logic, science, and human progress.

Industrial Revolution

Era of technological and economic growth; spurred scientific discovery and encyclopedias.

Louis XV

French monarch at Versailles; symbol of aristocratic patronage.

Frederick the Great

King of Prussia; musician and patron of the arts.

Maria Theresa

Austrian ruler; supported musical and cultural development.

Catherine the Great

Russian monarch; key Enlightenment patron of culture and education.

Ancient Greek and Roman Influence

Revival of ideals like balance, unity, clarity, and proportion in arts and architecture.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)

French philosopher, “Father of Romanticism.” Advocated emotion and natural simplicity.

Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress)

German literary movement emphasizing emotional intensity; led by Goethe and Schiller.

Viennese Masters

Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert — defined the Classical style.

Classical Style Characteristics

Lyrical, symmetrical melodies; clear cadences; diatonic harmonies; homophonic texture; steady tempos and regular meters; balance and proportion.

Sonata Form

Structured musical form used in first movements; developed during the Classical era.

Patronage System

Aristocratic sponsorship of composers and artists; provided steady income and prestige.

Maria Anna Mozart (Nannerl)

(1751–1829) Mozart’s sister; talented pianist who toured with him.

Maria Theresia von Paradis

(1759–1824) Blind composer and pianist; friend of Mozart, toured Europe.

Marianne Martinez

(1744–1812) Viennese singer, pianist, and composer who gained public recognition.

Public Concert

Shift from palace performances to public concert halls.

Composer-Performer

Composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven conducted or played their own works.

Theme

Basic musical idea forming the foundation of a composition.

Thematic Development

Process of transforming a theme through variation of melody, rhythm, or harmony.

Motive

Short melodic or rhythmic fragment of a theme.

Sequence

Repetition of a motive at a higher or lower pitch.

Absolute Music

Instrumental music with no story or programmatic content.

Multimovement Cycle

Standard Classical structure of 3–4 contrasting movements.

Rondo Form

Recurring main theme (A) alternating with contrasting episodes (e.g., A-B-A-C-A).

Chamber Music

Music for small ensembles (2–10 players) with one instrument per part.

String Quartet

Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello — most important chamber genre of the Classical era.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)

Austrian composer; “Father of the Symphony” and “Father of the String Quartet.”

Esterházy Family

Wealthy patrons who employed Haydn for nearly 30 years.

Haydn’s Op. 33 Quartets

Introduced the scherzo movement and new formal flexibility.

“Joke” Quartet, Op. 33, No. 2 (1781)

Playful rondo finale with surprise pauses and humorous ending.

Symphony

Large-scale orchestral work; central instrumental genre of the Classical period.

Classical Orchestra

Strings (core), woodwinds (color), brass (harmony), percussion (rhythm); ~30–40 players.

Rocket Theme

Rapidly ascending melodic figure used for dramatic effect.

Streamroller Effect

Long, drawn-out crescendo creating momentum.

Theme and Variations Form

A theme followed by altered versions (melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, or textural).

Symphony No. 94 (“Surprise”)

Famous for sudden loud chord in slow movement; uses Theme and Variations.

Haydn’s Legacy

Wrote 100+ symphonies, refined the four-movement structure.

Sonata-Allegro Form

Structure with three parts — Exposition, Development, Recapitulation — often ending with a Coda.

Exposition

Presents two contrasting themes in different keys.

Development

Explores and varies themes through modulation and tension.

Recapitulation

Returns to original themes in home key; resolves tension.

Coda

Final concluding section reinforcing the tonic key.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

Austrian composer, pianist, and child prodigy; rebelled against patronage to work independently.

Major Operas (Mozart)

The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte.

Eine kleine Nachtmusik (1787)

Serenade for strings; four movements; elegant and symmetrical.

Rocket Theme (Mozart)

Rapid ascending figure used for dramatic energy (used in Eine kleine Nachtmusik).

Minuet and Trio Form

Triple-meter dance form in A–B–A pattern; third movement in symphonies and sonatas.

Concerto

Work for solo instrument with orchestral accompaniment, usually in three movements.

Cadenza

Virtuosic solo passage near the end of a movement; often improvised.

Double Exposition Form

Used in first movements of concertos; orchestra presents themes, then soloist elaborates.

Mozart’s Piano Concertos

27 total; known for graceful melodies and interaction between piano and orchestra.

Piano Concerto in G Major, K. 453 (1784)

Composed for student Barbara von Ployer; includes lyrical slow movement and birdlike final theme.

Sonata

Instrumental work in multiple contrasting movements, usually for solo piano or duo.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

German composer bridging Classical and Romantic eras; known for emotional intensity and innovation.

Beethoven’s Three Periods

1. Early – influenced by Haydn & Mozart; 2. Middle – heroic, dynamic, emotional; 3. Late – complex, introspective.

Moonlight Sonata, Op. 27, No. 2 (1801)

Dedicated to Countess Giulietta Guicciardi; lyrical, dreamlike first movement; foreshadows Romanticism.

“Fantasy Sonata” (Sonata quasi una fantasia)

Freer sonata form used by Beethoven in the Moonlight Sonata.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (Eroica)

Originally dedicated to Napoleon; expanded form and emotional depth.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9

“Choral Symphony” — includes soloists and chorus in Ode to Joy finale.

Cyclical Form

Use of a recurring motive across multiple movements for unity.

Symphony No. 5 in C Minor (1807–8)

Famous “Fate” motive unites all movements; moves from darkness (C minor) to triumph (C major).

Opera Seria

Serious, noble style of Italian opera; themes from mythology and history.

Comic Opera (Opera Buffa)

Light, humorous opera with relatable plots; sung in vernacular; popular with middle class.

Varieties of Comic Opera

England: Ballad Opera; Germany: Singspiel; France: Opéra Comique; Italy: Opera Buffa.

The Marriage of Figaro (1786)

Mozart opera buffa with libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte; satirizes class inequality.

Main Characters (Marriage of Figaro)

Figaro, Susanna, Count Almaviva, Countess, Cherubino, Basilio.

“Non so più” (Cherubino’s Aria)

Expresses youthful passion and confusion.

“Cosa sento” (Terzetto)

Three-part ensemble combining drama and humor; polyphonic texture.

Requiem Mass

Mass for the dead; sacred choral work.

Mozart’s Requiem (1791)

Mozart’s final work, left unfinished; completed by Franz Xaver Süssmayr.

Requiem Commission

Anonymous commission surrounded by mystery and rumors about Mozart’s death.

Dies irae (“Day of Wrath”)

Medieval Latin text depicting Judgment Day; dramatic and emotional.

Instrumentation (Requiem)

Uses low winds and brass (basset horns, bassoons) for somber tone.

Notable Performances (Requiem)

Performed at JFK’s funeral (1963) and 9/11 memorial (2002).