Classical Music

This era lasted from 1750-1820. Some of the most famous composers include:

1. Haydn

2. Mozart

Characteristics of Classical Music:

• Beautiful melodies

• Homophonic Accompaniments

  • Alberti Bass

    • This is a chordal pattern where all of the notes of the chord are broken up

• Ornamentation

  • Decoration was still very common here, similar to the Baroque period

• Instrumentation

  • Strings

    • Violin

    • Viola

    • Cello

    • Double Bass

    • Guitar

  • Woodwind

    • Recorder or wooden flute

    • Oboe

    • Bassoon

    • Clarinet

      • The clarinet is a new instrument during this period

      • Larger range of wind instruments

  • Brass

    • Trumpet

    • Horns

  • Percussion

    • Timpani

    • Triangle

    • Hand Cymbals

    • Bass Drum

  • Keys

    • Fortepiano

      • This was a new type of piano

      • Replaces harpsichord

• Simple, balanced, non-emotional

  • Absolute music

    • Music for its own sake. not for dancing/special occasions

  • Performed in recitals or concert halls

• Simple textures

  • Mainly homophonic

    • Just melody and accompniment

• Scalic passages were common

• Imitation was common

Types of Classical Music:

• Symphonies

  • Played by orchestras

  • Four movements, each with a different tempo and mood

• Concertos were further developed

  • Cadenzas were added

    • Themes and melodies from the concerto are arranged to display the technical virtuosity of the soloist

• Chamber music

  • Small orchestra (~4 people)

  • String Quartet created

    • 2 violins, viola, cello

Structural music in the Classical Period:

1. Binary Form

   1. Two clear sections

2. Ternary Form

   1. Two sections then the piece returns to the first section again

3. Rondo Form

   1. One section which keeps returning, sandwiched between other different sections

   2. Section A will return in related keys

   3. Evolution of ritornello form

   4. Found as the final movement in symphonies, sonatas, concertos etc

4. Coda

   1. The final section of a piece, either to create a dramatic or calm end

   2. Rallentando is sometimes used, to slow the music down

   3. Diminuendos were also common

5. Sonata

   1. Generally was the structure of the first movement of sonatas, symphonies and concertos

   2. Three main sections

      1. Exposition

         1. Most musical ideas come from the two main themes shown here (the first and second subjects)

         2. The first subject is in the tonic key, second is in a different key (usually dominant or relative minor)

         3. Connected by transition/bridge passage

      2. Development

         1. Materials from exposition are transformed

         2. Modulations happen

         3. Ambiguous, restless due to exploration of keys

         4. Avoids tonic and dominant keys

            1. Relative minors, sub dominant, circle of fifths etc

      3. Recapitulation

         1. Material from exposition recapped (but slightly different and in shorter form)

         2. Both of the subjects are heard in the tonic key

         3. No modulation

         4. Some of these finish with a small coda

6. Cadenza

   1. Found in a classical concerto

   2. Dramatic solo passage

   3. Orchestra pauses, remaining silent

      1. Played towards the end of the first movement

      2. Improvises, based on 1+ themes from the first movement

      3. Shows skill of soloist

      4. Ends in a trill

7. Minuet and Trio

   1. Found in symphonies

   2. Additional third movement

   3. Came before the final movement

   4. From Baroque dances

   5. Ternary form (but within each section, there is binary form)

   6. After the trio, the minuet returns without repeats

8. Symphonies

   1. These have four movements

      1. Fast

         1. Allegro

      2. Slow

         1. Ternary

      3. Dance

         1. Minuet and Trio

         2. Scherzo

      4. Fast

         1. Allegro - Rondo

9. Opera

   1. Comic Opera

      1. funny operas

   2. Operia Seria

      1. serious operas

   3. Arias & Recicative

   4. Chorus

   5. Overture

   6. Coloratura

10. Piano Music

    1. Question and answer phrasing

       1. aka antecedent and consequent

    2. Contrary motion

    3. Arpeggio

    4. Broken Chord

    5. Alberti Bass

    6. Perfect Cadence

    7. Plagal Cadence

    8. Diatonic Harmony

    9. Scalic Passages

Melody:

• Diatonic

  • Occasional chromaticism

• Even phrase lengths

  • 4-8 bars long

• Balanced phrases

  • Antecedent and consequent phrases (question and answer)

• Monothematic

• Appoggiaturas became common

  • Dissonance in classical music, falling to consonance

• Passing notes used for decoration