Transcript The Classics

THE CLASSICS
TIMELINE
 1600 – 1750
The Baroque Period
 1750 – 1810
The Classical Period
 1810 – 1900
The Romantic Period
 1900 – 2000
The Twentieth Century
THE BAROQUE PERIOD
 The word Baroque was first used to describe the highly decorative
and often grand style of architecture and art of the 17th century.
 Musicians borrowed the word, and used it to describe the music
written between 1600-1750
 The fashion was for ornamentation
everywhere – even on buildings and
especially in music.
BAROQUE MUSIC
 Baroque music started in Italy, and worked its way north to
Germany, France and England.
 Music written during this time has noticeable contrasts in speed
and volume.
 Many new styles and forms of music were developed in the
Baroque period.
BAROQUE MUSIC
Many changes took place in this era….
•
•
•
•
The String family replaced the family of viols
The harpsichord became a prominent instrument
Modes were replaced with major and minor keys
Composers added contrasts e.g. contrasting
dynamics and textures
• Use of both polyphony and homophony
BA RO Q U E O RC H E S T R A
 The Baroque orchestra was much smaller than the orchestras today
 The string section formed the basis of the orchestra
 The brass and woodwind section usually only had one player per
instrument
 There was very little percussion used
 When percussion was used, it was usually only timpani to reinforce
the bass notes
BA RO Q U E O RC H E S T R A
The Harpsichord
The Harpsichord is a small keyboard instrument, which is the
predecessor of the piano.
The strings are plucked to produce a ‘twangy’ sound.
It is heard in most orchestral pieces of the period.
THE HARPSICHORD
BA RO Q U E O RC H E S T R A
The Recorder
 There are 4 main types of this wind instrument: descant, treble,
tenor and bass
THE RECORDER FAMILY
BA RO Q U E O RC H E S T R A
The String Family
 The string family replaced the viols and became the most
prominent part of the Baroque orchestra
 Composers favoured writing for these instruments as they were the
new, modern instrument of the time.
 Instruments were: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass and Harp
BAROQUE ORCHESTRA

Violin – This is the smallest and highest pitched instrument in
the string family.

Cello – Slightly smaller and higher in pitch than the double
bass.

Double Bass – The largest and lowest instrument of the
strings. All 3 instruments can be played with a bow (arco) or
plucked (pizzicato).

Harp – It is usually about 1.8 metres high, weighs 36kg and
has 47 strings.
THE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA
THE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA
Other instruments included:
• Flute – This instrument belongs to the woodwind family, although it
is made of metal. It differs from other woodwind instruments as it
does not have a reed. The sound is produced by blowing across the
top of a hole, a bit like blowing across the open top of a glass bottle.
• Trumpet – This instrument belongs to the brass family. Air vibrates
through a player’s lips, into a mouthpiece which is connected to the
instrument. The trumpet is the smallest and highest instrument in
the brass family.
• MUTED – a trumpet often uses a mute – a device
Which reduces the volume or alters the sound of an
Instrument (also known as CON SORDINO)
THE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA
Timpani

This instrument belongs to the percussion family. A drum with skin
stretched across a large bowl which was traditionally made of copper, but
is more commonly made of fibreglass.

It is a tuned percussion instrument as it can play a range of notes.

A timpani is struck with with timpani sticks or mallets that are
designed not to damage the surface of the skin.
BA RO Q U E C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S
POLYPHONIC (many sounds)/CONTRAPUNTAL
 Independent melodies of equal importance which weave / blend
together.
BA RO Q U E C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S
HOMOPHONIC (one sound)
All the parts have the same rhythm creating a ‘chordal’ effect.
(Hymn like)
BA RO Q U E C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S
Chorus
The chorus involves all the different voices together. (Soprano,
Alto, Tenor and Bass) They most often sing in HARMONY – each
voice sings its own part.
BA RO Q U E C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S

The chorus also sometimes sing in UNISON – all the voices
sing the same part at the appropriate pitch. (high or low)
OCTAVE – the
distance of 8 notes.
BA RO Q U E C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S
Sequence

This is a form of imitation but instead of the theme / pattern
being repeated exactly, it is repeated at a HIGHER or LOWER
pitch.
Look at the printed
music while
listening to this
excerpt and count
how many
sequences you can
see.
BA RO Q U E C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S
Ornaments

The melodies of the Baroque period were highly decorated
using ORNAMENTS.

They appear as small notes beside the main note or are
indicated by a special sign.
trill
Grace Note
BA RO Q U E C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S
Imitation

One part or voice introduces a small theme which is then
imitated or copied by another part or voice.
BA RO Q U E C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S
Dotted Rhythms
A “long / short” rhythmic pattern.
Instead of:
BAROQUE VOCAL MUSIC
Opera
Opera is a dramatic form of choral writing.
It began in Italy towards the end of the 16th century
The word opera means ‘work’ suggesting that it combines singing,
acting and dancing in a staged spectacle.
One of the first operas written and still performed today is Claudio
Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo
BAROQUE VOCAL MUSIC
Opera
An opera is made up of acts and scenes
Most of the words, if not all of them, are sung in an opera
Most operas as large compositions and meant for the stage and all
that goes with it – costumes, drama and scenery
OPERA HOUSE - 1747
BAROQUE VOCAL MUSIC
OPERA
Within an opera you will find examples of:
Aria – A solo song sung in an operatic style,, with orchestral
accompaniment.
Chorus – where the full body of singers perform together
BAROQUE VOCAL MUSIC
Voices
Four voices make up a typical choir:
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•
•
•
Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Bass
(upper female voice)
(lower female voice)
(upper male voice)
(lower male voice)
Extra voices can be used:
• Mezzo-soprano
• Counter Tenor
• Baritone
(halfway between a soprano and alto)
(has a higher range than a tenor)
(between a bass and a tenor)
E X C E R P T F RO M BA RO Q U E O P E R A
Remember…

Like many styles of music….

Although Opera began in the Baroque period, it does not
mean that you will not find it in other periods of music – operas
are still being composed today!

However, operas composed in the Classical period for
example, featured classical orchestras and classical characteristics
– they still featured arias and chorus and included staging, scenery
and fancy costumes.
BAROQUE VOCAL MUSIC
Syllabic

Syllabic is featured in vocal music, where each syllable is given
one note only.
Melismatic

Melismatic (or melisma) is also featured in vocal music in
which several notes are sung to one syllable
BA RO Q U E I N S T R U M E N TA L M U S I C
Concerto
A concerto is a work for a solo instrument and orchestra e.g. a flute
concerto is written for flute and orchestra.
A concerto usually consists of 3 movements (sections of the
music). The middle movement tends to be slow.
(REMEMBER – The Concerto began in the Baroque era – but it
continued into other periods of music!)
BA RO Q U E I N S T R U M E N TA L M U S I C

Towards the end of the first or last movement, you might hear
a CADENZA.

This is where the soloist gets to ‘show off ’ his skills,
improvising in the style of the work with a great flourish of notes.

In modern times, most cadenzas are not improvised – the
composer writes in what he wants to hear.
BA RO Q U E I N S T R U M E N TA L M U S I C
Canon
Canon is the name given to a special kind of composition where
one voice (or instrument) sings a part and is copied (imitated) exactly
by another. The second voice starts a bit later than the first and
overlaps with the first.
If more and more voices are added, it becomes quite complicated.
• A simpler word for canon is called a round. You can try this with a
friend by singing “Frere Jacques”
BA RO Q U E I N S T R U M E N TA L M U S I C

The example of Canon you are about to hear, also features a
Ground Bass

A Ground Bass is a repeated bass pattern.

Look at the ground bass pattern from Pachelbel’s Canon

Now listen to the music and try to count how many times the
ground bass is repeated.
STRUCTURAL FEATURES
Binary Form

A form in which the music is made up of two different
sections labelled A and B. Each section may be repeated.
Section A
Section B
Ternary Form

A form where the first section is always repeated at the end
Section A
Section B
Section A
STRUCTURAL FEATURES
Pedal
Short for pedal point. Pedal is a note, which is held on or is
repeated continuously in the bass beneath changing harmonies above.
Inverted Pedal
A note which is held on or repeated continuously at a high pitch.
STRUCTURAL FEATURES
Counter Melody

A melody played against the main melody (Instrumental).
Descant

Another melody above the main tune (Vocal music).
Strophic

A song which has the same music repeated for
verses/choruses, therefore the music will be heard repeating
throughout the song.
HARMONIC FEATURES
Major
The music sounds in a major key – often described as having a
cheery, happy feel to it.
Minor
The music sounds in a minor key – often described as having a
sadder feel than major.
HARMONIC FEATURES
Perfect Cadence
A cadence consists of two chords at the end of a phrase. A perfect
cadence is the dominant to tonic chords (V–I). In the key of C major,
chords G–C. It sounds finished.
Imperfect Cadence
In an imperfect cadence the second chord is the dominant V
creating an unfinished effect. In the key of C the second chord of an
imperfect cadence would be the chord of G. It sounds unfinished.
HARMONIC FEATURES
Tierce di Picardie

A Tierce di Picardie is where the final chord of a piece of
music in the minor key is changed to major.
HARMONIC FEATURES
Modulation

A change of key, e.g. Modulating to relative major would be a
change from minor to major key with the same key signature
found 3 semitones higher, for example D minor to F major
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD

During the second half of the 18th Century, composers found
a new audience. Wealthy members of the public would pay to
attend concerts.

The fashion was for formal, balanced structures, in art,
architecture and music.

A lighter, more graceful style replaced the grand, intricate
music of the Baroque period.
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD

The word ‘Classical’ used in its proper musical context, is used
to describe music composed between 1750 and 1810
(approximately).

Classical means
• Having a balanced structure
• Having clearly heard lines
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD

The style isn’t limited to music – it describes paintings,
literature, architecture, clothes and design, in fact anything artistic
which displayed classical qualities.

Think back to the Baroque music we listened to. The musical
lines weave in and out of each other and it can be difficult to tell
one part from another.

Music composed in the classical era leans away from this and
opts for a simpler, elegant style.
T H E C L A S S I C A L O RC H E S T R A

A new orchestra evolved during the classical period. It was a
standard group of four sections: strings, woodwinds, brass, and
percussion. In the late instrumental works of Mozart and Haydn,
an orchestra might consist of:
•
•
•
•
Strings: 1st violins, 2nd violins, violas, cellos, double basses
Woodwinds: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons
Brass: 2 or 4 french horns, 2 trumpets
Percussion: 2 timpani
T H E C L A S S I C A L O RC H E S T R A

The orchestra was bigger than the Baroque orchestra, and
more structured
• The strings remained the most important section, with the first
violins taking the melody and the lower strings providing an
accompaniment
• The woodwinds added contrasting colours and were often given
melodic solos
• Horns and trumpets brought power to loud passages and filled out
the harmony
• Timpani were used for rhythmic bite and emphasis
T H E C L A S S I C A L O RC H E S T R A

New instruments in the Classical period included:
• The Clarinet – this belongs to the woodwind family. It uses a single
reed, which is attached to a plastic mouthpiece. This is placed
between the lips, and the air travels between the reed and the plastic
mouthpiece, and into the instrument.
• The piano, which took over from the harpsichord
T H E C L A S S I C A L O RC H E S T R A
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
The Symphony
The word symphony, which literally means ‘sounding together’,
was used in the Baroque period to indicate a piece of music played
together by a combination of instruments.
In the Classical period, Mozart and Haydn established the
symphony as we know it today.
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD

The symphony is a large work for orchestra and is usually in 4
movements:
• The first movement is usually the longest and is reasonably fast
• The second movement is usually slow and expressive
• The third movement will often be a minuet and trio (structured in
ternary form, with 3 beats in the bar) or a scherzo (lively, jokey piece).
• The fourth movement is often in rondo form or theme & variation
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD

Listen to the opening bars of the following two symphonies.
You should be able to hear how different the style of composing
is in each, yet each symphony still conforms as it should.
Listen to the contrast in
dynamics, tempo and
character of each.
Symphony No 40
By Mozart
Symphony No 5
By Beethoven
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
Theme and Variations

In the late 18th century, a complete movement of a symphony
could be in the shape of a theme and variation.

The theme is the main melody. You hear it first.

The variation is the theme altered to sound different but still
recognisable.
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD

The theme can be varied in lots of ways!
GROUP TASK

In groups of 2 or 3, discuss ways in which a composer might
alter the theme.

Your teacher will then have a class discussion – make sure your
group has something to share!
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
VARIATIONS

Change of rhythm

Change of key or harmony e.g. major to minor

The melody could be altered

Diminution (where the length of the notes are shorter but the
melody is the same)

Augmentation (where the length of the notes are made longer)

Inversion (where the melody is turned upside down)
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
Think of theme and variation like a meal
•
•
•
•
Theme
Variation 1
Variation 2
Variation 3
-
egg and chips
scrambled egg and chips
Spanish omelette with salad and chips
Fried egg on a roll with chips
The theme is always used as the main source of inspiration for the
variations (like the egg and chips!). A composer tries to alter a
theme’s characteristics without losing its identity.
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
 Listen to this well known example of theme and variation and in
your jotter, write down how the composer creates a variation.
 Do you know who wrote this well known song?
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
Rondo
Rondo form is frequently heard in the last movement of concertos
and symphonies.
It is really just ternary form taken a bit further! So instead of A B
A we find:
A(main tune) B(new) A(main) C(new) A(main) D(new) A(main)
And so on – to infinity and beyond!
THE CLASSICAL PERIOD

Listen to the 3rd movement of Mozart’s Horn Concerto in E
flat.

This is a particularly clear example of rondo form.

In particular, listen to the closing bars – this is a CODA

CODA - A passage at the end of a piece of music which
rounds it off effectively.
THE PIANO

The piano was first used in the classical period.

It is a keyboard instrument which produces sounds by
hammers hitting strings. The inside of a piano – including the
hammers and strings, can be seen below.
THE PIANO
ALBERTI BASS

A piano accompaniment style, where broken chords are played by
the left hand outlining harmonies, whilst the right hand plays the
melody.

Classical composers such as Haydn and Mozart used this
technique extensively in their piano music. The chord is played in the
order: low - high - middle - high.
THE PIANO

The piano is a good instrument to demonstrate the following
examples:
SCALE

A sequence of notes moving by step in an ascending or
descending order.

CONTRARY MOTION

Two parts move in opposite directions, eg as one part ascends
the other part descends.
THE ROMANTIC PERIOD

Composers in the previous Classical era had aimed to strike a
balance in their music between expressiveness and formal
structure. Romantic composers shifted this balance.

The romantic period featured:
• A huge exploration of emotional expression
• Composers used feelings, emotions, books, paintings and poetry to
get ideas
• Composers, poets, writers and painters were concerned with
imagination, fantasy and drama
THE ROMANTIC PERIOD

Romantic era composers were influenced a great deal by
literature, art, nature, love and even magic and the supernatural.
Romantic music is very expressive and emotional

Intensity was created by the use of
• Chromaticism
• Discords
• Modulation
ROMANTIC ORCHESTRA

The orchestra became colossal

Brass became more important

Woodwind doubled in size

Percussion also became more varied and larger
ROMANTIC ORCHESTRA
WOODWIND

The woodwind section doubled in size

New instruments included the SAXOPHONE
• It uses a single reed which is attached to a plastic
mouthpiece.
• This is placed between the lips, and the air travels
between the reed and plastic mouthpiece, and into
the instrument.
ROMANTIC ORCHESTRA
BRASS
The brass section became more important and dramatically
increased in size
A new addition to the brass family was the trombone.
• It is the only brass instrument that has a slide instead of valves
• Air vibrates through a player’s lips, into a mouthpiece, which is
connected to the instrument
• Trombones are very good at doing a GLISSANDO
GLISSANDO

Sliding from one note to another, taking in all the notes in between
where possible
ROMANTIC ORCHESTRA

Lots of percussion instruments were added to the romantic
orchestra, they fall under 2 catagories.
Tuned Percussion (can play a range of notes)

Xylophone – The wooden bars are laid out in a similar way to
the piano and are played with beaters

Glockenspiel - The metal bars are laid out in a similar way to
the piano and are played with beaters
ROMANTIC ORCHESTRA
Untuned Percussion (cannot play a range of notes)
• Snare Drum – It is hit with sticks or brushes. Underneath the drum
there is a set of curled, metal wires stretched across the bottom of
the skin, this gives a ‘rattly’ sound.
• Bass Drum – It is large, low in pitch and played with a large headed
beater. It can also be part of a drum kit.
• Cymbals – It is round in shape and ade of metal. It can be hit with
a stick or beater, or can be hit against another cymbal.
• Triangle – A piece of metal in the shape of a triangle, open at one
corner and struck with a metal beater.
• Tambourine – It has a wooden or plastic frame, pairs of metal
jingles attached and is mostly played by hand striking or shaking the
instrument.
ROMANTIC ORCHESTRA
ROMANTIC ORCHESTRA
 These changes meant that it was more possible to
change




The tone
The timbre
Pitch
Volume
 Many of the styles and forms we looked at in the Baroque and
Classical periods continued into the Romantic period, a number of
features helped to develop the music of the time…
ROMANTIC FEATURES
Rubato
Translates as ‘robbed time’ which means the music will speed up
and slow down in order to allow for expression, therefore there will
not be a strict tempo maintained.
Chromatic
Notes which move by the interval of a semitone
20 TH CENTURY MUSIC

Orchestral music at the beginning of the 20th Century began to
evolve in dramatic and adventurous ways.

Some composers were tired of the traditional harmony of
orchestral music and began to experiment with the orchestra in
creating new textures and harmonies.

This led to a diverse range of new musical language which has
radically changed the position of the orchestra in society ever
since.
20 TH CENTURY FEATURES
Impressionism
A term borrowed from painting in which brief, musical ideas merge
and change to create a rather blurred, hazy and vague outline.
This painting by Monet is hazy and blurred – creating
an ‘impression’ rather than showing clear lines. Impressionist
music is similar in that is doesn’t have clearly defined strong
melody lines, but aims to create an atmosphere.
20 TH CENTURY FEATURES
Whole Tone Scale

A scale containing no semitones but built entirely on whole
tones. It creates a dreamy, mystical sound. A whole tone scale in
C is shown below
Tone
• The distance between two notes, equivalent to two semitones
Semitone
• Half a tone e.g. G to Ab on a keyboard
20 TH CENTURY FEATURES
Atonal
Atonal music has no feeling of key, major or minor.
It is very dissonant, and it will lack a ‘nice’ melody and
accompaniment.
Cluster
A term used to describe a group of notes, which clash, played
together.
O T H E R 2 0 T H C E N T U RY S T Y L E S
BRASS BAND

A band of brass instruments and percussion

A brass band uses a separate family of instruments, e.g. cornet,
flugel horn, tenor horn, euphonium and baritone.
WIND BAND

A band with woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.
O T H E R 2 0 T H C E N T U RY S T Y L E S
MUSICAL
A musical is a play which has speaking, singing and dancing and is
performed on a stage.
In recent years the musical has seen a revival and may now deal
with very dramatic stories and contain no dialogue.
Musicals use a more ‘normal’ singing voice than opera.