Transcript Mvt. 1

The Classical
Era: 1750-1820
The Enlightenment and the 18th
century
The Enlightenment
• Revival of interest in ancient Greek
architecture, sculpture:
– Pompeii ruins discovered 1748
– Scholarly works on ancient art and history
– “Grand tour” and the appropriation of artifacts
• Social justice, equality, satire of institutions
– Voltaire
• These qualities reflected in the balance of
classical music.
Major Composers
•
•
•
•
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Francesca LeBrun (1756-1791)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
NOTE: Beethoven spanned both Classical
and Romantic eras.
New Classical Genres
• Symphony: has a 4 movement plan
Ex.: Haydn, Symph. No. 95;
Ex. Mozart, Symph. No. 40 in G Minor
Ex. Beethoven, Symph. No. 5 in C Min.
• Classical Concerto: double exposition form
rather than the ritornello form of Baroque.
Ex.: Mozart, Piano Ct. No. 23 in A
Other New Classical Genres
• Sonata
– For solo instrument; 3 movements; similar
formal plan to the symphony, minus the
minuet and trio.
• String Quartet
– For the 4 instruments of the string family; 4
movements, similar formal plan to the
symphony
New Classical Forms
• Sonata form
– Exposition (1st th.; bridge; 2nd th.; cadence th.)
– Development
– Recapitulation
• Double exposition form of the Classical
concerto: one exposition for the orchestra,
a second exposition for the soloist.
Compare this to the ritornello form of the
Baroque concerto.
The four-part form of a
symphony (p. 166 textbook)
• Mvt. 1: fast-to-moderate tempo
– Form: Sonata; may have an optional slow
introduction
• Mvt. 2: slow/very slow tempo
– Form: variations, rondo, or other
• Mvt. 3: moderate
– Minuet and trio (always in triple meter); ABA
* Mvt. 4: fast/very fast
– Form: sonata form or rondo form
Classical Era Symphony
Listening Examples
• Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, mvt. I
(1788), by W. A Mozart
• Symphony No. 95 in C Minor, esp. mvt. III
(1791) by F. J. Haydn
• Symphony No. 5 in C Minor (1808), by
Ludwig van Beethoven—listen to all
movements. What form is the 3rd
movement?
Sonata Form
• Exposition
– Theme 1 (tonic key)
– Bridge modulates to the second key
– Theme 2 (contrasting key)
– Cadence theme (preparing for repeat of
exposition)
Sonata Form part 2
• Development
– Themes 1 and 2 are fragmented and
developed; modulating through various keys.
The themes may be reduced to short motives
which may be sequenced, or even inverted
(turned upside down).
– Retransition prepares for the recapitulation in
the tonic
Sonata, part 3
• Recapitulation
– Theme 1 in the tonic
– Bridge which pretends to modulate
– Theme 2 also in the tonic
– Cadence theme
• Coda (may have some new material) signals
the end of the piece. Cadences: tonic-dominanttonic repeatedly
The Classical Concerto
• Double Exposition form, as opposed to the
Ritornello form of the Baroque.
• The orchestra enters with the exposition;
then the soloist enters with the exposition.
• Both the classical concerto and the
baroque concerto feature the forces of the
orchestra versus the soloist (or solo group
for the baroque concerto grosso).
Comic Opera (for Week 7)
• In contrast to opera seria of the Baroque,
comic opera of the Classical era had:
• Spoken dialogues
• Simple songs (instead of recitative and da
capo arias)
• Example: The Marriage of Figaro (Le
nozze de Figaro, 1786) by Mozart