Transcript Classical Period

Arts History
1750-1900
Classical Period
Romantic Period
Compare and Contrast:
Baroque Period and Classical Period
Baroque Period
 Rhythm
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The harpsichord and organ
were the main instruments
Homophonic
Dynamics
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Music that fluctuates in mood
Texture
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Unexpected pauses, many
changes in tempo
Mood
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Abrupt shifts in dynamics
Keyboards
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Homophonic and polyphonic
Dynamics
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Music with a single emotion
Texture
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A continuous, perpetual
motion
Mood
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Classical Period
 Rhythm
Gradual changes in dynamics
Keyboards
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The piano was the main
keyboard instrument
Compare and Contrast:
Baroque Period and Classical Period
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Compare the first movement of Vivaldi’s “Spring” from The Four
Seasons with the second movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21.
Can you differentiate between Baroque and Classical concertos? Try to
answer these questions:
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How are the two orchestras different?
Which concerto has more “songlike” melodies?
Which concerto exhibits the more dramatic contrasts of dynamics, texture, and density?
How do the roles of solos and accompaniment differ in the two concertos?
Which concerto uses the more subtle dynamic shading?
Answers
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The Mozart orchestra is larger and makes use of woodwind tone colors in addition to the strings.
The Mozart concerto
The Vivaldi concerto
In the Vivaldi concerto, there is a clear differentiation between the sections where the soloists play and
when the orchestra plays. The Mozart is a more subtle integration between soloists and orchestra.
The Mozart concerto
Classical Period:
Artwork
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Look at this
famous painting
from the Classical
period. The
woman is dressed like a classic Greek statue. There is just
the lamp and couch, no other furniture. The colors are not
bright and shocking, but soft and gentle. The overall image
is sharp, simple, calm, elegant, and orderly. Many of the
paintings of the Classical period had these traits.
Music of the Classical period was clean, elegant, balanced,
controlled, and simple, just like the painting above.
Classical Period:
1750-1820
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The Classical period is also known as the Age of Reason.
This was an era of intellectual enlightenment that begun
during the Baroque period. Reason was seen as the best
guide for human conduct.
Although the Classical Era lasted for only 70 years, there
was a substantial change in the music that was being
produced.
Classical music placed a greater stress on clarity with regard
to melodic expression and instrumental color. Although
opera and vocal music (both sacred and secular) were still
being written, orchestral literature was performed on a much
broader basis.
The orchestra gained more color and flexibility as clarinets,
flutes, oboes, and bassoons became permanent members of
the orchestra.
Classical Period:
1750-1820
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The Classical style
can be reflected in
this English garden.
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Perfect form
Mirrored image
Symmetry
Simple and elegant
The classical style was dominated by homophonic
texture, which consisted of a single melodic line and an
accompaniment. New forms of composition were
developed to adapt to this style.
The piano replaces the harpsichord as the main keyboard
instrument of the Classical period.
Classical Period:
Artwork
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Many sonatas are
written for the piano,
the instrument
showcased in this
painting.
Based on the dreamy
colors and hazy lines,
what type of music do
you think the girl at
the piano is playing?
Two Young Girls at the Piano, 1892
Classical Period:
Terms
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Countermelody – melodic idea that accompanies a main theme
Sonata – a work in several movements for one or more instruments
Symphony – orchestral composition, usually in four movements
(fast, slow, minuet, fast) typically lasting between 20 and 45 minutes
String Quartet – composition for two violins, a viola, and a cello
Chamber Music – music using
a small group of musicians, with
one player to a part
Theme and Variation – a basic
musical idea that is repeated
over and over each time
Classical Period:
Important Figures and Events
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Industrial Revolution - a period in the late
18th and early 19th centuries when major
changes in agriculture, manufacturing,
production, mining, and transportation had
a profound effect on the socioeconomic and
cultural conditions in Britain. The changes
subsequently spread throughout Europe,
North America, and eventually the world.
The onset of the Industrial Revolution
marked a major turning point in human
society; almost every aspect of daily life
was eventually influenced in some way.
Classical Period:
Important Figures and Events
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United States Declaration of
Independence - a statement
adopted by the Continental
Congress on July 4, 1776,
which announced that the
thirteen American colonies
then at war with Great Britain
were now independent states,
and thus no longer a part of
the British Empire.
George Washington – elected first President of the
United States of America in 1789
Classical Period:
Composers
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Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
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The most famous composer of his time. He helped develop new musical forms,
like the string quartet and the symphony. In fact, even though he didn't invent it,
Haydn is known as the “Father of the Symphony.” He wrote more than 100!
Haydn was born in the tiny Austrian town of Rohrau, where his father made
huge wooden carts and wagonwheels. His mother was a cook. When he was 8,
Joseph went to Vienna to sing in the choir at St. Stephen's Cathedral, and to
attend the choir school. Joseph could never resist a playing a joke, which got
him in trouble at school.
At first, Haydn struggled to earn a living as a composer. Then, he got a job with
a rich, powerful family named Esterhazy. It was Haydn's job to write music for
the Esterhazy princes, and to conduct their orchestra. Haydn composed
symphonies, operas, string quartets, and all kinds of other music for
performance at the Esterhazy court.
Haydn was also a good businessman. Music publishing made him and his music
famous all over Europe. After he retired from working for the Esterhazy family,
Haydn made two very successful trips to England, where audiences at concerts
of his music treated him like a superstar.
Classical Period:
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Classical Period:
Composers
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
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Born in Salzburg, Austria, where his father Leopold was a violinist and
composer. Wolfgang was a child prodigy. He composed his first piece
of music at age five; he had his first piece published when he was
seven; and he wrote his first opera when he was twelve. By the time
Wolfgang was 6, he was an excellent pianist and violinist. He and his
sister Maria Anna traveled all over Europe performing for royalty.
When he grew up, Mozart moved to Vienna, and tried to earn a living
as a pianist and composer. But he had a lot of trouble handling the fact
that he was no longer a child prodigy. Mozart was still a musical
genius, but after he stopped being a cute kid, people stopped making a
big fuss over him. Back then, musicians were treated like servants, but
Mozart did not, and could not think of himself as a servant.
Mozart was only 35 when he died. During his short life, he composed in
all different musical forms, including operas, symphonies, concertos,
masses, and chamber music. He composed over 600 works! Today, he
is still considered a genius.
Compositions:
Don Giovanni - Act I
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Spain, 1600s. At night, outside the Commendatore's palace, Leporello
grumbles about his duties as servant to Don Giovanni, a dissolute nobleman.
Soon the masked Don appears, pursued by Donna Anna, the
Commendatore's daughter, whom he has tried to seduce. When the
Commendatore himself answers Anna's cries, he is killed in a duel by
Giovanni, who escapes. Anna now returns with her fiancé, Don Ottavio.
Finding her father dead, she makes Ottavio swear vengeance on the
assassin.
At dawn, Giovanni flirts with a high-strung traveler outside a tavern. She turns
out to be Donna Elvira, a woman he once seduced in Burgos, who is on his
trail. Giovanni escapes while Leporello distracts Elvira by reciting his master's
long catalog of conquests. Peasants arrive, celebrating the nuptials of their
friends Zerlina and Masetto; when Giovanni joins in, he pursues the bride,
angering the groom, who is removed by Leporello. Alone with Zerlina, the
Don applies his charm, but Elvira interrupts and protectively whisks the girl
away. When Elvira returns to denounce him as a seducer, Giovanni is
stymied further while greeting Anna, now in mourning, and Ottavio. Declaring
Elvira mad, he leads her off. Anna, having recognized his voice, realizes
Giovanni was her attacker.
Compositions:
Don Giovanni - Act I (con.)
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Dressing for the wedding feast he has planned for the
peasants, Giovanni exuberantly downs champagne.
Outside the palace, Zerlina begs Masetto to forgive her
apparent infidelity. Masetto hides when the Don appears,
emerging from the shadows as Giovanni corners Zerlina.
The three enter the palace together. Elvira, Anna and
Ottavio arrive in dominoes and masks and are invited to
the feast by Leporello.
During the festivities, Leporello entices Masetto into the
dance as Giovanni draws Zerlina out of the room. When
the girl's cries for help put him on the spot, Giovanni tries
to blame Leporello. But no one is convinced; Elvira, Anna
and Ottavio unmask and confront Giovanni, who barely
escapes Ottavio's drawn sword.
Compositions:
Don Giovanni - Act 2
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Under Elvira's balcony, Leporello exchanges cloaks with Giovanni
to woo the lady in his master's stead. Leporello leads Elvira off,
leaving the Don free to serenade Elvira's maid. When Masetto
passes with a band of armed peasants bent on punishing
Giovanni, the disguised rake gives them false directions, then
beats up Masetto. Zerlina arrives and tenderly consoles her
betrothed.
In a passageway, Elvira and Leporello are surprised by Anna,
Ottavio, Zerlina and Masetto, who, mistaking servant for master,
threaten Leporello. Frightened, he unmasks and escapes. When
Anna departs, Ottavio affirms his confidence in their love. Elvira,
frustrated at her second betrayal by the Don, voices her rage.
Compositions:
Don Giovanni - Act 2 (con.)
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Leporello catches up with his master in a cemetery, where a voice
warns Giovanni of his doom. This is the statue of the
Commendatore, which the Don proposes Leporello invite to
dinner. When the servant reluctantly stammers an invitation, the
statue accepts.
In her home, Anna, still in mourning, puts off Ottavio's offer of
marriage until her father is avenged.
Leporello is serving Giovanni's dinner when Elvira rushes in,
begging the Don, whom she still loves, to reform. But he waves
her out contemptuously. At the door, her screams announce the
Commendatore's statue. Giovanni boldly refuses warnings to
repent, even in the face of death. Flames engulf his house, and
the sinner is dragged to hell.
Among the castle ruins, the others plan their future and recite the
moral: such is the fate of a wrongdoer.
Classical Period:
Composers
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Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
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Born in Bonn, Germany. His father, who was a singer, was his first
teacher. After a while, even though he was still only a boy, Ludwig
became a traveling performer, and soon, he was supporting his family.
In his early twenties, Beethoven moved to Vienna, where he spent the
rest of his life. Beethoven was one of the first composers to make a
living without being employed by the church or a member of the
nobility.
At first, he was known as a brilliant pianist. But when he was around 30
years old, Beethoven started going deaf. Even though he could no
longer hear well enough to play the piano, Beethoven composed some
of his best music after he was deaf!
Beethoven is considered one of the greatest musical geniuses who
ever lived. He may be most famous for his nine symphonies, but he
also wrote many other kinds of music: chamber and choral music,
piano music and string quartets, and an opera.
Compositions:
Symphony No. 5
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Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 premiered in Vienna in December
1808 on the same night as the composer’s Symphony No. 6 and
Piano Concerto No. 4. It was an instant success with the critics and
audience. They responded to the storytelling nature of the music
and its dramatic impact. The ominous opening C minor motif
transforming into the C major fanfare of the finale appealed to the
new Romantic ideal of the age.
The symphony, and the four-note opening motif in particular, are
well known worldwide, with the motif appearing frequently in
popular culture, from disco to rock and roll, to appearances in film
and television. During World War II, the BBC used the four-note
motif to introduce its radio news broadcasts because it evoked the
Morse code letter "V" (· · · —, "victory").
Compositions:
Symphony No. 5
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From the director of Disney’s Fantasia:
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“When I listened to the music, it sounded like a great controversy was
going on between good and evil, It was pretty clear to me that a battle
was going on. There was a little bit of melody and a lot of power. I
came up with these triangular shapes to represent the two sides. The
good shapes would move like butterflies; the bad ones would move
more like bats. I didn’t want to be too literal. It’s more fun to let that
reveal itself. The music and the tempo are so fast, you don’t really have
a lot of time to study things. You get hit with all this passion and when
its over you take a breath. The good shapes are multicolored and
attracted to the light. The bad shapes, represented in dark colors, want
to attack them and stop them from reaching the light.”
Compositions:
Symphony No. 9
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The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "Choral" is
the last complete symphony composed by Ludwig van
Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the choral Ninth
Symphony is one of the best known works of the
Western repertoire, considered both an icon and a
forefather of Romantic music, and one of Beethoven's
greatest masterpieces.
Symphony No. 9 incorporates part of "Ode to Joy", a
poem by Friedrich Schiller written in 1785, with text
sung by soloists and a chorus in the last movement. It is
the first example of a major composer using the human
voice on the same level with instruments in a symphony,
creating a work of a grand scope that set the tone for
the Romantic symphonic form.
Compositions:
Symphony No. 9
“Ode To Joy" is an ode written in 1785 by the
German poet, playwright and historian
Friedrich Schiller. The poem celebrates the
ideal of unity and brotherhood of all mankind.
Oh friends, not these tones!
Let us sing more cheerful songs,
And more joyful.
Joy! Joy!
Glad, as His suns fly
Through the Heaven's glorious design,
Run, brothers, your race,
Joyful, as a hero to victory.
Joy, beautiful spark of gods
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter drunk with fire,
Heavenly one, your sanctuary!
Your magic binds again
What custom strictly divided.
All men become brothers,
Where your gentle wing rests.
Be embraced, millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, above the starry canopy
Must a loving Father dwell.
Do you bow down, millions?
Do you sense the Creator, world?
Seek Him beyond the starry canopy!
Beyond the stars must He dwell.
Whoever has had the great fortune
To be a friend's friend,
Whoever has won a devoted wife,
Join in our jubilation!
Indeed, whoever can call even one soul,
His own on this earth!
And whoever was never able to, must creep
Tearfully away from this band!
Finale repeats the words:
Be embraced, you millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, beyond the star-canopy
Must a loving Father dwell.
Be embraced,
This kiss for the whole world!
Joy, beautiful spark of gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
Joy, beautiful spark of gods
Joy all creatures drink
At the breasts of nature;
All good, all bad
Follow her trail of roses.
Kisses she gave us, and wine,
A friend, proven in death;
Pleasure was to the worm given,
And the cherub stands before God.
Romantic Period:
Artwork
•This painting was made at the
end of the Classical period of
music, in 1824. The girl's face is
not calm like in the painting
above. This girl is afraid. There
are more colors in this painting,
and they are more vivid.
•Do you see the crosses at the
bottom of the image? The girl is
sitting in a graveyard. This
painting has more emotion and is
more intense than the image
above.
•The artist, Delacroix, is considered a painter of the Romantic period because of
the use of bold colors and strong emotions found in his paintings.
Romantic Period:
1820-1900
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The Romantic period was a period during the nineteenth century and
early twentieth century when composers created music that often
exploded with emotion.
Romanticism rejected Classicism’s attempt to impose laws on
nature. Rather, its goal was to emancipate human feeling – from
delicate and intimate expressions to the most colossal, world-shaking
emotional outbursts.
The problem in the nineteenth century was how far to go with this
new freedom. The opposite of complete intellectual rule is complete
emotional rule. Both extremes present disadvantages and
difficulties.
Instead of working for wealthy bosses, composers were for the first
time able to work for themselves.
New instruments, or ones that had been modified in some way,
allowed composers to write music for entirely new sounds and for
new instrument combinations.
Romantic Period:
Terms
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Rubato – a slight holding back or pressing forward of
tempo
Art Song – a composition for solo voice and piano
Program music – instrumental compositions that attempt
to convey a specific idea without using lyrics
Program symphony – a pictorial or descriptive
orchestral work in several movements
Idee fixe – a fixed melodic idea that recurs throughout all
movements of a symphony
Nationalism – music created with a specific national
identity, folk songs, dances, or history of their homelands
Romantic Period:
Important Figures and Events
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Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
an English naturalist who
realized and presented
compelling evidence that all
species of life have evolved
over time from common
ancestors, through the process
he called natural selection.
Romantic Period:
Composers
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Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
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Berlioz was not a child prodigy, did not start serious study of music until
he was an adult, and, unlike most other composers, never learned to
play the piano or any other instrument.
At his father’s wish, he enrolled in medical school instead. While in Paris
studying for this degree, he became very interested in opera and started
taking composition lessons. Furious, his father cut off all financial
support. Still, through hard work, various musical successes and study at
the Paris Conservatory, Berlioz achieved his ambition to be a composer.
Berlioz was noted for his orchestral writing and is credited with creating
the modern orchestra. His ideas were quite grand; his Requiem uses an
orchestra of 190, four additional brass and percussion ensembles, and a
210-voice chorus! Berlioz’ new style of musical composition led directly
to the Romantic era.
Although he wrote several major musical works, Berlioz was better
known in his lifetime as a music critic than as a composer. He also
conducted most performances of his own works, not trusting this
responsibility to anyone else.
Compositions:
Symphonie Fantastique
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Berlioz was a passionate man, and he poured his
emotions into his scores. Symphonie Fantastique
is a strong example of how Berlioz translated his
life into music.
The impact that Beethoven had on Berlioz is
evident in the work, but no less evident is
Berlioz’s originality in opening up new
paths that Beethoven had not explored,
and the sound world of Berlioz is entirely
his own.
His infatuation with
actress Harriet
Smithson is
revealed by the
recurring love
theme in the piece
(idee fixe).
Romantic Period:
Composers
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Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
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Franz Schubert was born in Vienna, Austria. In addition to playing
several instruments, Franz also sang very well. When he was 10, he was
accepted at the Imperial and Royal Seminary, which trained boys for the
Court Chapel Choir. That choir still exists today as the Vienna Boys'
Choir.
Schubert wrote his first symphonies for his school orchestra, and for
friends of the family who used to get together to play -- the whole
Schubert family was very musical.
Schubert also wrote piano, choral, and chamber music, but he is
probably most famous for composing over 600 lieder songs (German art
songs). He had a profound ability to capture the emotional essence of a
poem in his music.
Schubert led a disorganized life and had a difficult time publishing works
and making a living.
Compositions:
The Erlking
Who rides in the dark through cold and wind?
It is a father with his young son;
He hold the sick child close to his chest,
He holds him tightly to keep him warm.
“My son, what causes such fear in your face?”
“Oh, Father, there, the Erlking is near.
I see the Erlking with crown and robe!”
“My son, you see just fog and mist.”
“My lovely child, come, go with me!
For splendid fun and games we will play;
All shades of flowers grow along the shore;
And my mother has some clothes made of gold.”
“Oh Father, oh Father, can you hear him now,
The Erlking whispering magic to?”
“Please calm down, please be quiet, my child;
You hear the cool breeze rustling dead leaves.”
“My handsome boy, will you come with me?
For my lovely daughters are waiting now;
They will lead a series of dances each night,
And cheer you with sweet songs to give you delight,
And cheer you with sweet songs to give you delight.”
“Oh Father, oh Father, do you not see there
The Erlking’s daughters peer through the dark?”
“My son, my son, I see it so clear;
An old willow tree shines dimly and gray.”
“I love you, child, your delicate figure delights;
If you are not willing, then I shall use force.”
“Oh Father, oh Father, he’s reaching for me!
Erlking has hurt me, he grabs my hands !”
The father shudders, he rides swiftly on;
He clutches closer the weak moaning child,
To reach the house with toil and dread;
Only to find that his son. . .is dead.
“The Erlking” is a narrative ballad and is an example of an art song. The text is from a poem of the
same title by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The poem describes a struggle between a father of a
gravely ill son and the phantom figure, Erlking. The Erlking, who symbolizes death, wants to claim the
child. In Schubert’s work, a rapid triplet pattern of repeated notes is sounded on the piano. This could
signify the frantic struggle for possession of the child.
Romantic Period:
Composers
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Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
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He was one of the greatest pianists of his day. He is known as the “poet
of the piano.” Chopin was born in a town just outside of Warsaw, Poland.
His mother introduced him to the piano; by the time he was six, Chopin
played extremely well and was starting to compose. He gave his first
concert at the age of eight.
When Chopin was 20, he left Poland to seek fame and fortune in other
European cities. When Chopin got to Paris, he decided to stay.
There's a story that when Chopin left his native country, his friends gave
him some Polish soil, which he carried around with him for the rest of his
life. That's probably not true, but Chopin did continue to be passionately
patriotic about Poland, even though he never went back there.
Chopin was never healthy, and he was only thirty-nine when he died of
tuberculosis. When he was buried -- in France -- a special box of earth
was brought from Poland to sprinkle on his grave. But Chopin's heart is
in Poland -- literally. His heart was put in an urn and taken to the Church
of the Holy Cross in Warsaw.
Romantic Period:
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
Nocturne in E flat Major