Transcript Music and the Classical Era

Intellectual Advancements
• Encyclopedia - Encyclopédie
Denis Diderot
(1713-1784)
Encyclopédie, 1751
Science Plate
Revolution
• Industrial Revolution
– Britain, late 1700’s
– Technological developments were catalysts for the change
from a rural, farm-based society to an urban, industrial
one
Gas Street
Lamp
Spinning Jenny
Sewing Machine
Eli Whitney and
Cotton Gin
James Watt and
Steam Engine
Political Revolution
• American Revolution (1775-1783)
– inspired by the Enlightenment
– the 13 colonies of North America become restless and dissatisfied with their rule by the
British monarchy.
– Declaration of Independence in 1776 stated the rights of the 13 colonies to rule
themselves; thus becoming a country based on the idea that “all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
• French Revolution (1789-1799)
– inspired by the Enlightenment and the American Declaration of Independence
– opposition to the monarchy spread rapidly from the property owners and the
middle classes to the peasants and resulted in a bloody uprising.
– Motto – “Liberty, equality, fraternity.” The monarchy was abolished, nobility
put to death and a new republic set up.
Vienna: The Center of the Musical Universe
Jean-Antoine Watteau
(1684-1721)
A Pilgrimage to Cytheria
• Fêtes galantes style was countered by Jean-Baptiste Siméon
Chardin (1699-1799)who found inspiration in the lives of
ordinary people and all that surrounded them.
Back from the Market
Chardin SelfPortrait
Table Still Life
Le Dejeuner
Neoclassical Visual Art
• During the Enlightenment period there were great
archeological discoveries made, particularly from
ancient Greece and Rome.
• The ideas, designs and style of the ancient Greeks
and Romans were particularly fitting for the new
period of enlightenment.
• The Neoclassical style differentiated itself from the
Rococo style in is simplicity and naturalness.
Neoclassical Architecture
The Arc de Triomphe
du Carrousel Paris
The Brandenburg
Gate, Berlin
La Madeleine,
Paris
The Rotunda, University
of Virginia
Neoclassical Painting
• Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825)
The Oath of Horatii
Madame Recamier
Neoclassical Sculpture
Moved from the dramatic, emotional forms to more
idealized classical poses.
• Antonio Canova
Cupid and Psyche
Napoleon
• Jean-Antoine Houdon
Voltaire
Washington
Musical Arts in the Classical Era
• Life as a Classical Artist
– Artists of the 18th century generally functioned under the
system of aristocratic patronage.
– Socially, they were little better than servants. While this
was often distasteful to them, they were provided with
economic security and a social framework within which
he/she could function as a musician.
– Yet, each major composer (Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven)
began to pull away from the patronage system.
• Musical Life in Society
– An important aspect of musical life in the Classical
period was the rise of the public concert.
– This phenomenon was possible due most to the
larger and more prosperous middle class.
– Tickets could be purchased for single events or for
full series.
– Concerts in this time were much longer than
concerts are today and unlike our concerts, most
of the music heard was new works.
Baroque and Classical Comparison
Baroque
Classical
Dates
1600-1750
1750-1820
Geographical Center
Italy, France, Germany,
England
Vienna, Austria
Timbre
Vocal and instrumental
Instrumental
Texture
Polyphony/homophony
Homophony
Melody
Longer and instrumentally
conceived
Symmetrical, balanced,
question/answer
Dynamics
Terraced
Gradual
Accompaniment
Harpsichord
pianoforte
Orchestra
Small (20-40), mostly
strings
30-40 with the four
instrumental families used
more independently
Form
Binary, Ternary
Sonata-Allegro, Theme and
Variations, Rondo, Minuet
and Trio
Harmony
Tonal
Tonal
Rhythm
Metric, motoric, elaborate
Simple, metric
Classical Orchestra
• Blending of the four orchestral families: strings, woodwinds,
brass, percussion
• 30 to 40 players
• Gradual dynamics established
(Mannheim crescendo)
Musical Genres
• Vocal
– Mass and Requiem Mass
– Art Song: a pairing between music and literature
– Oratorio
– Opera: opera seria, opera buffa
Instrumental Genres
• Sonata
– Three movements
– Most written for solo piano, violin or cello sonatas
– Important for the amateur players
• Solo Concerto
– Three movements: fast, slow, fast
– Piano and violin were the common soloists
• Symphony
–
–
–
–
1st movement: sonata-allegro form
2nd movement: three part form (ABA)
3rd movement: minuet and trio form
4th movement: rondo or sonata-allegro form
• String Quartet
– Two violins, a viola and a cello
– Four movements
Form in the Classical Tradition
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•
•
•
Sonata-Allegro
Theme and Variation
Minuet and Trio
Rondo
Elements of Music
•
•
•
•
•
•
Melody – vocal in conception, symmetrical, question and answer
Harmony - tonal
Rhythm – simple, metric
Texture – homophony and for accompaniments, Alberti Bass
Dynamics - gradual
Timbre
–
–
–
•
Vocal: SATB
Instrumental: string, woodwind, brass, percussion
Keyboard: piano (Alberti Bass)
Form – sonata-allegro, theme and variation, minuet and trio,
rondo
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Mozart as a Child
The Mozart Family:
Nannerl, Wolfgang and
Leopold
Mozart and Costanze
Mozart as Young Adult
Sonata-allegro Form
• Symphony No. 40, K. 550, 1788
– 1st movement: Molto Allegro
Minuet and Trio
• Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, 1788
– 3rd Movement: Menuetto (Allegretto)
Classical Opera
• Don Giovanni (Don Juan), 1787, Mozart
– Act I: Duet: “La ci darem la mano” (There you will
give me your hand)
Maria Theresia von Paradis (1759-1824)
• “Morgenlied eines armen Mannes”
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
As an adult
Age 13
Rondo Form
• String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 18, No. 4, 17981800
– 4th Movement: Rondo (Allegro)
A
B
A
C
A
A
B
A
C
A
B
A
Sonata Form
• Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67, 1808
– 1st Movement: Allegro con brio
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Prince
Nikolaus
Esterhazy
Esterhaza Palace
Theme and Variation
• Symphony No. 94 in G Major (Surprise, 1791)
– 2nd Movement: Andante