Classical Music

Classical Music

• The term classical can be applied in 2 ways– Viennese School of Music: Haydn, Mozart,

Beethoven, & Schubert (1770-1830)– Period of music with the following characteristics:

formal clarity; balance & structure; lucid design; objectivity & traditionalism.

• Classical music can be somewhat cold & unemotional.

• Classical forms are sectional, with clear divisions between the sections.

• Continuo was gradually abandoned in the classical era (experimentation with symphonic style.)

• Types of music popular in the Classical period– Oratorios: declining in popularity– Opera– Sonatas– Concertos

Classical Sonata

• Multi-movement work in one of 2 different patterns

3 Movement Plan1st Movement: Fast (Allegro); written in home

key2nd Movement: Slow tempo (Adagio/Largo;)

written in contrasting key3rd Movement: Fast tempo; written in home key

4 Movement Plan1st Movement: Same as 3 Movement plan2nd Movement: Same as 3 Movement plan3rd Movement: Minuet or Trio (3 beats) written

in the home key.4th Movement: Fast tempo; home key

Classical Concerto• Different from the Baroque concerto• Concerto grosso was abandoned in the

Classical period.• Classical composers concentrated on the solo

concerto• The favored solo instruments were the violin &

piano, but other instruments were used as well.• Solo concerto used the 3 Movement sonata

plan: f-s-f movement; NO minuet & trio• Still works on the contrast between large &

small bodies of sound.

• Classical concertos still used the ritornello form.

• NEW part in the classical concerto was the cadenza

• The cadenza was a section for the solo instrument to play without accompaniment.

• The cadenza becomes the perfect vehicle for the virtuoso performer.

• It was supposed to sound improvised, but many were written out prior to the performance.

• The cadenza contained fragments of thematic material, erratic tempo, obscured beats, & modulation (change from one key to another.)

• The cadenza usually ended on a powerful note, returning to the orchestra for the concluding portion of the movement.

• Mozart established the general form of the Classical concerto.

Classical Composers

Franz Josef Haydn

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Joseph Haydn1732-1809

Franz Josef Haydn

• 1732-1809

• Born to poor parents in Austria

• A relative encouraged his parents to get him musical training.

• He was taken to Vienna & enrolled in the boys choir at St. Stephen’s Church

• There he received a basic grammar school education along with voice lessons & violin lessons

• He had some lessons in composing music, but he was largely self-taught.

• He left the school when his voice changed (about age 16.)

• Haydn made a living teaching violin & voice lessons on his own.

• His big break came when he was hired as assistant music director for the Esterhazy family.

• The Esterhazy family was a powerful noble family with connections to the Holy Roman Emperor.

• He moved to the family estate which was isolated; this helped make his compositions more original & creative (he was away from other musical influences.)

• His reputation grew & he became known throughout Austria & the Europe.

• Eventually he became the music director the family (prestigious position.)

• He was able to travel & compose more music.

• In his position as music director he was expected to write many different types of music.

• For the Emperor Franz-Josef, he wrote the composition, “Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser.”

• Translation: “God Save the Emperor Franz.”• Eventually became the Austrian national

anthem.• Haydn was able to collaborate with both Mozart

& Beethoven.• He is also attributed with the creation of the

Classical style; he is also known as “Papa” Haydn since he laid the foundation for symphonic style.

• He composed well into his old age but stopped writing symphonies & concentrated on masses.

• Napoleon Bonaparte shelled Vienna as Haydn lay on his death bed.

Body of Work

• Symphonies: 104– Last 12 are known as the “London” Symphonies

since they were composed while Haydn visited London.

• Chamber Ensembles: 68-83; mostly trios & quartets; music for small audiences.– Haydn is credited with laying down the

fundamentals of the string quartet.

• Operas: 20; no longer performed– Greatest opera composer of 18th century was

Mozart.

• Masses: 12– “Missa in Temporae Belli” (1796)– Mass in a Time of War was written when

Napoleon began his march across Europe.

• Piano sonatas: 52

• Instrumental trios: 31

***Haydn used many “tricks” in order to make his music original.

The Mass

• Catholic & Protestant service of worship

• Parts of the mass will be set to music.

• Special occasions—Requiem mass is the most common composition– Requiem is a mass for the dead; funeral mass.– Coronation mass for some prince or noble

The Ordinarium

• Parts of the mass that will stay the same.

• Will include the following:

1. Kyrie: plea for mercy

2. Gloria: praise & thanks to God

3. Credo: confession of faith

4. Sactus: Glorification of God

5. Benedictus: Glorification of Jesus

6. Angus Dei: Plea for forgiveness & peace.

***The Requiem mass will add more parts like the Dies Irae, or Day of Wrath; this section tells about God’s anger toward the wicked & sinners.

Mozart—Child Prodigy1756-1791

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• 1756-1791

• Child prodigy– Skilled in a particular talent

• Born in Salzburg, Austria

• His father was an accomplished musician & worked for the Archbishop of Salzburg.

• Only Mozart & his sister survived into adulthood (out of 6 children;) she also was talented musically.

• They grew up in a musical household.• Mozart wrote his first composition at 5 years

old.• His music wasn’t filled with revisions; he wrote

everything almost perfectly.• Mozart’s father, Leopold, was an opportunist.

He exploited his children’s talent for his own gain.

• The long term goal to was to get Mozart a good position (hopefully with the Archbishop of Salzburg.)

• Leopold took the children on a tour of Europe & they were a hit.

ADULTHOOD

• Problems started around the age 21

• He was never able to secure a good position.– He hated the patronage system– His undisciplined behavior worked against him the

most.– He was his own worst enemy.– People didn’t take him seriously because of his

behavior.

• He organized a tour of Europe; it started in Paris & was unsuccessful.

• He brought his mother on tour with him & she died in Paris; she had to be buried there.

• Mozart was closer to his mother than his father; her death caused him great distress.

• He never could live up to the expectations of his father.

• He returned to Salzburg but could never fit in there– He got a position with the Archbishop but it wasn’t a

secure position.– He left Salzburg under bad conditions to study

music in Vienna.– The Archbishop dismissed him.

• The Vienna years were good to Mozart at first, but things quickly soured.

• He had a position at the royal court, but this wouldn’t last long.

• 2 major reasons for Mozart’s decline:– His behavior was undiplomatic– Jealousy of other court composers & musicians

(they sabotaged his career.)

• He also lived way out of his means; he & his wife were always broke.

• He had no permanent position; he did complete many commissioned works.

• Mozart became very sick but still managed to compose music.

• Historians think he died of rheumatic fever; the treatment was blood-letting which only made the disease worse.

• He was buried from St. Stephen’s Church; there is no particular grave, since he was buried in a mass grave.

• Haydn sang at St. Stephen’s.

• There was a memorial service at Prague, Czech Republic, where more than 4,000 people attended the service.

• Constanza Weber was Mozart’s wife

• She was opera singer

• His father was against the marriage but they were happy together

• Their major problem though was money.

• KOCHEL: one of Mozart’s students who organized his music after Mozart died.

• Mozart’s compositions have “K” numbers.– Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K.622

• Numbers are usually in the order the composer wrote the music. In the 1800s, compositions would be numbered using Opus numbers.

Mozart’s Body of Work

• Operas: 21; only 18th century composer whose operas are still performed– The Marriage Of Figaro– The Magic Flute– Don Giovanni

• Piano Concertos: 28

• Symphonies: 41– His last 3 were composed in one summer 3 years

before his death

• Several Chamber Ensembles– Trios– Quartets– Quintets

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

1. What was Diderot’s accomplishment during the Age of Reason?

2. How did governments & church officials in Europe fight against the spread of the Enlightenment?

3. Why did the Enlightenment ideas pose a challenge to the established order in Europe?

4. Which philosopher believed that man was basically good?

5. What was the name of the “agreement” where people give up the natural state for an organized society?

6. What did Montesquieu believe about government?

7. What occasion did Haydn write the “Missa in Temporae Belli”?

8. What did Voltaire advocate?

9. Which 18th century composer’s operas are still performed today?

10. Why did Haydn call his last 12 symphonies the “London Symphonies”?

EXPLAIN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FOLLOWING.

1. Natural Rights

2. Ordinarium

3. Cadenza

4. Esterhazy

5. Philosophe

6. Virtuoso

7. Requiem mass

8. Kochel

9. Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser

10. The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute

DISCUSSION

1. Explain the background of the classical concerto.

• Explain the rite of the Christian mass including at least 3 parts of the Ordinarium. How does the requiem differ from the regular mass?– Kyrie– Gloria– Credo– Sanctus– Benedictus– Agnus Dei