1. Classical Era

2. Viennese Classical Style
Age of Enlightenment
Age of Reason

3. Definition of Classic Two Definitions
General: pertaining to the highest order of excellence in literature and the arts
Specific: pertaining to the culture of ancient Greek and Romans
A “classic” exhibits values that are timeless and universal
Classical versus pop, rock, folk, jazz, ethnic, world music

4. The Times Fascination with ancient Greek and Roman civilizations
Philosophical and political ferment led to revolutions
French ( ) and American ( )
Rise of the middle class
Spread of literacy
Life for the middle class still depended on lower class servants
Industrial Revolution
Scientific Advancements
Intellectual Revolution
Humanistic Writings/Philosophical Debate

5. Geographical Center
Vienna, Austria

6. Visual Arts
Rococco
18th century style characterized by less symmetry and increasingly more ornamented and fluid style

7. Neoclassical Reaction against Rococco style
Looked back to the linear qualities of ancient Greek and Roman architecture

8. Artist Life
18th-century artist generally functioned under the system of aristocratic patronage
Socially, little better than a servant
Patronage system gave the artist economic security and a social framework
Artistic Patrons: middle class patrons, court, church

9. Musical Genres
Vocal
Instrumental

10. Vocal Genres
Mass
Motets
Opera
Oratorio
Art Song

11. Instrumental Genres
Symphony – four movements: fast, slow, minuet and trio, fast
Solo Concerto – three movements: fast, slow, fast
String Quartet – chamber music genre, four instruments: two violins, viola, cello
Sonata – typically for piano, teaching piece

12. Classical Orchestra
Blending of the four instrumental families: strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion
30 to 40 players
Established gradual dynamics (Mannheim crescendo)
Piano was the favored accompaniment/solo instrument. Alberti Bass was the favored accompaniment texture.

13. Musical Elements
Melody
Harmony
Rhythm
Texture
Dynamics
Form

14. Melody: vocal in conception, symmetrical (question/answer), typically four to eight measures in length
Harmony: tonal
Rhythm: simple and metered
Texture: homophonic (with some polyphony)
Dynamics: gradual

15. Form Sonata Allegro: an outgrowth of binary form
Exposition: use of two contrasting themes, a bridge theme and an ending theme, section is repeated
Development: develops themes and rhythms
Recapitulation
||:Exposition:|| Development || Recapitulation ||
Theme 1 Theme 1
Theme 2 Theme 2
A B A

16. Theme and Variation
Theme is varied by the elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, timbre, dynamics)
Minuet and Trio
Utilizes binary form, ¾ time signature

17. Rondo
Utilizes a section of music that alternates with new music
ABACA

18. Composers Franz Joseph Haydn Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ludwig von Beethoven

19. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 40,
First Movement

20. Franz Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 2
“Surprise”
Second Movement

21. Ludwig von Beethoven String Quartet in c minor Fourth Movement
Rondo form

22. Romantic Era (1820 – 1900)

23. The Times Age of … Historical Influences Literature Visual Arts
Other Writers
Musical Culture

24. Age of …..
Age of Extremes
Age of Unending Lyricism

25. Historical Influences
Looking back to the Medieval Era
“Roman” – a French medieval novel about romance, chivalry
French Revolution: liberty, quality, brotherhood

26. Literature Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805)
Philosophical papers on ethics and aesthetics
Plays
Ode to Joy

27. Victor Hugo ( )
French poet and playwright
Les Miserables

28. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) British novelist Concern for social reform
Oliver Twist A Christmas Carol A Tale of Two Cities

29. Visual Arts Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863)
Leader of the French Romantic School
Liberty Leading the People

31. Francisco Goya (1746-1828) Spanish painter
Considered the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns
Satan Devouring His Son

33. Other Writers Scientific writings Philosophical writings
Ethical writings
Aesthetic writings

34. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) British naturalist Natural selection
On the Origin of Species

35. Karl Marx (1818-1883) German philosopher, social scientist
political theorist

36. Musical Culture Stressed emotion, imagination, individuality
Composers moved from patronage to free agent, composers wrote for their own social class
Formation of the orchestra and instruments (influence of Industrial Revolution)
Emergence of the conductor
Public concerts/subscription concerts
Conservatories founded
Public captured by virtuosity; which centered on a virtuosic performer
Music was seen as a means of expression

37. Music in the Romantic Era
Characteristics
Musical Elements
Composers

38. Characteristics Individuality Expressive Aims and Subjects
Nationalism and Exoticism
Program Music/Absolute Music

39. Musical Elements Melody Harmony Unending melody
Longer, more irregular in length
Themes more complex and chromatic
Theme transformation
Harmony
Basically tonal
Chromaticism stretches the harmonic sound resulting in greater tension

40. Rhythm Dynamics Metric Use of effects, especially rubato
Articulation is heavy
Uses emotional designations: allegro agitato, con amore
Dynamics
Wide range
Use of extreme dynamics
Gradual

41. Instrumentation/Timbre
Texture
Essentially homophonic
Sonority is thick, heavy and lush
Instrumentation/Timbre
70 or more in the orchestra
Full exploration of the instrument and its range
Instruments were used for both their individual timbre and for their collective color potential
Instruments used to convey mood and atmosphere (emotional expression)
Woodwinds improved by better fingering system “Boehm”
Valves introduced into Brass – first time these instruments could play a full chromatic compass
Saxophone, baritone and tuba invented by Adolf Sax
Piano became the standard keyboard instrument

42. Form
Stretching of the Classical era forms: sonata-allegro, rondo, theme and variation, minuet and trio
Genres
Absolute (abstract music): symphony, concerto, sonata, string quartet
Program: program symphony, tone poem (Strauss), symphonic poem (Liszt), opera, music drama (Wagner), art song
Genres are both large works and small, miniature works called character pieces

43. Composers Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) German composer and pianist
Transitional figure between the Classical and Romantic eras
Symphony No. 5
first movement

44. Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) Polish composer Virtuosic pianist
Composed only for piano
Etude

45. Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) French symphonist
Known for his orchestration techniques
Symphonie Fantastique
Movement 4

46. Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884) Czech nationalist composer Má Vlast
The Moldau

47. Other Composers Johannes Brahms Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Franz Liszt
Robert Schumann
Felix Mendelssohn
César Franck
Giuseppe Verdi
Giacomo Puccini
Franz Schubert
Richard Wagner