The Classical Era

1750-1825
What is “Classical Music”?
Describe the thoughts and feelings you
experience when you hear the term
“Classical Music”.
“When I hear the term ‘Classical Music’, I
think/I feel…”
Well…
In actuality, the term “Classical” applies
only to aspects of art from a specific time
period (about 1750-1825 A.D.), so it’s
possible that we have been using incorrect
vocabulary for most of our lives…
 Goals
1. To become acquainted with the historical
context of the Classical period and how it affected
the development of music in the time period.
2. To become aware of the different styles of
music in use in the Classical period and of the
development of new forms.
3. To become able to describe some of the basic
characteristics of Classical music using
appropriate vocabulary terms.
 Terms
American revolution
French Revolution
Louisiana Purchase
Napoleonic Wars
War of 1812
Age of Reason
Nationalism
Symphony
String Quartet
Sonata
Theme and Variation
Aria
What was happening around
the world?
1751- Benjamin Franklin “discovers”
electricity.
1775-1781- American Revolution
1789- George Washington inaugurated
1789-1795- French Revolution
1803- The Louisiana Purchase
1804- Napoleon crowns himself Emperor.
1812-1814- War of 1812
1822- The Rosetta Stone is deciphered
Famous People of the Era

King Louis XIV of France

Napoleon Bonaparte of France
George Washington of America
Louis XIV
Napoleon
George Washington
Famous Classical Artists
Fransisco de Goya
John Constable
Eugene Delacroix
Jean-Honore Fragonard
What does the term
“Classical” mean?
From 1750 on artists, musicians, and
architects wanted to get away from
the opulence of the Baroque period
and move to emulate the clean,
uncluttered style of Classical Greece.
This period is called Classical because
of that desire to emulate the works of
the ancient Greeks.
Characteristics of the
Classical Period

Historians have labeled the time around

1650-1790 or so “The Age of
Enlightenment” or the “Age of Reason”.
The Enlightenment advocated reason as a
means to establishing an authoritative
system of aesthetics, ethics, government,
and even religion, which would allow human
beings to obtain objective truth about the
whole of reality.
The Church and Monarchs were no
longer the principle benefactors of the
arts due to the political upheaval in
Europe at the time.
The aristocracy were the main patrons
of the arts. They wanted impersonal
but tuneful music from their
composers. This led to the term
“absolute” music - which is music that
is written for music’s sake.
Most of the Classical artists of all
types were employed by various
wealthy patrons. Most of their
work was written as commissions,
including music.
The center of Classical music was
Vienna, which is where all of the major
composers lived and worked.
There was also a sense of Nationalism
(love of a specific country) growing in
many forms of art, including music.
Vienna
Musical Characteristics

Great attention to musical form

Use of dynamics as thematic material
Inclusion of percussion instruments
Strong sense of tension and release
Use of modulation (going to a new key)
Opera
Use of comic, witty and tuneful melodies
Invention of the modern Piano (1709), as well as
evolution of many other instruments
Music in Europe continued to evolve towards greater
sophistication:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJj49TikZxI as
evidenced by this Mozart work from 1776.
Music in America was growing in popularity and
influence in rousing the population to nationalistic
feelings, as shown in this Revolutionary War hit
“Chester”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7S_07E-9CA
 New Forms

Symphony
Sonata
String Quartets
Theme and Variations
The Symphony
An extended, multi-movement work for full
orchestra - usually 20 - 40 minutes in length.
Mastered by Franz Joseph Haydn - he wrote
104 of them.
Usually contains three or four movements
which contrast each other. In a four
movement symphony the order usually is a
fanfare type or fast opening movement,
followed by a slower movement. The third
movement is usually a dance, and the final
movement is fast.
The Symphony Orchestra
The Sonata Form
A one-movement piece for a solo instrument,
usually accompanied by a piano - as opposed
to a concerto, which is a multi-movement
piece accompanied by an orchestra.
There are three sections of a sonata-
 Exposition
 Development
 Recapitulation
All sonatas follow this form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7xPIye
PmNk
The String Quartet
A composition for four solo string instruments:
 2 Violins
 1 Viola
 1 Cello
Each part is equally important.
Haydn was the first to write one - he also mastered them.
“Father of the String Quartet”. His quartets were mostly
intended for background music at parties, so he often “snuck”
in ideas that would not be accepted in larger styles.
Piece usually has four movements similar to that of the
symphonic form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcrKzQ1_2R4
Opera
While opera was invented much earlier in
musical history, it was during this period and
the one that followed that many of the most
famous operas were written. One important
change in opera was that the libretto (the
storyline) was no longer expected to be just
about gods, heroes and legends. Three of
the most famous operas of this period are:
 The Magic Flute
 The Marriage of Figaro
 Don Giovanni
All of these operas were written by
Mozart.
A selection from “The Marriage of
Figaro”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B
LtqZewjwgA
Operas of the time were also famous
for arias, solos for expert singers
The Opera
 Theme and Variation
Taking an initial musical idea and
expanding on its potential.
This Mozart melody is a perfect example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDMv
velPXj0
Famous Classical Composers

Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-

1787)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-
1791)
Ludwig Von Beethoven (1770-
1827)
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Franz Joseph Haydn
 Haydn
Spent most of his life as a servant to the
Esterhazy family.
Father of the string quartet, master of the
symphony form (he wrote 104 symphonies!!).
Was a mentor to many young composers, earning
the affectionate nickname “Papa” Haydn.
“Surprise Symphony, No. 94”-written with a
musical joke to make audiences stay awake during
after-dinner concerts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOLy6JxED
Lw
In one summer, the Esterhazy family stayed longer
at their country estate than normal, so Haydn
composed a symphony in which the players each
blew out their candles one-by-one and left the
stage in the growing darkness as the music grew
softer. The head of the Esterhazy family took the
hint and sent all of the servants back to Vienna the
next day.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a son to
Leopold, an accomplished composer and
violinist.
Mozart and his sister—Nannerl—both
displayed early talents for performing, so
their father took them on concert tours of
the royal courts of Europe.
Mozart started composing at about age 4 and
had written a full symphony by age 8, an opera
by age 12, etc. In his life he composed over 600
works, including 18 masses, 10 operas, 27
piano concertos, and 41 symphonies.
Mozart resented the class system that kept him a
servant to nobles. He frequently argued with his
patrons and tried to become an independent
composer in Vienna…a situation that high society
was not ready to accept.
 Mozart
Mozart’s music was mostly light, elegant
and tuneful…quite easy to hum in most
cases!!
Mozart’s most well know works include the
melody we call “Twinkle, Twinkle Little
Star” and the waiting music in the
gameshow “Jeopardy”.
Mozart died young (age 35). His death
remains a mystery, though some have
speculated that his raucous lifestyle led to a
failing of his liver…being poor, he was
buried in a pauper’s grave.
Mozart’s influence on later composers was
so profound it is likely that the entire world
of music would have been different if
Mozart had lived longer and composed
more.
 Mozart Listening
“Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”—A Little Night
Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb_jQBgzU-I
In a famous scene from “The Shawshank
Redemption”, Mozart’s music helps prisoners
transcend the confines of blank walls…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bjqmg_7J53s
His last symphony, No. 41 “Jupiter”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK5295yEQ
MQ
Ludwig Von Beethoven
 Beethoven
Ludwig was born the son of a poor chorus singer.
His father was determined that Ludwig could be another
Mozart and make money for the family while still a young
boy. He forced Ludwig to practice many long hours and
would often come home late and wake the boy to give
impromptu concerts for he and his drunken friends.
Legend says that while still young, Ludwig travelled to
Vienna where he met Mozart for a music lesson. Mozart is
reputed to have said, “Keep your eye on him; one day he
will give the world something to talk about.”
Beethoven was as intense in his personal
life as he was in his music. He apparently
had affairs with many rich, influential
women. He also had a long battle with one
of his brothers over custody of his nephew.
The family rift was never healed.
Beethoven refused to be a servant to anyone
and made a comfortable living as an
independent composer. “Why bow to social
status?”--Beethoven
 Beethoven
Beethoven’s music is intense and seems initially
simple…usually just a few notes start a piece. His
genius lies in what he was able to do with just
those few notes.
Beethoven’s music also expressed more direct
emotion than had been favored by Classical era
patrons…until they heard his pieces performed,
then they too were swept away by the power of the
music.
Much of the growing passion in Beethoven’s
music could be attributed to his growing deafness.
His rage at losing his hearing just as his
compositional powers were at their height gave his
works even more power to affect the spirit of the
listener.
With works growing longer as well as more
expressive, Beethoven only wrote 9 symphonies.
His music actually helped create a welcoming
atmosphere for the emotional indulgences of the
music of the next time period.
 Beethoven

Moonlight Sonata
A masterpiece of simplicity
expanded into emotional
brilliance…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=OsOUcikyGRk
 Beethoven

Fur Elise
One of the most well-known pieces in
all of piano music…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO
_xjzHzHZ0
 Beethoven
Symphony 5, Movement 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM3y09RjKL
s
Listen as Beethoven uses just 4 notes to create an
entire movement of a symphony.
This was also the first symphony to use trombones
(they were usually reserved for masses and operas
because they were thought to have a sinister
sound).
 Beethoven
Symphony 6 “Pastorale”, Movement 1
This work evokes (calls to mind) the scenes
out of the window of a carriage during a
ride on a pleasant spring day…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcSuSk
4d6Gs
 Beethoven
Symphony 7, Movement 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbNGk
lNz8Yk
Listen as Beethoven uses just a few notes to
outline an entire movement by adding
subtle layers of sound (theme and
variation).
 Beethoven
Symphony 9
Considered by most music historians to be the
greatest musical work yet written by man.
The first movement begins with sounds that seem
to be the orchestra just warming up and tuning
their instruments, then the audience is struck by
chords of immense power.
Listen to a few minutes of the first movement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EC1tXCE3C
g
 Beethoven
Symphony 9, Movement 2
This movement includes a fugue worthy of Bach.
The movement was so popular that at the premier of the entire
symphony the crowd gave the 2nd movement a standing ovation.
Beethoven could not hear the applause (being completely deaf) and
kept trying to get the orchestra to start the 3rd movement. He grew
more furious as the players just sat there doing nothing until one of
them finally stood up and turned him around so that he could see the
audience already standing and cheering for just the 2nd movement out
of 4.
Of note are the sudden timpani hits, unheard of in the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn4lk8fRskA
 Beethoven
Symphony 9, Movement 3
Quietly passionate, it displays a reserve
unusual in this period of Beethoven’s life.
Listen to just a bit of it to get a chance to
rest your ears before the big finale…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2aEik
KiGcc
 Beethoven
Symphony 9, Movement 4
The first time this movement is encountered in a
classroom setting, it should be listened to in small
pieces over two or three days, both for its length
and for its variety of sounds.
The 4th movement starts with a musical “review”
of the previous three movements (something never
done before) before starting a new journey.
The piece proceeds in “normal” fashion for some
time before coming to a complete halt to introduce
a new element: singers (another first in a
symphony).
The section with singers includes several full
chorus moments as well as solos and quartets, etc.
The entire orchestra and chorus unite for an
outpouring of musical joy unlike any before or
since, bringing the work to a close that leaves
audiences roaring with approval.
4th Movement
 Beethoven
Symphony 9, 4th Movement
Choral words taken from Friedrich Schiller’s poem “Ode to Joy”
Joy, thou beauteous godly lighting,
Daughter of Elysium,
Fire drunken we are ent'ring
Heavenly, thy holy home!

Thy enchantments bind together,

What did custom's sword divide,*
Beggars are a prince's brother,*
Where thy gentle wings abide.

Chorus
Be embrac'd, ye millions yonder!
Take this kiss throughout the world!
Brothers—o'er the stars unfurl'd
Must reside a loving father.
Conclusions-the big
takeaway…
Many of the most famous composers in history come from this
era.
By 1825, the modern orchestra was almost fully in place
(except for the tuba and low woodwinds).
It was during this era that many of the most famous pieces of
music were written, including symphonies and operas.
Tracing the careers of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven also
parallels the development of the ideas of freedom in the world
in this time. Haydn was content to be a servant; Mozart
wanted to be independent but society was not ready for such a
thing, and Beethoven succeeded in being independent of any
need for the approval of nobles to make his music.