Classical Period - Part II

5.2

Composer, Patron, and Public in the Classical Period

Composers' Role in Society

• Social and political upheaval strongly affected musicians

• Slow emancipation of the composer

• Haydn (1732-1809) - Content with working for the aristocracy

• Mozart (1756-1791) - Hated working for royalty; Broke away from the court to work as a freelance composer but lost popularity and died in debt

• Beethoven (1770-1827) - Able to successfully work as an independent musician; nobility treated him as an equal

The Middle Class

• More people making more money

• The middle class can afford bigger homes, finer clothes, better food

• Wanted aristocratic luxuries: theater, literature music

• Public concerts with charged admission

• Music lessons for the children; if they were good enough they might be invited to perform at palaces and marry into royalty

The Middle Class's Taste in Music

• Composers considered the middle class when writing music

• Easy enough for amateurs to play and understand

• Opera: Serious stories about heroism and mythology ---> Comic stories about the middle class/common people; folklike tunes that the audience will remember

• Dance music becomes less elegant and courtly, more vigorous and rustic

• Serious works incorporated folk and popular music

Vienna

• Vienna becomes one of the musical centers of Europe during the classical period

• Becomes the fourth largest city in Europe

• Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven are drawn to this city to study and seek recognition

• Haydn and Mozart become friends and influence each other's style

• 16-year-old Beethoven arrives to play for Mozart; returns at 22 to study with Haydn

Vienna (cont.)

• Much music was heard in private concerts for the wealthy

• Nobility hired servants who could play musical instruments

• Outdoor music was common; light and popular in tone

• Street bands played at garden parties or under windows of people likely to throw them money

• Serenade or divertimento - Instrumental composition, light in mood, usually meant for outdoor evening entertainment (Haydn & Mozart wrote many)

Multiple Choice

Of the three composers mentions, who spent the majority of his life contently working for the aristocracy.

• Mozart

• Haydn

• Beethoven

Multiple Choice

This composer did not like working for royalty because he did not like to be treated as a servant. Therefore, he broke from his court position to try to make it as a freelance musician in Vienna.

• Beethoven

• Haydn

• Mozart

Multiple Choice

This composer spend the majority of his career as a successful freelance musician in Vienna and was so well-respected by the nobility, he was treated as an equal.

• Beethoven

• Mozart

• Haydn

Multiple Choice

During the classical period, the __________ begins to have more influence on music being composed.

• poor/lower class

• middle class

• aristocracy and royalty

Multiple Choice

The middle class wanted access to the same aristocratic luxuries such as __________.

• theater

• literature

• music

• all of these

Multiple Choice

This city became the fourth largest city in Europe and was one of the music centers during the classical period.

• Paris

• Venice

• London

• Vienna

Multiple Choice

An Instrumental composition, light in mood, usually meant for outdoor evening entertainment

• A) Sonata

• B) Serenade

• C) Divertimento

• D) Concerto

• E) Both B and C are correct

Open Ended

Briefly describe how opera changed in the classical era. Why was this so? (pp. 202-203)

5.3: Sonata Form

Sonata Redefined

• Baroque period - A multi-movement instrumental composition written for 1-8 musicians

• Classical period and beyond - A three-movement composition written for 1 or 2 instruments; each movement had a specific form to follow

Sonata Form (ABA)

The musical form of a single movement, consisting of three main sections: Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation. A concluding section called the coda often follows the recapitulation

Exposition (A)

• The main themes of the movement are presented

• A strong conflict between the first theme and the second theme

• Theme I --> Bridge (a transition) --> Theme II (different key that creates harmonic tension)

Development (B)

• The second section of the sonata form,

• The themes introduced in the exposition are developed, or treated in new ways

• Themes are broken up into fragments, or motives

• Existing themes can be combined with new ideas

• Tonality, or the key, changes throughout - causes harmonic tension

Recapitulation (A)

• The third section of the sonata form

• The themes presented in the exposition are presented more or less as they were at the beginning

• Theme II is now in the same key as Theme I (in other words, no key change)

Coda

• A concluding section following the recapitulation

• Rounds off the movement by repeating themes or developing them further

• Ends in the opening key (same tonality as the beginning)

Open Ended

Define the sonata form and its four components (pp. 204-206).

Example

Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550 (1788),

by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mvt IV: Allegro assai (very fast)

Sonata form, duple meter, G minor

Flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, 1st violins, 2nd violins, violas, cellos, double basses

Exposition

0:00 - 0:27 -- Theme I

0:28 - 1:00 -- Bridge

1:01 - 1:49 -- Theme II

This repeats before going to the development

Development

3:38 - 4:49

Recapitulation and Coda

4:49 - End