Download Classical Composers

Classical Unit
Classical music refers to music composed between 1750 and 1820
approximately.
Famous composers include Haydn, Mozart,
Beethoven and Schubert.
What is classical music? It is music that old people listen to or
old-fashioned music or is it something like Queens Bohemian
Rhapsody? It is neither. Old peoples music is not a fair
representation of Classical Music neither is music that is old
fashioned. Bohemian Rhapsody is a classic tune but it is not a
classical piece of music.
‘Classical’ mean having a well balanced structure of form, a clear
melodic line and nothing that is overdone or ‘showy’. Baroque
Music is highly decorated whereas classical music is much clearer.
In classical music you can hear each individual part and these
parts are no longer heavily decorated.
Baroque music had been mainly polyphonic (lots of parts played
simultaneously) often with a harpsichord playing in the
background. The texture in the classical period tended to be
clearer, lighter and less complicated and homophonic that is tunes
that were above a chordal accompaniment.
The classical period of music saw many developments in form and
structure.
The most important development included the
Symphony, Sonata, Solo Concerto and the String Quartet.
Classical period
Classical music refers to music composed between 1750 and 1810. Famous
composers include Haydn, Mozart, early Beethoven and Schubert.
The dates of 1750 and 1810 are not exact, the Baroque period did not end
over night and the classical start in the morning. There were signs that the
music was changing as far back as the 1730s. The Baroque trio Sonata began
to give way to the Classical Sonata; the Italian Overture, found in many
Baroque operas, grew into the Classical Symphony.
Some people refer to classical music as ‘old peoples’ music or ‘old fashioned
music’. It is very different to pop music or rock music.
Early Classical style is called style galant – a ‘courtly style’ which aimed
chiefly to please the listener. Later, the style matured to emphasis more
and more qualities associated with classical architecture: grace and beauty
of line (melody) and shape (the form or design used by a composer to build
up his music), proportion and balance, moderation and control. In particular,
the classical composer strikes a perfect balance in his music between
expressiveness and formal structure.
Baroque music had been mainly polyphonic often with a harpsichord playing in
the background. The texture in the classical period tended to be clearer,
lighter and less complicated and were homophonic – tunes above a chordal
accompaniment. You could hear what each part in the music was doing now
and the music was no longer overdone.
The classical period was mainly concerned with form and structure, and it
was in this time that many of the musical forms we hear today were
established. Some of these include Symphony, Solo Concerto, Sonata and
String Quartet.
The Orchestra
The orchestra, which had begun to take shape during the Baroque period,
now started to grow. The continuo was still being used but mainly to knit the
texture together. In time the continuo fell out of use and composers began
to use wind instruments, especially the horns, to bind the texture.
In the earlier part of the Classical period, orchestras were still small and
variable: a basis of strings, two horns were usually added, and one or two
flutes or a pair of oboes. Soon however, composers were including both
flutes and oboes, one or two bassoons, and occasionally two trumpets and a
pair of kettle drums. Clarinets found a regular place towards the end of the
18th century, and then making the woodwind section a self-contained section
of the orchestra.
The Baroque Orchestra:
Kettle Drums
French Horns
Oboes
Second Violins
First Violins
Violas
Harpsichord
Trumpets
Bassoons
Double Basses
Cellos
The Classical Orchestra:
Kettle Drums
French Horns
Flutes
Oboes
Second Violins
First Violins
Clarinets
Violas
Trumpets
Bassoons
Double Basses
Cellos
Main Styles and Forms
Styles
Forms
Concertos
Symphony
Chamber Music
Opera + Overture
Sonata
String Quartet
Binary
Ternary
Rondo
Minuet and Trio + Scherzo
Theme and Variations
Chamber Music
Concerto
Opera + Overture
Symphony
Sonata
String Quartet
Binary
Ternary
Minuet and Trio
Rondo
Scherzo
Theme & Variations
Classical Composers
Joseph Haydn 1732-1809
Haydn was born in Rohrau in 1732 and died in Vienna in 1809.
Specialist Genres: Symphonies, String Quartets, Opera,
Oratorios and Masses.
Major Works: 15 Surviving Operas; 104 Symphonies; Violin and
keyboard concertos; string quartets; keyboard sonatas;
chamber music and songs and 12 Masses
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791
Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756. He was 1 of 7 children to
a musical family.
Specialist Genres: Opera, Symphonies, Piano Concertos, String
Quartets and Church Music.
Major Works: Operas The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan tutte,
The Magic Flute, 21 piano concertos, 5 violin concertos,
concertos for clarinet and other wind instruments, 41
Symphonies, 24 String quartets and other chamber music and
17 Masses.
Ludwig Van Beethoven 1770-1827
Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770 and died in Vienna
in 1827.
Specialist Genres: Symphonies, Piano Concertos, String
Quartets and Piano Sonatas.
Major Works: 9 Symphonies, The Moonlight Sonata for
Piano, Diabelli Variations and 6 String Quartets.
Franz Schubert 1797-1828
Schubert was born on the 31st of January 1797 in
Vienna
Specialist Genres: Songs, piano music, symphonies
and chamber music.
Major Works: Symphonies No8 (Unfinished), No9
(The Great), Piano Quintet (The Trout), SongCycle Die Schone Mullerin and over 600 songs.
Classical Composers
Joseph Haydn 1732-1809
Haydn was born in Rohrau in 1732 and died in
Vienna in 1809. He was 1 of 12 children and at the
age of 6, his talent was noticed by family and
neighbours. A relative in Hamburg offered to
take Haydn as a boarder and start his musical
education. He sang in a choir at a young age and
started his compositional career early. He was
noticed by Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy who had
heard one of Haydn’s symphonies and immediately offered him a job. Haydn
accepted and started his career as composer in residence to the Esterhazy
family. He was treated fairly but was no more than a servant in the eyes of
the Esterhazy family. After the death of Prince Paul Anton, his brother
Prince Nikolaus became the successor and was much more socially ambitious,
resulting in Haydn having to compose much more music for his patrons
entertainment. He wrote Symphonies, Concertos, string quartets, trios and
a vast quantity of chamber music for the prince’s own instrument, the
archaic, a six-stringed baryton (similar to the viola d’amore).
By the 1780’s, Haydn’s international reputation was growing rapidly and his
compositions were slowly being published.
In 1790, Prince Nikolaus died which meant that Haydn could travel for the
first time. By 1791, he had travelled to London and was honoured with a
Doctor of Music from the Oxford University. He wrote twelve symphonies,
collectively known as the ‘London’ Symphonies, which were met with great
enthusiasm.
In his final years Haydn wrote masses for the new Prince, Prince Nikoluas
the II, and Oratorios. The increasingly frail composer made his last public
appearance at the performance of The Creation at Vienna to honour his 76th
birthday. He died in Vienna in 1809.
Specialist Genres: Symphonies, String Quartets, Opera, Oratorios and
Masses.
Major Works: 15 Surviving Operas; 104 Symphonies; Violin and keyboard
concertos; string quartets; keyboard sonatas; chamber music and songs and
12 Masses
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791
Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756. He was 1 of 7
children to a musical family. His father was a talented
violinist and an author of a successful book on violin
techniques. At the age of four Wolfgang began to
study Keyboard and composition with his father.
Mozart was close to his father and his father was a
very proud man, dragging Mozart around the courts of
Europe at an early age, making him play to any
aristocrat who would listen to him play Keyboard. His father encouraged him
to take up life in the excitements of Vienna instead of living a miserable
existence in Salzburg. His father Leopold was one of only a few who realised
Mozart’s unique gift.
Mozart travelled a lot to allow people to hear his talents. In 1769 he
received his first opera commission, this opera was performed at Christmas
of 1770. Mozart continued to travel and found himself in Paris, but his
efforts were not well received as he was unheard of.
Mozart worked as a Kappelmeister in Salzburg and continued to involve
himself in his court duties. In 1780 he was commissioned to write another
opera, this time his opera was a success, he was able to bring characters to
life and portray emotion in the music. Among his most successful operas
were Idomeno, The Marriage of Figaro and also Don Giovanni.
Mozart’s final years were littered with financial worry and failing health. By
1790 Mozart was very depressed. His attempts to form a substantial career
through freelance worked had failed. He died on the 5th of December in the
arms of his wife.
Specialist Genres: Opera, Symphonies, Piano Concertos, String Quartets and
Church Music.
Major Works: Operas The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan tutte, The Magic
Flute, 21 piano concertos, 5 violin concertos, concertos for clarinet and
other wind instruments, 41 Symphonies, 24 String quartets and other
chamber music and 17 Masses.
Ludwig Van Beethoven 1770-1827
Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770 and died in Vienna
in 1827. His father was an alcoholic bully who was
determined that Beethoven would turn into a child
prodigy like Mozart. Although Beethoven was a very
able pianist, he was known more for his improvisation
ability and compositions rather than his piano skills.
He arrived in Vienna in 1792 and was taught for a while
by Haydn, but he found little success in this. He made a
name for himself as a pianist with improvisatory skills.
By 1796 he had published some of his own works earning enough money to
buy his own apartment. He continued to compose and was known for pushing
the boundaries of conventional compositional techniques and to expand
Sonata form.
In the first of his nine symphonies he relied more on rhythm to drive his
music rather than lyrical themes. He developed short melodic fragments or
motifs which became prominent throughout the music. From the second
symphony onwards Beethoven replaced it with a faster, more dynamic and
rhythmic Scherzo.
Beethoven’s career was taking off around his 30th birthday but he was
forced to come to terms with the fact that he was going deaf. During a stay
in Heiligenstadt outside Vienna, Beethoven wrote a letter to his brothers
describing the misery he was facing as a result of his deafness. He
contemplated suicide but said ‘It seems impossible to leave the world before
I have accomplished all I am destined to do’. The letter was never sent, and
was found after his death.
Beethoven continued to compose music. In 1808 his fifth and sixth
symphonies were premiered. His fifth symphony is a progression from
tragedy to hope and has been interpreted as a representation of
Beethoven’s struggle against misfortune, and is one of the first symphonic
works to recycle thematic material between movements. By 1818, Beethoven
was completely deaf, although he continued to compose. By 1826 he was a
heavy drinker and suffered from liver disease, he died in 1827 and was laid
to rest in front of 10,000 people.
Specialist Genres: Symphonies, Piano Concertos, String Quartets and Piano
Sonatas.
Major Works: 9 Symphonies, The Moonlight Sonata for Piano, Diabelli
Variations and 6 String Quartets.
Franz Schubert 1797-1828
Schubert was born on the 31st of January 1797.
His father taught him how to play piano and he
also learnt to play the viola. Together with his
father and brothers, they made up a string
quartet. Schubert attended school where he won
a scholarship, he had daily musical lessons and
played in the school orchestra. By the time he
left at 16 he had already composed a substantial quantity of music.
Schubert spent sometime as a teacher and met and fell in love with a singer
named Therese Grob. He then began writing songs and these early efforts
marked the beginning of a lifelong involvement with poetry and particular
poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
The next year saw Schubert compose 150 songs with many of them being
settings of Goethe’s texts. A friend of Schubert’s sent Goethe some of the
settings and asked permission to dedicate them to him but Goethe hated his
works being set to music.,
Schubert left the family home in 1816 continuing to set poems to music and
also writing seven piano sonatas heavily influenced by Beethoven. He also
wrote symphonies in this period whilst teaching during his time as a music
teacher to the daughters of Count Esterhazy.
His time in Vienna was carefree and full of socialising with a close knit group
of friends. He liked to take walks and get inspiration from his surroundings.
He began to receive public recognition however, he had no experience of
business matters and rashly sold his ten volumes of songs.
In 1823, Schubert became ill, he continued to compose however. In his last
four years, Schubert had to struggle with depression and his illness. His
compositions became frantic and his ninth symphony was declared unplayable
due to the unstoppable rhythmic pulse. The works of these years included
chamber music, piano sonatas and piano trios.
Schubert continued to compose songs until the end of his life. He died of
Typhus in November 1828 at the age of 31.
Specialist Genres: Songs, piano music, symphonies and chamber music.
Major Works: Symphonies No8 (Unfinished), No9 (The Great), Piano Quintet
(The Trout), Song-Cycle Die Schone Mullerin and over 600 songs.
Classical or Baroque?
Listen to the following two excerpts and answer the questions that follow.
1. Which excerpt features a piece of Baroque music?
Excerpt 1
or
Excerpt 2
2. Which except features a piece of Classical Music?
Excerpt 1
or
Excerpt 2
3. Which style, Baroque or Classical, is mainly polyphonic, and which style is
mainly homophonic (tune with accompaniment)?
Baroque music is
in style
Classical music is
in style
4. Classical music is lighter in style, clearer in texture and doesn’t follow a
polyphonic texture.
TRUE
or
FALSE?
5. What are the main differences between the two orchestras, and the ways
in which their composers use them?
Symphony
What is a Symphony?
During the classical period many composers wrote Symphonies for full
orchestra. The word symphony actually means ‘Sounding together’ and comes
from the Italian Overture which had three contrasting sections – Quick,
Slow, Quick. A symphony is really a kind of Sonata for orchestra.
Most symphonies are made up of four separate movements, each with a
different character. The movements are often set out in the following way.
First Movement: at a fast pace. Written in what is known as Sonata form –
that is, three main sections which are Exposition, Development and
Recapitulation.
Second Movement: at a slow pace. Perhaps in Ternary (three part) design,
or Theme and Variations; or even Sonata form again. Often described as
‘Song like’.
Third Movement: Mozart and Hayden wrote a Minuet and Trio at this point.
Beethoven and many later composers preferred to write a Scherzo and Trio
at a faster pace and was vigorous and brisker. (Scherzo means a ‘joke’)
Fourth Movement: Finale. At a fast pace and was often light-hearted in
mood. Rondo (ABACA…); or Sonata form; or a mixture of the two.
Sometimes, Theme and Variations.
Of course, this basic pattern may be varied to suit the desire of the
composer. For instance, there may be a slow introduction to the first
movement, or the Scherzo may come before the slow movement. Movements
making up the symphony would contrast well with each other in pace and
mood.
Mozart and Haydn enriched and perfected the symphony during the second
half of the classical period. Besides replacing the minuet with the Scherzo,
he made other changes. He increased the time scale of the Symphony and
also its range of expression and dramatic impact. In movements in Sonata
form he lengthened both the development section and the coda (sometimes
the development section). He also expanded the size of the orchestra,
especially in his last symphony (No. 9) which introduces voices and mixed
chorus in the final movement.
Concerto
A large work for ORCHESTRA (I1) and soloist in 3 movements (or sections).
The movements usually follow the structure “fast-slow-fast”.
Listen to the 3rd movement from Mozart’s Horn Concerto in Eb. This
movement is in RONDO (I1) form- the main THEME (I1) keeps “coming
round”, with contrasting themes heard in between. We can show this
structure by ABACA.
1.
The main theme A, first played by the horn, then by the orchestra. The
horn joins in again towards the end.
2.
The first contrasting theme B. Later listen for hunting-like
FANFARES (I1) from the horn and other instruments.
3.
4.
Theme A comes round again.
The second contrasting theme C. Each phrase is begun by the horn,
then completed by the strings. A linking passage with more horn
fanfares follows.
5.
Theme A comes round for the last time.
6.
A CODA (I2) ends the movement.
Symphony
A large work for ORCHESTRA (A3) in 4 movements (or sections). The
movements follow the structure of:
1.
Fast – usually in SONATA FORM. (H)
2.
Slow – often in TERNARY FORM (I1)
3.
MINUET & TRIO (I1) or in later symphonies – SCHERZO (I2)
4.
Fast – could be RONDO (I1), SONATA FORM (H) or THEME &
VARIATIONS (I1)
SONATA FORM (H)
Although sonata form and its related concepts are all Higher level, some
knowledge of the form is required to listen effectively to symphonies.
EXPOSITION
Theme A in the “home” or tonic key
Bridge passage (changing key or MODULATING)
Theme B in a different key
DEVELOPMENT
Material is developed (SEQUENCES (A3)
IMITATION (I1), MODULATION (I1) etc.)
RECAPITUALTION
Theme A in the “home” key
Bridge passage – altered to lead to……
Theme B now in the “home” key
CODA (I2)
Listen to the 1st Movement from Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik for string
orchestra. This work is like a miniature symphony in that it follows the 4movement form. This movement is in Sonata Form. Follow the music on pages
32-33 of Enjoying Music Book 3.
Note the following concepts.
Bars 16-17 SEQUENCES (A3)
Bars 18-19 SEQUENCES (A3)
Bars 6, 8, 18, 19 etc.
ORNAMENTS (I1) / TRILLS (I2)
Bars 9-10 ORNAMENTS (I1) / APPOGGIATURA (H)
Bars 1-4 & 56-59 QUESTION (A1) ANSWER (A1)
Bar 73
CHROMATIC
(I1)
Bars 1-2
BROKEN CHORD (A3)
Bars 20 –22 CRESCENDO (I1)
Intermediate One
Music Listening
Classical and Baroque
End of Unit Assessment
1. You will hear a number of excerpts with questions to
answer. Attempt all questions.
2. For some questions you will be asked to tick one box or two
boxes. Read each question carefully.
3. The second half of the test features questions that do not
require any music to listen too. You can work at your own
pace. Be clear with your answers and try not to worry about
spelling, as long as I can make out what you mean!
MARK
Baroque Music
Q.1. Listen to this excerpt.
Identify the instruments you hear from this excerpt.
Q.2 Listen to this excerpt.
Identify two features present in the music.
Tick one box from each column.
Column A
Piano
Column B
Trill
Harpsichord
Ostinato
Trumpet
Homophonic
Q.3 Listen to this excerpt.
Tick one box to identify the key.
Music changes from ….
Major to minor
Minor to major
Minor throughout
Major throughout
Q.4 Identify two features present in the music.
Imitation
Recitative
Polyphonic
Homophonic
Q.6 Listen to this excerpt and identify the style of the music.
Tick one box.
Aria
Recitative
Duet
Chorus
Q.7 Listen to this excerpt and identify the style of the music.
Tick one box.
Aria
Recitative
Duet
Chorus
Q.8 Listen to this excerpt and identify the style of the music.
Tick one box.
Aria
Recitative
Duet
Chorus
Classical Music
Q.1 Listen to this excerpt. Tick one box to identify the key.
Organ
Trumpet
Horn
Oboe
Q.2 Listen to this excerpt. Identify two features present in the music.
Tick one box from each column.
Column A
Oboe
Column B
Symphony
Harpsichord
Concerto
Trumpet
Sonata
Q.3 Listen to the following excerpt. Identify the feature present in the
music. Tick one box.
Sequence
Repetition
Syncopation
Change of Key
Q.4 This question asks you to identify whether you are listening to a
Symphony or a Concerto. Tick one box each time.
a) Symphony
or
Concerto
b) Symphony
or
Concerto
c) Symphony
or
Concerto
d) Symphony
or
Concerto
Q.5 This questions concerns groups of instruments. Choose from the
following concepts to correctly identify the group playing.
a) Orchestra
String Quartet
Soloist + Orchestra
b) Orchestra
String Quartet
Soloist + Orchestra
c) Orchestra
String Quartet
Soloist + Orchestra
Section Three
The next section will have no musical excerpts to support the question. You
must recall upon previous knowledge in order to answer the questions.
1.
Name 2 composers from the Baroque period.
and
2. Homophonic describes music from the Baroque Period.
TRUE
or
3.
4.
5.
6. Name 2 composers from the classical period.
and
FALSE
7. Decide which sentence best describes polyphony.
Music that is clear with one melodic line
Music that is unclear with many melodic lines
8. Write a definition of CONCERTO.
9. In what way did the Orchestra expand during the classical period?
10. Name the four instruments that make up a String Quartet.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Classical or Baroque?
Listen to the following two excerpts and answer the questions that follow.
1. Which excerpt features a piece of Baroque music?
Excerpt 1
or
Excerpt 2
2. Which except features a piece of Classical Music?
Excerpt 1
or
Excerpt 2
3. Which style, Baroque or Classical, is mainly polyphonic, and which style is
mainly homophonic (tune with accompaniment)?
Baroque music is
in style
Classical music is
in style
4. Classical music is lighter in style, clearer in texture and doesn’t follow a
polyphonic texture.
TRUE
or
FALSE?
5. What are the main differences between the two orchestras, and the ways
in which their composers use them?