Download Baroque and Classical Music Era

“Baroque and Classical Music Era” - Study Unit and Quiz
For this music unit we will use the following website:
http://www.dsokids.com/listen/composerlist.aspx
Compositions for unit and to study for quiz:
“Spring” (1st Movement) from The Four Seasons - Vivaldi
“Toccata and Fugue in D minor” - Bach
“Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” – Mozart
“Symphony No. 5” (1st Movement) - Beethoven
Baroque Music Era dates – 1600-1750
Classical Music Era dates – 1750-1820
Composer #1 - Antonio Vivaldi
*Featured composition – “Spring” (1st Movement) from The Four Seasons
Dates
Born March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy
Died July 28, 1741 in Vienna, Austria
Nationality
Italian
Style/Period
Baroque 1600-1750
Famous Works
Choral - Gloria, Chamber Music - The Four Seasons
Bio
Nicknamed the "Red Priest" because of his red hair, Vivaldi was trained in music by his
father. He was allowed to discontinue his priestly duties in 1704 because of ill health, but continued
to pursue a musical career. He became head of the Conservatory of the Ospedale della Pieta which
housed over 6,000 orphaned girls. Music was an integral part of their training at the Conservatory
and Vivaldi wrote over 400 concertos for his students.
His personality was one of contrasts - quickly changing from irritated to very calm. His music
reflected this trait. It also showed contrasts in dynamics, harmony and varied rhythms. The Four
Seasons was his most popular work, for which he wrote sonnets to match the seasons.
Composer #2 - Johann Sebastian Bach
*Featured composition – “Toccata and Fugue in D minor”
Dates
Born March 21, 1685 in Eisenach, Germany
Died July 28, 1750 in Leipzig, Germany
Nationality
German
Style/Period
Baroque 1600-1750
Famous Works
The Well Tempered Clavier, St. Matthew Passion, B-Minor Mass and St. John Passion
Bio
Bach once had to spend a month in jail because he tried to quit his job composing and playing
for a duke. During that month in jail, he wrote forty-six pieces of music, many of which are still
performed today.
Bach, a dazzling organist and church musician, had to compose all kinds of original pieces for
every church service including pieces for choir, organ, harpsichord and orchestra. Since most of his
music was written to be performed in a church service only once and then thrown out, very little of
his music was published during his lifetime. It was for this reason that Bach composed more music
than almost any other composer. However, his musical genius was not recognized until about 100
years after his death.
Bach was famous for his music and for something else - Bach had twenty children! Five were
named Johann, two Johanna and four grew up to become famous composers. He may be
remembered long after other composers because in 1977, the Voyager spacecraft was launched into
space carrying recordings of three pieces by Bach.
Composer #3 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
*Featured composition – “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”
Dates
Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria
Died December 5, 1791 in Vienna, Austria
Nationality
Austrian
Style/Period
Classical 1750-1820
Famous Works
Mozart wrote over 600 works during his lifetime, including 41 symphonies, Eine Kleine
Nachtmusik, and 27 piano concertos. Three of his most famous operas include The Marriage of
Figaro, The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni. He is also famous for his Requiem mass.
Bio
Mozart was no doubt the greatest child star that ever lived. He was traveling all over Europe
playing music by the time he was six. Because of his constant travels, Mozart eventually learned to
speak fifteen different languages.
He wrote his first sonata for the piano when he was four and composed his first opera when
he was twelve! Mozart could compose anywhere - at meals (he loved liver dumplings and
sauerkraut), while talking to friends, while playing pool and even while his wife was having a baby. He
composed very quickly and wrote huge amounts of music. It would take over 8 days to play all of his
music, one piece after the next, without stopping. One famous piece that he wrote was Variations on
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
One night a mysterious stranger came to his door dressed in gray to hire Mozart to write a
requiem mass (a piece of music that choirs perform at funerals). Mozart, who was very afraid of
ghosts and extremely superstitious, was terrified of the stranger who kept nagging him to finish the
piece. He was already ill, and in his state of mind he became convinced that he was writing music for
his own funeral.
During his lifetime, Mozart was very well-known but spent money faster than he could earn it.
He was poor and in debt when he died of kidney failure at the age of 35 and was buried in an
unmarked grave. Mozart is considered by some to be the greatest composer who ever lived. While
most composers specialize in certain kinds of pieces, Mozart created masterful works for almost
every category of music - vocal music, concertos, chamber music, symphonies, sonatas, and opera.
Composer #4 - Ludwig van Beethoven
*Featured composition – “Symphony #5” (1st Movement)
Dates
Born December 16, 1770 in Bonn, Germany
Died March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria
Nationality
German
Style/Period
Classical 1750-1820
Famous Works
Symphonies 1 through 9, Moonlight Sonata, Fur Elise, Fidelio, and Missa Solemnis
Bio
Beethoven grew up in Bonn, Germany in a very unhappy home. He was forced to practice the
piano by his father, an abusive alcoholic who would punish him mercilessly when he made mistakes.
By the time he was twelve, he was earning a living for his family by playing organ and composing. He
was eventually known as the greatest pianist of his time. One of Beethoven's favorite foods was
macaroni and cheese. He also loved strong coffee - exactly 60 coffee beans to one cup.
Beethoven never married even though he proposed to plenty of women who rejected him (he
wasn't very attractive and he had a rather nasty temper). Yet in spite of his unpleasant personality,
Beethoven is best defined by his music.
His first two symphonies are very much in the same style and form as those of composers
that came before him, most notably Franz Joseph Haydn, his teacher. But Beethoven's writing--as
seen in his third symphony--had developed beyond that of his teacher. Named Eroica, his Third
Symphony was so different from the ones that had come before that it changed music forever. Its
originality and innovation even inspired others to change the way that they composed. It was
originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte. But when Beethoven heard that Napoleon had
proclaimed himself Emperor, he went into a rage and destroyed the title page.
Although Beethoven gradually lost his hearing, he continued composing. He composed many
of the most famous musical works of all time, such as his Ninth Symphony, after he had become
totally deaf.