The Classical Era

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The Classical Era

• 1750-1825

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What was happening around the world?

• 1751- Benjamin Franklin discovers electricity.
• 1775-1781- American Revolution
• 1781- Uranus discovered.
• 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

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French Revolution

• 1789-1795
• Political reformation of France where they
  abolished the monarchy.
  
• Based on Enlightenment Principles and Nationalism

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Industrial Revolution

• Period in late 1700s and early 1800s
• Major changes in agriculture, manufacturing and
  transportation
  
• Had a profound effect on socioeconomic and
  cultural conditions.
  
• First in Europe (Britain) and then in North
  America.
  

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Famous People of the Era

• King Louis XIV of France
• Napoleon Bonaparte of France
• George Washington of America

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Louis XIV
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Napoleon
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George Washington
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Famous Classical Artists

• Fransisco de Goya
• John Constable
• Eugene Delacroix
• Jean-Honore Fragonard

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De Goya
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Constable
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Delacroix
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Fragonard
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Characteristics of the Classical Period

• From 1750 on artists, musicians, and architects
  wanted to get away from the strange 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.

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Characteristics of the Classical Period

• 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 musics sake.

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Characteristics of the Classical Period

• All of the Classical composers were employed by
  various wealthy patrons. Much of their music was
  written for parties, ceremonies, or simply as a
  commission for a new work.
• 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 in the
  compositions.

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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
• Opera didnt change much from Baroque
• Use of comic and witty melodies

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Musical Innovations

• Symphonic form
• Sonata form
• String Quartets
• Huge popularity of the Opera
• Invention of the modern Piano, as well as many
  other instruments
  
• Theme and Variations

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The Symphonic Form

• Mastered by Franz Joseph Haydn - he wrote 104 of
  them.
  
• An extended work for orchestra - usually 20 - 40
  minutes in length.
  
• 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.

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The Symphonic Orchestra
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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.

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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.
  
• Piece usually has four movements similar to that
  of the symphonic form.

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Opera

• During the Classical era some of the most famous
  operas ever performed were written.
  
• The Magic Flute
• The Marriage of Figaro
• Don Giovanni
• All of these operas were written by Mozart.
  Beethoven, Haydn and Schubert has no success with
  writing operas.
  
• The only thing that really changed from the
  Baroque to Classic period was the broader range
  of instruments, and melodic style.

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The Opera
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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)

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Christoph Willibald Gluck
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Christoph Willibald Gluck

• Famous as an opera composer
• Gluck brought about reform of operas dramatic
  practices.
  
• Gluck moved to Paris and was the first to fuse
  French opera and Italian opera together.

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 1791) was born in
  Salzburg Austria.
  
• He was the son of Leopold Mozart a famous
  composer and violinist.
  
• He was a musical prodigy.
• Mozart began composing at the age of 5.

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• By the time Mozart was 13 he had already written
  several concertos, symphonies, and operas.
  
• Mozart's music was very simplistic and light in
  nature. His melodies were elegant and
  song-like.
  

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• Mozart was especially known for his operas. He
  would compose mostly comic operas like Marriage
  of Figaro and Don Giovanni.
  
• Mozart wrote chamber music, mostly for string
  quartet, 18 Masses, 10 operas, 27 piano
  concertos, and 40 Symphonies.
  

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• Mozart composed music up until the last weeks of
  his life. As he was dying, he was being cheered
  for his last opera The Magic Flute.
  
• Mozart died young before his 36th birthday.
• The cause of Mozarts death is unknown, although
  many think it was caused by eating undercooked
  pork.
  

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Listening No. 1

• Title Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
• Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Genre String quartet
• Period Classical (1787)

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Listening No. 2

• Title In Diesen Heiligen Hallen from
• Zauberfloete Magic Flute
• Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Genre Opera Aria
• Period Classical (1791)

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Franz Joseph Haydn
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Franz Joseph Haydn

• Haydn was born in Austria
• He was a talented boy soprano
• Moved to Vienna when he was 18 to teach music.
• 1761 he entered the service of the Esterhazys.
  A royal wealthy Hungarian family were he remained
  and wrote most of his works.
  

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Franz Joseph Haydn

• Haydn is most known for his contributions to the
  symphony.
  
• He would write 104 before he died including his
  most famous No. 94 in F major. Surprise Symphony

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Listening No. 3

• Title Symphony No. 94 in G Major
• Surprise Symphony
• Composer Joseph Haydn
• Genre Symphony
• Period Classical (1792)

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Ludwig Von Beethoven
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Ludwig Von Beethoven

• (1770 1827)
• Born in Bonn, Germany
• Beethovens father was an abusive alcoholic
• Beethoven was forced to support his mother and
  sisters at a very early age.
  

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Ludwig Von Beethoven

• First music position was as an assistant organist
  at age 11.
  
• At 17, Beethoven went to Vienna and played piano
  improvisations for Mozart who was extremely
  impressed.
  
• The first decade of his career was very
  successful with aristocracy paying lots of money
  to hear and take lessons from him.
  

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Ludwig Von Beethoven

• Beethoven began to lose his hearing in his
  late-twenties.
  
• By the time Beethoven was 34 he was completely
  deaf.
  
• Beethoven wrote many of his works with out ever
  hearing them.
  
• Scientist now believe that the cause of his
  deafness was due to high levels of lead exposure.
  

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Ludwig Von Beethoven

• Beethoven is most famous for his 9 symphonies.
• His 9th was the first to incorporate choral
  singing with orchestra in a symphony.
  
• Beethoven wrote several concertos and piano
  sonatas.
  
• His one opera, Fidelio, was not very successful
  when he wrote it, but is widely performed now.

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Ludwig Von Beethoven

• Beethovens vocal works were mostly sacred in
  nature.
  
• Beethoven wrote one mass and several songs for
  piano and solo voice.
  
• Beethoven died extremely famous at the age of 57
  due to a severe case of edema.
  
• His casket was carried through the streets of
  Vienna.
  

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Ludwig Von Beethoven
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Ludwig Von Beethoven
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Listening No. 4

• Title Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor
• Moonlight Sonata
• Composer Ludwig Von Beethoven
• Genre Piano Sonata
• Period Classical (1801)

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Listening No. 5

• Title Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor
• Composer Ludwig Von Beethoven
• Genre Symphony
• Period Classical (1808)

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Franz Schubert
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Instruments of the Classical Period

• Modern Flute
• Clarinet
• French Horn
• Valved Trumpet
• Trombone
• Percussion
• Piano

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Modern Flute
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Clarinet
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French Horn
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Valved Trumpet
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Trombone
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Percussion
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Piano
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Vienna
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Versailles
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Conclusions

• Most 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.