The Classical Period 1750 1825 Instrumental Music

1
Lecture 11

• The Classical Period (1750 -1825) Instrumental
  Music

2
Classical Period

• Elements of Music
• Melody- Lyrical (song-like)
• Periodic (regular) phrasing
• Rhythm - Strong rhythms and regular meters
• Harmony - Diatonic
• Texture - Homophonic
• Form - Multimovement Sonata Cycle
• Expression - steady tempos, reserved dynamics
• Instrumentation - mature symphony orchestra

3
Sonata Form

• First Movement (fast)
• Sonata-Allegro form - "Dramatic Form" (Absolute
  music)
• Exposition Two themes or keys (Key Contrast),
  Tonic and another (usually dominant)
• two different characters in a play
• Development conflict caused by modulation away
  from tonic
• the plot thickens
• Recapitulation return to tonic key - conflict
  resolved
• they all lived happily ever after!
• Coda ending

4
Sonata Form

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts
• Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
• 1st Movement

5
Sonata FormMozartsEine Kleine Nachtmusik 1st
MovementListening

• Melody - 1st theme Disjunct
• 2nd theme conjunct
• Rhythm - Duple meter
• Harmony - Major
• Texture - Homophonic
• Form - Sonata Allegro
• Expression - Fast and lively
• Instrumentation - string octet

6
Sonata FormMozartsEine Kleine Nachtmusik 2nd
MovementListening

• Melody - conjunct
• Rhythm - Duple meter
• Harmony - Major
• Texture - Homophonic
• Form - Rondo
• Could also be Theme and Variations or simple ABA
• Expression - slow and quiet
• Instrumentation - string octet

7
Sonata FormMozartsEine Kleine Nachtmusik 3rd
MovementListening

• Melody - Disjunct - Conjunct trio
• Rhythm - Triple meter
• Harmony - Major
• Texture - Homophonic
• Form - Minuet-trio
• Expression - Stately and dance-like
• Instrumentation - string octet

8
Sonata FormMozartsEine Kleine Nachtmusik 4th
MovementListening

• Melody - 1st theme Disjunct
• 2nd theme conjunct
• Rhythm - Duple meter
• Harmony - Major
• Texture - Homophonic
• Form - Sonata Rondo
• ABABCABA
• Expression - Fast and lively
• Instrumentation - string octet

9
The Classical Symphony

• New Genre
• Symphony
• The most important genre of the age
• Multimovement cycle
• Four Movements the norm
• Absolute Music
• Instrumentation - full symphony Orchestra Winds,
  brass, strings and percussion

10
Viennese School composers

• Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809)Viennese
  composer
• Esterhazy family
• London Symphonies
• Symphony N0. 94 in G major (Surprise)
• Second Movement

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Haydn Symphony N0. 94 in G - Second
MovementListening

• Melody - Disjunct
• Rhythm - Duple meter (changes to compound and
  back)
• Harmony - Major (changes to minor and back)
• Texture - Homophonic
• Form - Theme and Variations
• Expression - slow tempo, expressive dynamics
• Instrumentation - Symphony Orchestra

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Assignment

• Read Chapters 35 37