Renaissance

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Gott im Himmel! Today I am a classic composer
Classic Period Begins Today
Classic Period Begins Today
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Classical

• clas-si-cal / klas-i-k?l
• According to Websters New Collegiate Dictionary
• 1. of or relating to the ancient Greek and Roman
  world and esp. to its literature, art,
  architecture, or ideals
• 2. versed in the classics
• 3. of or relating to music of the late 18th and
  early 19th centuries characterized by an emphasis
  on simplicity, objectivity and proportion

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Classical

• 1750 - 1820

Social, political and economic conditions led
many countries to abolish monarchies
Reason, tolerance, hope, knowledge and justice
replaced power, repression, despair, ignorance,
and political abuse
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Classical

• 1750 - 1820

Classicists believe in universal values which led
to statements such as When in the course of
human events it becomes necessary for one people
to dissolve the political bands which have
connected them with another. . .
The freedoms and rights that we enjoy and take
for granted today grew out of the convictions and
beliefs of the late 1700s. The dominance of any
group or person by another was not tolerated.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that
all Men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the
Pursuit of Happiness. . .
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Classical

• 1750 - 1820

Thomas Jefferson may be considered the prototype
of the classical man intelligent and well
educated, he was a linguist, scientist,
mathematician, architect, musician and statesman.
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Classical

• History

1750 Over a million people live in colonial
America 1751 The Minuet becomes Europes
fashionable dance 1752 Benjamin Franklin flies a
kite during a thunderstorm to prove that
lightning is electricity. 1756 Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart is born 1757 Whale oil street lamps,
designed by Benjamin Franklin, are installed on a
few streets in Philadelphia. 1757 First public
concert in Philadelphia 1759 Händel
dies 1761 Haydn is appointed Kapellmeister to
Prince Paul Esterhazy 1762 Benjamin Franklin
improves the harmonica turning it into a viable
musical instrument 1762 Mozart (age 6) tours
Europe as a musical prodigy 1764 Mozart (age 8)
writes his first symphony 1766 British Parliament
repeals the Stamp Act after American colonists
stop buying British goods in protest against the
taxes. 1770 Ludwig van Beethoven is born 1776 On
July 4TH the Continental Congress approves the
Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas
Jefferson. 1777 United States Congress adopts the
American flag of thirteen alternating red and
white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue
background. 1778 Beethoven is presented by his
father as being a six year old prodigy. (Hes
eight.)
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Classical

• History

1783 The American Revolution officially ends
when the United States and Britain sign the
Treaty of Paris. 1789 George Washington becomes
the first president of the United
States. 1790 First musical competition in
America 1791 The Bill of Rights becomes part of
the United States Constitution. 1793 Eli Whitney
invents his cotton gin. 1794 After more than a
hundred years, white-powdered hair goes out of
fashion for men. 1797 John Chapman, known as
"Johnny Appleseed," begins planting apple seeds
along the Ohio Valley. 1803 The United States
more than doubles its size after buying over
820,000 square miles of land from the French
government. It is known as the Louisiana
Purchase,. 1804 Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark begin their exploration of the vast
Northwest territory, traveling from the
Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. 1808 The
United States prohibits the importation of
Africans for enslavement. 1809 Felix Mendelssohn
is born 1813 Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner
are born 1814 Francis Scott Key writes poem,
Defense of Fort McHenry, later set to music of
Anacreon in Heaven to become U.S. National
Anthem 1818 Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht is
written (Silent Night)
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Classical

• Art

Two Old People Eating Francisco de Goya 1746 -
1828
Classical artistic characteristics Art looks to
ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration.
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Classical

• Art

Classical artistic characteristics Art looks to
ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration.
Death of Socrates, Jacques-Louis David 1748 - 1825
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Classical

• Art

Voltaire, Jean-Antoine Houdon 1741 - 1828
The images of Franklin on the fifty-cent piece,
Jefferson on the nickel, and Washington on the
quarter were all created by Jean-Antoine Houdon,
making his art known to more Americans than any
other. Unfortunately, most Americans dont know
who he is
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Classical

• Architecture

U.S. Capital Building, Washinton D.C., 1793
1830 Thornton-Latrobe-Bulfinch
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Classical

• Architecture

Monticello, Charlottesville VA 1768 - 1782 Thomas
Jefferson
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Classical

• Architecture

The White House Washington, D.C. 1793
1801 James Hoban
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Classical

• Music

Wolfgang Mozart 1756 - 1791
Musical Characteristics of the Classic Era Form
Classicists found beauty in order and symmetry
of design, and clearly organized their music.
Although Mozart died young at age 35, he left
behind an impressive body of work that includes
Masses, Sonatas, Operas, Chamber music, Concertos
and dance music. He was buried in a common grave
before his second child was born.
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Classical

• Music

Franz Joseph Haydn 1732 - 1809
Musical Characteristics of the Classical
Era Texture Homophony became the predominant
texture. Melodies were generally placed on the
top line while the other lines were given less
melodic interest.
Haydn was the last composer to thrive under the
patronage system. While working for the
Esterhazy family, Haydn wrote over 100
symphonies, 52 piano sonatas, 13 operas and
numerous other compositions.
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Classical

• Music

Ludwig Van Beethoven 1770 - 1827
Musical Characteristics of the Classical
Era Timbre Instrumental music dominated during
the Classical period, and orchestral music was
particularly important
Beethoven bridged the late classic period with
the early romantic. His celebrated deafness
occurred late in his life and is reflected in his
music as his later music takes on a more cerebral
quality.
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Classical

• Authors

Thomas Jefferson 1743 - 1826
Thomas Jeffersons most famous piece of writing
is arguably the Declaration of Independence. If
the colonies had not been successful in
separating themselves from England, this document
alone would have been enough to put Jefferson to
death for treason.
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Classical

• Authors

Jane Austen 1775 - 1817
Her novels are highly prized not only for their
light irony, humor, and depiction of contemporary
English country life, but also for their
underlying serious qualities. They include Pride
and Prejudice, Love and Friendship, Lady Susan,
and many others.
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Classical

• Authors

Jonathan Swift 1667 - 1745
Gulliver's Travels was published in 1726. Though
it is often labeled a children's book, it is also
a great satire of the times. It demonstrates
Swift's desire to encourage people to read deeper
and not take things for granted. Readers who paid
attention could match all of Gulliver's tall
tales with current events and long-term societal
problems.