The Classical Period (1750-1820) Mozart

8/10/2019 The Classical Period (1750-1820) Mozart

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The Classical Period

(1750-1820)


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The Age of Enlightenment

The Age of Reason

Emphasis on learning and intellectual pursuits

Rationality, not emotion, should control behavior

Natural Law: the search for order and structure


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Important Events

Seven Years War (1756-1763)

Australia colonized by the British

Louisiana Purchase

Abolition of slavery in the British Empire

Wars of Independence in Latin America


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Period of Revolution

American Revolution

French Revolution

Industrial Revolution

First steam engine

The cotton gin

First commercial steam railroad

First transatlantic steamer

The telegraph (morse code)


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The Classical Ideal

Revival of ancient Greek ideas about order and symmetry

Art as communication

Replication of Greek and Roman architecture

The real rise of the middle class


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Music in the Classical Period

Simple structure

Balanced and orderly

Symbolic, not imitative of nature

Symmetrical and memorable melodies

Regular rhythms

Folk-like melodies


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Musicians in the Classical Period

Musicians as servant: the Patronage System

Women finally allowed on the opera stage

Women as teachers and court musicians

Rise of the public concert and public concert halls


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Music in The United States

Strong British influence

Large cities had concert series

Opera was popular

Well-educated people usually played an instrument


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Musical form in the Classical Period

The Sonata cycle

Built out of themes: the building block of melody

Motive: smallest melodic unit of a theme

Can grow into a melody

Can be played over and over as asequence: a repetitive musical motive


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The Sonata

Sonata: Instrumental piece for one or two players

Piano sonata: for one piano soloist

Flute sonata: flute plus piano accompaniment

Violin sonata: violin plus piano accompaniment


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Sonata-allegro Form

Almost always used in first movements

Usually a fast tempo

Sometimes used in fourth movements

Based on themes or motives

Involves contrasting keys and themes


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The sections of Sonata-allegro form

Introduction (sometimes)

The Exposition (introduces the themes)

1. Theme #1

2. A transition/bridge to the new contrasting key

3. Theme #2

4. Closing section

Then repeated


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The Development section:

Breaks the themes up into motives

Varies, contracts, and expands the themes

May go through many keys (major and minor)


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The Recapitulation:

Theme #2 is in the same key as Theme #1

A sense of finality in the home key

The Coda (or ending)


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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

The most gifted child in the history of music

Composed music by age 5

On tour throughout Europe by age 6

As an adult, worked for the Archbishop of Salzburg

Eventually quit the patronage system, and went free-lance, but wasperpetually poor


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Mozarts compositions

Piano sonatas and concertos (he was primarily a pianist)

Symphonies (about 40 of them)

Operas (both comic and serious)

String quartets and other chamber music

Religious larger works, including the Requiem Mass


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Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A littlenight music), K. 525, firstmovement,1787

For string quartet or chamber orchestra

Listen for:

Intimate chamber music style

Quick-paced movement

Sonata-allegro form, with three themes and a quick development section

Contrasting themes:

Theme #1 is disjunct and rocket-like

Theme #2 is conjunct and graceful

The Classical Period (1750-1820) Mozart

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