Chapter 8 Flashcards
Vienna in 1808
Was a cultural crossroads. Capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Fortified by strong defensive walls. Just beyond the walls was permanently open space so that attacks on the city could be easily spotted. It was a court city. It was a Catholic city. People lived mainly in overcrowded apartments. People took at least one meal a day in a restaurant, probably for privacy. Living conditions were not very good. Low life expectancy, high illness rate.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
1770-1827. Lived most of his life in Vienna. He was fiercely independent. He composed whatever he liked and made a substantial living selling his compositions or his performances. Moved apartments/houses frequently. Eventually went deaf. Famous for his symphonies and concertos for many different instruments.
Censors
Austrian emperors kept a tight grip on their constituencies. Spies, secret police, and censors were everywhere. Any sort of entertainment needed approval from a censor.
Napoleon & Beethoven
When Napoleon declared himself emperor of France in 1804 Beethoven angrily removed the title “Bonaparte” from the original title page of his Third Symphony.
Academies
“Akademie” or concert.
Theater an der Wien
Famous for its large size and spectacular scenery. This is where Beethoven debuted his 5th symphony.
Beethoven’s concert at Theater an der Wein
Started with his 5th symphony and ended with a special composition that included all performers. (He modeled his next public performance after this manner, which concluded with his 9th symphony). This concert was filled with many mistakes, but this wasn’t unexpected considering the orchestra was made up of a bunch of “pick-up” musicians who did not regularly play together.
Symphony
A multi-movement composition for orchestra. Usually without voices or soloists. A typical four-movement symphony starts with the 1st movement (often the longest), a slow movement, a minuet and trio, and a lively finale.
Symphonic form
A model that consists of a series of four separate pieces, each designed to provide a satisfying musical experience. Pieces are to be listened and appreciated more greatly in sequence.
Movement
Each separate part of a symphony (total of 4 in common symphony piece). From the French word for tempo because each movement tends to “move” at different speeds.
Themes (Classical)
The main melodies of Classical pieces often consist of pairs of phrases with similar music.
Variety (Classical)
A Classical symphonic movement often presents two or more musical themes with differing sounds/contrast of moods.
Transition (Classical)
Non-thematic music intended to be a transition from one theme of a movement to the next. These transitions tend to be active, agitated, and deliberately unclear about key.
Standard Symphonic Model (5th Symphony)
1st Movement - First-movement form or sonata form, or sonata-allegro form. Weightiest movement in the symphony. Strong, outgoing piece with a lively or serious character.
2nd (slow) Movement - Variation form. Almost always contemplative or lyrical.
3rd (minuet and trio) - A moment of relaxation. It is cast in a dance form (minuet) but merely meant for pleasant listening. Minuet is followed by a contrasting section called a trio, after which the whole minuet is played again.
4th Movement (finale) - Fast, usually livelier and more lighthearted than the first. Often in rondo form. (5th symphony used sonata form for first and last movements, though)
First-movement form (or sonata form, or sonata-allegro form)
Flexible structure. It is the most complex and most frequently found of the musical forms in the Classic period. Often progresses in the following manner:
A) Exposition
B) Development
C) Recapitulation
Sometimes there is an introduction (usually slower tempo) before the 1st movement starts.
Sometimes there is a coda at the end of a sonata form movement to “close” the movement as a whole.
Coda
“Tail” in Italian. An ending section added to the end of recapitulation to close the movement as a whole.
Variation form
Usually involves the same melody repeated a number of times. There are changes with each new presentation, generally with complexity (switching from major to minor, changing key, suddenly slower tempo). Generally, this form is used in the slow movements of symphonies.
Minuet and trio
Based on triple rhythms and regular phrases of 18th century ballroom dance. Generally a minuet and trio movement followed the AABB CCDD AB form.
Rondo form
A recurring melody(theme) (A) alternating with other material. For example: AbAcAdA…
Sophisticated versions of the rondo form were often used as symphony finales and sometimes included recurrences of other matieral, for example: AbAcAbA…
Chamber music
Compositions for two or more solo players. Suitable for intimate space performances.
Sonata (larger Classical genre)
An instrumental piece for piano alone or for piano and another instrument. Most Classical sonatas have three movements.
String Quartet
A first and second violin, viola, and a cello. Often in four movements like those of a symphony.
Trio, Quartet, Quintet, etc
Compositions for various combinations of strings and winds are usually named according to the number of players. Usually follow symphonic form.
Serenade
For either a chamber group or an orchestra it is seldom serious. (Can be thought of as music played outdoors during the evening) Usually has more than four movements including two minuets or other dance movements.
Concerto
Written for one (sometimes more than 1) virtuoso solo instrument with orchestra. Usually has three movements. The 1st generally in sonata form (but with 2 expositions, one for orchestra and one for the solo instrument), the 2nd is a slow movement, and a finale often in rondo form.
Symphony
Generally 4 movements for a “full” orchestra.
Beethoven Symphony No.5 MOVEMENT 1
First-movement, sonata, or sonata allegro form.
Exposition - 2 themes (key change). Exposition repeated.
Developement - High tension.
Recapitulation - Return of original theme.
Coda - Ends with cadence. Loudly and emphatically.
C minor, E flat major, C major.
2/4 Meter
Four-note motive (5th Symphony Beethoven)
Four-note motive associated with the struggle for victory or fate. Short-short-short-long (SSSL). Morse code V is SSSL.
Beethoven Symphony No.5 MOVEMENT 2
Variation Form. ABABAAAABAA + Coda Alternates between variations of two themes (AB) A flat major, C major, A flat minor 3/8 Meter
Beethoven Symphony No.5 MOVEMENT 3
Minuet, Trio, Minuet form. (Scherzo, trio, scherzo)
Famous solo passages for the double basses.
Final scherzo never really “ends” but leads right into the final movement.
C minor, E flat minor, B flat minor, F minor, C major, C sharp minor
3/4 Meter
Beethoven Symphony No.5 MOVEMENT 4
Sonata, sonata allegro, form. Exposition Development Recapitulation Very long coda (many repetitions of the tonic chord) C major, G major 4/4 Meter
Heiligenstadt Testament
Letter written by Beethoven discussing his increasing deafness and despair because of it.
other Beethoven works
“Piano Sonata in C# Minor” (Moonlight)
“Symphony No.9, IV, Ode to Joy”
“String Quartet No.9 in C Major”
