Classic 1750-1825 Flashcards
Albrechtsberger, Johann
1736-1809
Organist
Best known for theoretical writings - famous treatise on composition published in 1790
Taught Beethoven counterpoint for a year
Wrote sacred music: concerto, preludes and fugues for organ
Alla turca
A fad in 18th century Austria to write compositions in a stylized Turkish flavor
Turkish military bands advanced across Europe and laid siege to Vienna so thats where it stemmed from
Janissary bands consisted of: clarinets, trumpets, triangle, piccolo, large drum, two cymbals, oboes, horns, bassoons
Mozart uses this Turkish style in his A major Sonata K 331
Elements include, static harmony, alternation between major and minor and heavy jangling bass chords
Bach, Carl Philip Emanuel
1714-1788
Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments 1753
CPE Bach composed in the Empfindsamer Stil, a singing expressive style well suited to the clavichord
light gentle tone
Composed: keyboard sonatas, songs, concertos, chamber music, symphonies, and choral works
Succeeded Telemann in Hamburg
Bach, Johann Christian
1735-1782
“Milan Bach”
Spent several years training in Italy then went to England (also called “London Bach”)
Music master to the Queen
Early influence on Mozart who arranged some of his piano sonatas as concerti
His style is marked by small design, elegance and graceful melodies
His music had popular appeal especially to amateurs who found the sonatas easily playable
Bach, Wihelm Friedemann
1710-1784
Eldest son of JS Bach
Accomplished organist strong tradition of organ improvisation
Some of his compositions are conservative while others reflect Empfindsamer Stil and style galant
Style: freedom in details of harmony, melody and rhythm, contrasts of mood and an intensely personal, almost Romantic emotion which presages the 19th century
Ballad opera
Rose to prominence in England with the success of The Begger’s Opera in 1728
A reaction in England against foreign opera
Thomas Augustine Arne only other notable composer of opera in England in the 18th century
Baryton
Instrument like a large viola da gamba with an extra set of resonating metal strings
Haydn wrote 200 baryton pieces for his employer Prince Eszterhazy
Most of these pieces were in a trio combination with viola and cello
Beethoven, Ludwig van
1770-1827
German composer and pianist
Spans the transition from the classical to the Romantic era
Early, middle and late periods
Benda, Georg
1722-1795
Bohemian composer
Wrote sacred music and then theater music including Sinspiels - Der Jahrmarkt 1775 and Romeo und Julie 1776
15 stage works, many sacred cantatas, and oratorios, songs, 30 symphonies, concertos and solo keyboard works
Boccherini, Luigi
1743-1805
Virtuoso cellist and composer of chamber music
Worked in Madrid
140 string quintets, 100 string quartets, 65 trios, 30 symphonies, sonatas
Style: graceful melodies, variety in the formal design
Cello parts are rhythmically complex and highly ornamented
Calzabigi, Raniero
1714-95
Italian poet collab with Gluck to produce Orfeo ed Euridice 1762 and Alceste 1767
Both composer and poet sought to reform opera by bringing out the essential dramatic qualities of the subject
avoiding complications and subplots common in opera seria
Calzabigi gave Orfeo a happy ending (lieto fine), with the introduction of Amor (dues ex machina) who brings Euridice to the living
Clementi, Music
1752-1832
Composer and virtuoso keyboardist
One of the classic era keyboard composers coming close to Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven in stature
During his lifetime extremely popular as performer, composer, conductor and publisher
Lived and worked in England
Style is mature classicism brilliant passagework, Alberti bass, left-hand octaves and strum und Drang styles
Commedia dell’arte
Improvised comic genre popular in Italy from 16th century onward
Stock characters such as the dottore, servants, physician, military commander etc
Characters and plots served as the basis for 18th century comic opera librettists
Concerts spirituels
A series of French concerts in Paris
Founded by A.D. Philidor in 1725
Designed to provide music of devotional nature during Lent when opera was prohibited
Variety of vocal and instrumental music both French and foreign
Deus ex machina
Theatric device used since antiquity in which the main character or the main plot was rescued by some sort of divine power or circumstance
Often used to wrap up 18th century operatic plots
Dittersdorf, Karl
1739-1799
Viennese violinist and composer
Singspiels and instrumental works
Friend of Haydn’s
Double variation
Special kind of variation form found in late Haydn
Two themes in different keys and their variations alternate (A,B,A1,B1,A2,B2 etc)
Dramma giocoso
Middle of the 17th century refinement in comic opera libretto due to the librettist Carlo Goldoni
Plots of serious, sentimental or pathetic character began to appear
Opera buffa was replaced by Dramma giocoso = pleasant cheerful, non-tragic drama
Empfindsamkeit
Mid 18th century style of “sentimentality” or “sensibility” a refined passionateness and melancholy that characterizes some slow movements and obbligato recitatives in particular
Expressed through turns of harmony, chromaticism, nervous rhythmic figures and speech-like melody
Found in late concertos of Vivaldi
Esterhaza
Castle ancestral home of the Esterhazy family
Today it is in Hungary, not far from the Austrian city of Eisenstadt
Built by Nicholas I who was a great patron of the arts, wanted to emulate court life in Vienna and Versailles at Esterhaza
Served as Haydn’s residence for many years (middle-period works)
False recapitulation
Moment in sonata form where the principal thematic material returns (too early, wrong key or both)
This “false” recapitulation is followed by the real one
Usually found in the development
Heard in Eroica symphony
Freemasons
A group that valued the virtues of brotherly love
Dignity of the individual regardless of birth
Fraternal order, secret society that attracted many leading figures in politics, philosophy and arts
Goethe, Haydn, Mozart
The magic flute
Galant style
Elegant courtly style associated with pre-Classic and Classic Era music
Characterized by an emphasis on melody made up of short-breathed often repeated motives organized in two, three and four measure phrases combining into larger periods, lightly accompanied with simple harmony that stops for frequent cadences but freely admits seventh and diminished seventh chords
Gluck, Christoph Willibald
1714-1787
Synthesized in his operas Italian melodic grace, German seriousness, and French magnificence
Collab with Raniero Calzabigi = Orfeo
Gluck attempted to remove the abuses of Italian opera of the time such as the conventions of the da capo aria, excessive ornamental variation
Gluck strove to make the music serve the poetry, overture an integral part of the opera, adapt orchestra to dramatic requirements and lessen contrast between aria and recit
Succeeded Lully and Rameau with French opera in France
Gossec, Francois-Joseph
1734-1824 French composer studied under Stamitz Large wind sections Music is noisy and for the masses and not the elite Precursor to the Romantic style
Guerre des Bouffons
Bitter dispute via pamphlets over the “virtues” of Italian opera
Debate took place in Paris sparked by Pergolesi’s La serva padrona
Followers of Lully = detested foreign Italian style and Rameau/ Rousseau = supported the growth of Italian style in France
Harmonie
French word used to designate the wind band (an octet) which many 18th century monarchs kept at their disposal
Oboes, English horns, clarinets, bassoons, Horns, basset horns, flutes
Used for entertainment: played divertimenti, cassations, serenades, nocturnes… dinner socializing music
Mozart and Beethoven arranged some operas and symphonies for harmonie’s
Hassles, Johann Wilhelm
1747-1822
Prolific composer of sonata form in Classic period
Pieces in the galant style