Classical Era Flashcards
When does the Classical Era take place in music?
1750-1825
What major philosophical movement takes place during the Classical Era?
The Enlightenment (Age of Reason)
How do the historical, philosophical, and technological events of the Classical Era influence the music of the era?
1) Philosophy - The Age of Enlightenment puts a heavy emphasis on order, objectivity, and harmonious proportion. Thus, there is a heavy emphasis in music on staying to the classical forms as established.
2) Political and Social Order - Growth of the middle class fuels the production of music for the home. Also allows for the production of concert halls where the middle class can see symphonies and operas. (This leads to the development of opera buffa.) Still kings and royalty which means the majority of music is made from the patronage style. (Mozart brakes the trend but oh well.)
3) Technological - The Industrial Revolution and advances of the like help mass produce pianos with steel strings, allowing piano focused music to be produced and played within concert halls. Instruments now make a more powerful sound and the orchestration of music is adjusted to fit the new and larger spaces.
What is the Viennese School?
- A group of composers, notably Haydn, Schubert, Mozart, and Beethoven. Tried to perfect the sonata form of large-scale instrumental music. Had elements of classical forms and romanticism in their music.
List and define the key elements of classical style.
1) Sequence - Frequent use of a pattern repeated at a higher or lower pitch. Allowed for balanced and reasonably accessible structures.
2) Diatonic Chords - Chords are built from the seven tones of the major or minor scale and are rooted in the key.
3) Homophonic Texture - A Melody with an accompanying harmony.
4) Basic Meters - Either 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, or 6/8 and moves at a steady tempo. Does not change meter.
5) Some kind of folk element.
Define theme.
The basic building block in a composition.
Define Thematic Development.
The varying of the melodic outline, rhythm, or harmony of the theme over the course of the composition.
Define Motives.
The parts that make up a theme. The smallest melodic or rhythmic unit. Can be as simple as a sequence or ostinato.
Define absolute music.
Music without an accompanying story or text.
Define program music.
Music with an accompanying story or text or work of art.
What are the two simplest forms and define each.
1) Binary form (A-B). Has two main themes.
2) Ternary Form (A-B-A). Has two main themes with the first theme repeated at the end.
What is the multimovement cycle?
Consists of three to four movements in prescribed forms and tempos. Present in major instrumental genres like the symphony, sonata, string quarter, chamber music, and concertos in the Classical and Romantic eras.
What is the Sonata-Allegro form?
The longest movement in the cycle and the first movement. Establishes a home key, moves or modulates to another key, and then returns to the home key.
Define the key parts of the Sonata Allegro Form.
1) Exposition (Statement) - Presents Each of the themes and its expansion in their opposing keys.
2) Development - Builds up tension to the return on the home key.
3) Recapitulation - The return to the first theme in the home key. Both first and second theme is performed but in the home key.
Define the parts of the Exposition of the Sonata Allegro.
1) Slow Introduction - Optional. Not necessarily a part of the exposition in all cases.
2) First Theme and its Expansion in the Tonic/Home Key.
3) Bridge - Modulates the Key to a Contrasting Key from the Tonic/Home Key.
4) Second Theme and its Expansion in the Contrasting Key.
5) Closing Section/Closing Theme - Cadence in a contrasting key.
6) Exposition reported once more.
Define the parts and qualities of the Development of the Sonata Allegro.
1) Tension Building Back to Tonic Key - Done through the use of frequent modulation to foreign keys and fragmentation and manipulation of themes and motives.
2) Transition back into the tonic key.
Define the parts and qualities of the Recapitulation of the Sonata Allegro.
1) First theme and its expansion in the tonic key.
2) Bridge - Rarely modulates in key.
3) Second theme or theme group in the tonic key - transposed into the tonic key from its initial exhibition in the contrasting key.
4) Closing theme/cadence in the tonic key.
5) Coda - an extension of the closing idea that leads to the home key.
Which movement in a major work is always in the sonata allegro form in the Classical Era?
The 1st Movement.
What is the second movement in a multimovement cycle and what are its qualities?
- It is usually an Andante or Adagio in the A-B-A (ternary) form, a shortened sonata form, or a theme-and-variations form.
- The slow movement of the cycle to contrast the Allegro that proceeded it.
What is the main form used in the second movement of the multimovement cycle?
The Theme and Variation form.
Define the key points and qualities of the theme and variations form.
- Theme clearly stated out the outset and is the point of departure for all future movements.
- Theme is usually a small two or three part idea.
- The theme is followed by a series of variation with some new modification.
How is the theme varied in the theme and variations form?
- Adding or omitting notes in the melody. (Melodic Variation)
- Shifting the melody to another key. (Melodic Variation)
- Chords that accompany the melody are replaced by others. Like minor to major key. (Harmonic Variation)
- The shape of the accompaniment changed. (Harmonic Variation.)
- Melody Moves to a Lower Register with new harmonies sounding above it. (Harmonic Variation)
- Note lengths, meter, or tempo change. (Rhythmic variation.)
- Interweaving the melody with new themes or countermelodies.
What is the main form used in the third movement of the Classical symphony?
Minuet and Trio.
