Classical people, groups, & movements

Question 1

Who was Karl Stamitz?

Answer 1

a leading figure of the Mannheim School

[p. 104]

Question 2

By whom was the Mannheim orchestra employed?

Answer 2

Elector Palatine Charles Theodore (1724-1799)

[p. 104]

Question 3

Who is credited with inventing the modern piano?

Answer 3

Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731)

[p. 102]

Question 4

List characteristics and representative works of Beethoven’s Middle Period.

Answer 4

“Externalization” (1803-1815)

• more Romantic elements
• increased use of chromatic harmony and abrupt modulations
• expanded the development and coda sections in sonata-form movements
• replaced the menuet & trio with scherzo & trio
• experimented with cyclical form
• linked movements together
• expanded the orchestra to include piccolo, trombone, and contrabassoon
• representative works:
  
  • Fidelio (opera)
  • Violin Concerto
  • Symphonies Nos. 3-8

[p. 141]

Question 5

Who was Johann Stamitz?

Answer 5

music director of the Mannheim orchestra

[p. 104]

Question 6

Describe the Mannheim School.

Answer 6

composers and orchestra active at the court of Mannheim, Germany, in the 18th century

the Mannheim orchestra was known for its precision in performance, wide dynamic range, and dramatic effects

developed the orchestral crescendo, rocket theme, and the grand pause

the basso continuo was often replaced with written orchestral parts

influenced the development of the symphony, and the composers of the Viennese school, including Haydn and Mozart

[p. 104]

Question 7

Haydn, Mozart, & Beethoven are the 3 masters of what group?

Answer 7

Viennese School

[p. 103]

Question 8

Franz Joseph Haydn - genres & titles

Answer 8

• Symphonies - over 100, including No. 45 (“Farewell”), No. 94 (“Surprise”), No. 100 (“Military”), No. 101 (“Clock”), No. 104 (“London”)
• Concertos - for piano, violin, cello horn, and trumpet
• Chamber - 68 string quartets, including “Quinten” and “Emperor”
• Piano - over 40 keyboard sonatas, numberous sets of variations
• Operas - 14, including Armida
• Oratorios - The Creation, The Seasons, The Seven Last Words of Christ
• Sacred vocal - including Lord Nelson Mass, Mass in the Time of War
• Novelties - marionette theater works; compositions for the baryton, a now-obsolete string instrument

[p. 116]

Question 9

Viennese School

Answer 9

Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven

in 18th century, Vienna emerged as a musical center

The balance and symmetry evident in their works became hallmarks of the Classical style.

[pp. 102, 103]

Question 10

Giacomo Carissimi, Antonio Vivaldi, J. S. Bach, and G. F. Handel all made important contributions to what genre?

Answer 10

oratorio

[p. 111]

Question 11

What are some of Gluck’s important achievements in opera reform?

Answer 11

• restoration of the chorus by making it an integral part of the dramatic action
• minimizing the contrast between recitative and aria by frequently composing in an arioso style
• making the overture an organic part of the score by using themes that would be heard later in the opera
• the rejection of empty displays of virtuosity in favor of, as he put it, “a beautiful simplicity”

[p. 122]

Question 12

Who was Baron Gottfried van Swieten?

Answer 12

German-language librettist for Haydn’s The Creation.

[p. 111]

Question 13

Ludwig van Beethoven - dates

Answer 13

1770-1827

Question 14

Who was the librettist for The Marriage of Figaro?

Answer 14

Lorenzo da Ponte

[p. 123]

Question 15

Who were four leading figures of the Mannheim School?

Answer 15

Johann Stamitz

Ignaz Holzbauer

Christian Cannabich

Karl Stamitz

[p. 104]

Question 16

What is the connection between Franz Schubert and Beethoven?

Answer 16

Schubert idolized Beethoven. Schubert had the honor of serving as one of the torch bearers in Beethoven’s funeral procession. Months later, Schubert himself lay sick and dying. At his request, his friends performed for him Beethoven’s String Quartet, op. 131. Five days later…he passed away.

[p. 137]

Question 17

Who was Barbara von Ployer?

Answer 17

one of Mozart’s most gifted students

he composed 2 piano concertos for her

[p. 117]

Question 18

List characteristics and representative works of Beethoven’s Late Period.

Answer 18

“Reflection” (1815-1827)

• style became more abstract and meditative
• employed counterpoint more frequently, including fugal writing
• experimented further with form and content (ex: adding SATB soloists & chorus to the final movement of Sym #9)
• frequent use of variation technique
• representative works:
  
  • Piano Sonatas, op. 109, 110, & 111
  • Missa solemnis
  • Symphony No. 9
  • String Quartets op,. 131, 132, & 135

[p. 141]

Question 19

What is the significance of the Esterhazy family?

Answer 19

employed Haydn for nearly 30 years, giving him ample opportunity to explore and perfect his approach to the symphonic genre

[p. 106]

Question 20

Ludwig van Beethoven - musical style & contributions, general

Answer 20

• one of the most widely recognized and admired composers of all time
• his music demonstrates traits associated with both Classical and Romantic style
• a bold innovator; a highly original and influential figure
  
  • replaced menuet & trio with scherzo & trio (Sym #5)
  • use of cyclical structure (Sym #5)
  • programmatic elements (Sym #6)
  • inclusion of a chorus in a symphony (Sym #9)
• superb designer and architect: planned and meticulously revised his compositions in sketchbooks
• developed and expanded Classical forms (sonata, concerto), transforming every genre that he touched
• employed explosive accents, extreme dynamic contrasts
• incorporated new orchestral instruments: piccolo, trombone, & contrabassoon
• exploited technological improvements to piano

[p. 140]

Question 21

Who named Beethoven’s three periods Imitation, Externalization, & Reflection?

Answer 21

French composer Vincent d’Indy

[p. 141]

Question 22

What composers made important contributions to the oratorio repertoire?

Answer 22

• Giacomo Carissimi
• Antonio Vivaldi
• J. S. Bach
• G. F. Handel

Question 23

Define ‘Sturm und Drang’

Answer 23

literary movement roughly spanning the years 1760-1785

deals with individual’s revolt against conventional society

works of Friedrich Schiller and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe demonstrate the movement

artistic aim was to frighten, shock, or otherwise overwhelm the reader with emotion

musically, it translated into passionate outbursts with emphasis on minor keys

evident in the music of J. S. Bach’s sons, Haydn, and Mozart

[p. 103]

Question 24

What is Ignaz Holzbauer’s significance?

Answer 24

a leading figure in the Mannheim School

[p. 104]

Question 25

List characteristics and representative works of Beethoven’s Early Period.

Answer 25

“Imitation” (up to 1802)

• absorbed the Classical style traits exhibited by Haydn and Mozart
• Sturm und Drang influence evident in his preference for minor keys, use of tremolo, and abrupt contrasts
• representative works
  
  • six String Quartets, op. 18
  • Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
  • piano sonatas 1-10, up to opus 14

[p. 141]

Question 26

Who was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe?

Answer 26

an author whose works demonstrated the Sturm und Drang movement

[p. 103]

Question 27

Christoph Willibald Gluck - dates & biographical info

Answer 27

1714-1787

German-born

occupies an important place in the history of opera because of the reforms he introduced.

[p. 122]

Question 28

Who said, “I sought to restrict the music to its true purpose of serving to give expression to the poetry?”

Answer 28

Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787)

[p. 122]

Question 29

For whom did Mozart compose 2 piano concertos?

Answer 29

Barbara von Ployer

[p. 117]

Question 30

Bartolomeo Cristofori - dates & significance

Answer 30

1655-1731

often credited for invention of the modern piano

instrument builder in the service of the Medici family

[p. 102]

Question 31

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - genres & titles

Answer 31

• Symphonies - over 40, including No. 35 (“Haffner”), No. 36 (“Linz”), No. 38 (“Prague”), No. 40 (“Romantic”), No. 41 (“Jupiter”)
• Concertos - piano (27) violin (5), flute, flute and harp, oboe, clarinet, horn
• Chamber - string quartets (23), including “The Hunt” and “Dissonance”; duo sonatas, trios, quintets, serenades, divertimenti
• Piano - sonatas, fantasias, variations
• Operas - more than 20, including The Abduction from the Seraglio; Don Giovanni; Cosi fan tutte; Idomeneo; The Marriage of Figaro; The Magic Flute
• Vocal - Lieder; concert arias, motets, and masses, including Coronation Mass and Requiem Mass

[p. 128]

Question 32

Who was Lorenzo da Ponte?

Answer 32

librettist for The Marriage of Figaro

[p. 123]

Question 33

Who was Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais?

Answer 33

author of a controversial French play which became the inspiration/source for The Marriage of Figaro

[p. 123]

Question 34

Who was the German-language librettist for The Creation?

Answer 34

Baron Gottfried van Swieten

[p. 111]

Question 35

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - contributions to opera

Answer 35

created compelling, realistic characters, dramatically and musically

used the conventional recitativo secco to quickly advance the plot

used sectional forms in his arias to allow shifting moods and points of view in his characters

[p. 128]

Question 36

Ludwig van Beethoven - genres & titles

Answer 36

• Piano - 32 piano sonatas, including the “Pathetique,” “Moonlight,” “Waldstein,” “Appassionata,” “Tempest,” and “Hammerklavier;” many sets of variations and smaller-scale works (ex: Fur Elise)
• Symphonies - 9, including No. 3 (“Eroica”), No. 6 (“Pastoral”), & No. 9 (“Choral”)
• Orchestral - overtures, including Egmont and Leonora
• Concertos - 5 for piano, including No. 5 (“Emperor”); 1 for violin; 1 triple concerto for piano, violin, & cello
• Chamber - a large variety, including 18 string quartets; 10 sonatas for violin & piano; piano trios, including “Ghost” and “Archduke”
• Vocal - Fidelio (opera); The Mount of Olives (oratorio); Missa solemnis (mass); An die ferne Geliebte (To the Distant Beloved - song cycle)

[p. 141]

Question 37

What is Christian Cannabich’s significance?

Answer 37

leading figure of the Mannheim School

[p. 104]

Question 38

Franz Joseph Haydn - dates & biographical info

Answer 38

1732-1809

sometimes referred to as the “father of the Classical symphony” due to his significant contributions to the early development of the genre

employed by the Esterhazy family, which gave him the freedom to compose

[pp. 106, 111]

Question 39

Elector Palatine Charles Theodore - dates & significance

Answer 39

1724-1799

his court orchestra in Mannheim became known across Europe for its high level of performance and innovative orchestral techniques

Mannheim School

[p. 104]

Question 40

Who wrote the controversial French play which would become the source/inspiration for The Marriage of Figaro?

Answer 40

Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais

[p. 123]

Question 41

What is Vincent d’Indy’s significance?

Answer 41

Writing about Beethoven in 1926, Vincent d’Indy referred to [Beethoven’s] three stages as the periods of Imitation, Externalization, and Reflection.

[p. 141]

Question 42

Who was music director of the Mannheim orchestra?

Answer 42

Johann Stamitz

[p. 104]

Question 43

Who was Friedrich Schiller?

Answer 43

an author whose work demonstrates the Sturm und Drang movement

(Schiller wrote the poem which Beethoven set to music in his Symphony No. 9)

[p. 103]

Question 44

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - musical style & contributions

Answer 44

• exemplified Viennese Classical ideals: elegance, balance, poise, refinement, and sophistication
• explored, advanced and developed virtually all Classical genres
• skillful use of counterpoint within homophonic texture
• frequently utilized symmetrical phrase structures (4-measure phrases)
• contributed to the development of sonata form
• used double-exposition sonata form in the first movement of concerto
• harmonic language balanced diatonic and chromatic elements
• orchestral writing expanded the use of wind instruments
• crystallized the 18th-century piano style both in his solo works and concertos
• made important contributions to 3 kinds of opera: opera seria, opera buffa, and Singspiel
• absorbed vocal qualities and melodic lyricism into his instrumental writing
• works were catalogued by Ludwig von Kochel in 1862

[p. 128]

Question 45

Johann Stamitz, Ignaz Holzbauer, Christian Cannabich, and Karl Stamitz were leading figures in what movement?

Answer 45

Mannheim School

[p. 104]

Question 46

Translate ‘Sturm und Drang.’

Answer 46

German for “storm and stress”

[p. 103]

Question 47

Franz Joseph Haydn - musical contributions

Answer 47

• fond of experimentation, particularly concerning the formal structure
• embraced the grace and elegance of pre-Classical style but also the dramatic contrasts of Sturm und Drang
• humorous or whimsical nature is revealed in many of his works (“Farewell” and “Surprise” symphonies)
• contributed to the development of sonata form; often included dramatic, slow introductions
• often used a monothematic exposition in his sonata-form movements
• considered the “father of the string quartet,” he developed this new chamber music genre to its highest level
• influenced by folk music as evidenced in his use of rustic melodies, pizzicato strings, and pedal points
• used vivid word painting in masses and oratorios
• dramatic elements included sudden accents and bold changes of chords or keys

[p. 116]

Question 48

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - dates & biographical info

Answer 48

1756-1791

employed by Archbishop von Colloredo in Salzburg

settled in Vienna where he pursued and perfected his vision of opera

[p. 123]