Introduction Flashcards
when was the Classical Period?
c1750-1820
when was Beethoven’s music considered to be?
c1820-1910
what is the “First Viennese School”?
Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven spent a considerable amount of time in the city of Vienna and are therefore sometimes known as this
what were Haydn’s and Mozarts earlier works often in?
gallant style
what did galant style consist of?
very clear melodies, simple accompaniments and much ornamentation
what are Haydn’s and Mozarts later works known to be written in?
“mature” Classical style
what other sort of music (other than instrumental did all 3 composers write?
sacred (religious) music and secular (non-religious) music and opera
Why did all the composers write music?
something they did for money
Joseph Haydn dates?
1732-1809
1732: Where was Haydn born?
Rohrau, Austria
1740: when did Haydn become familiar with Baroque music?
His musical talent was recognised and joined the choir of St Stephens cathedral in Vienna, also learning violin and organ, becoming familiar with Barouque music including music written in counterpoint
1745: What did Haydn do after he left the choir?
remained in Vienna, taught music, composed and performed but struggled financially. He had composing lessons but mostly studied by himself, using textbooks and the work of other composers, particularly CPE Bach
1755: how did Haydn produce his first string quartets?
invited to stay at a country house to perform and compose music for the musicians there, comprising of 2 violinists, viola and cellist
1759: what was Haydn’s first secured paid employment?
a Kapellmeister (“chapel master”) for Count Morzin. He was in charge of music making at the Count’s home, directing a small orchestra and writing instrumental, keyboard and sacred works
1761: what was Haydn’s big break?
appointed second Kapellmeister to Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy at Eisenstadt in Hungary. Prince was musical and had an orchestra. Haydn wrote much instrumental music and eventually promoted to first Kapellmeister.
1766: What happened to Haydn when Prince Paul Anton Esterházy died (1761)? Did his works increase?
He was succeeded by his brother Nikolas. Haydn moved with the Prince to a new large palace called Esterháza which was remote from other cities. Writing an enormous amount of music and experimented with new ideas, his fame spears and some of his music was published
1781: When did Haydn meet Mozart?
On a trip to Vienna, they became friends and admirers of each other’s work, learning from each other’s compositions
1790: What happened to Haydn once Prince Nikolaus died?
his successor was not interested in music. The Esterházy orchestra was disbanded and Haydn was given a generous pension, he was free to move to Vienna and visit london to perform some specially written works
1792: where did Haydn meet Beethoven?
On his way back from Vienna from London, Haydn met Beethoven, who then came to Vienna for lessons with Haydn
1794: what did Haydn do on another extended visit to London?
composing more music especially for the visit
Where did Haydn die?
Vienna, 1809
How much music did Haydn leave after he died?
a huge body of music, over 80 string quartets, 104 symphonies, concertos, keyboard works and other smaller works
how are Haydn’s pieces identified?
a number by Hoboken, who produced a catalogue. Works are given a Roman numeral to indicate the category (eg works in category I are symphonies) and then another number for the individual work
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dates
1756-1791
1756: where was Mozart born? was his father musical?
in Salzburg, his father Leopold was a violinist and composer
1762: what was Mozarts childhood like?
Mozart and his sister (both child prodigies) were taken to various European cities to perform to nobility and in concerts
1762: what did his childhood allow him to begin to pursue?
this international childhood meant that Mozart encountered the work of current composers, including J C Bach (the brother of C P E Bach) in London. Mozart had already begun composing and arranging music
1769: what was Mozarts employment?
appointed Konzertmeister in Salzburg, in the service of the Archbishop, but continued to travel a great deal
1781: why did Mozart become “self-employed” (what we would call today)?
Mozart arrived in Vienna accompanying the Archbishop of Salzburg. Mozart was increasingly frustrated at being a servant and was eventually allowed to leave. For the rest of his life he was “self employed” and worked as a performer, teacher and composer to earn money. At times his financial position was rather precarious
1786: which city did Mozart write for?
he visited Prague to hear a production of his opera “The Marriage of Figaro “ and wrote more works for the city
1791: when Mozart died what happened to his works?
left very little money to his widow Constanze, who published some of his scores. Famously his Requiem Mass was left unfinished, and was completed by his former assistant the composer Franz Süssmayr
how many compositions did Mozart produce?
600
how were Mozarts works catalogued?
by Köchel, who ordered the compositions chronologically, giving them a number study as K 545
when were many of Mozarts works published?
after his death (not during his lifetime)
Ludwig van Beethoven dates
1770-1827
how is Beethovens life divided?
into 3 periods
what consisted in the First Period of Beethovens life?
He established himself as a composer
1803: what consisted in the Middle Period of Beethovens life?
This is the period in which Beethoven was most productive, when many of his most famous works were written
1813: what consisted in the Last Period of Beethovens life?
period where there were various problems in his personal life, and produced a small number of very intense works
1770: where was Beethoven born?
in Bonn into a moderately musical family (father singer, disappointed Beethoven was not a prodigy as talented as Mozart)
1770: what did Beethoven have lessons in?
piano, organ, violin and composing
1782: what was Beethovens first job?
his musical training lead to a position as an assistant organist
1787: how did Beethoven meet Mozart?
briefly visited Vienna and met Mozart. He had to return home to Bonn as his mother was dying
1792: what were Beethovens interactions with Haydn?
met Haydn in Bonn and followed him to Vienna. He had some lessons with Haydn, but weren’t a great success
1792: how did Beethoven earn money?
teaching, performing, composing, sometimes dedicating his works to particular people who may have paid him
1802: what document did Beethoven produce and why?
Beethoven began to go dead and became very depressed. produced a document known as the Heiligenstadt Testsment because it was written in Heiligenstadt near Vienna where Beethoven was staying for the summer. It was a letter of departure to his two brothers, but remained hidden until after his death
1827: where did Beethiven die?
in Vienna, thousands attended his funeral
how much music did Beethoven write?
not as numerous as Haydn or Mozart, but often much more intense and of greater length
what type of compositions did he produce?
like the other 2, wrote sonatas, chamber music, symphonies, concertos and other orchestral works
what were Beethovens published works during his lifetime for?
means of making money
How were Beethovens works arranged?
given Opus numbers in the order they were published, rather in the order they were written. Occasionally with number such as WoO (abbreviation for Werke ohne Opuszahl), works without an Opus number
