The Classical Symphony Flashcards
Why is Haydn informally known as ‘the father of the symphony’?
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He wrote 106 and provided a structural and stylistic template for composers Mozart and Beethoven and those of the Romantic period.
What are Haydn’s symphonies characterised as?
Well-crafted, balanced, bursting with colour and surprise
What is the genre that was developed and formalised in the Classical period?
Symphony
What are the closely related ancestors of the symphony from the Baroque era?
- Sinfonia
- Dance suite
What caused the symphony to flourish in the Classical period?
The rise in popularity of sonata form
What did sonata form allow composers to do? No. 1
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Develop musical ideas over an extended period, exploring themes in related keys through the concepts of repetition and contrast
What was a characteristic of single movements in the Baroque period?
Express one constant and overriding mood
Who were early composers of the symphony that influenced Haydn?
- C.P.E. Bach
- J.C. Bach
(J. S. Bach’s sons)
What are the three sections of sonata form?
- Exposition
- Development
- Recapitulation
What occurs in the EXPOSITION of sonata form?
Thematic material is presented in two subject groups linked by a transition.
- First subject: Tonic key
- Transition
- Second subject: related key, usually Dominant
- Typically ends with a codetta
What happens during the DEVELOPMENT section of sonata form?
Thematic ideas are explored further using different aspects of their character, key or musical elements.
Usually builds up to climactic return of tonic key for Recapitulation.
In the RECAPITULATION of sonata form, how are the two subject groups presented?
Both are usually now in the tonic key with other alterations.
What brings the movement to a close in sonata form and what does it do?
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Coda consolidates tonic tonality
What was another popular Classical structure, with roots in the Renaissance and Baroque periods?
Theme and variation form
Who developed the theme and variation form further after Haydn?
- Mozart
- Beethoven
What is theme and variation form?
The theme is presented at beginning, followed by several variations that trace the structure of the theme.
What are some variation techniques in theme and variation form?
(Simple and complex)
Simple changes -
* Rhythm
* accompaniment style
* Key
* Instrumentation
Complex changes-
* aspects of broad, thematic transformation
* intricate motivic development
What is the name, form and key of the FIRST movement of Haydn’s Symphony No. 103?
‘Allegro con spirito’
In Sonata form
Tonic key of Eb major
(Preceded be ‘adagio’ introduction)
What is the name of the SECOND movement of Haydn’s Symphony No.103?
‘Andante Più Tosto Allegretto’
What does it mean that clarinets are in Bb?
Their notes sound a tone lower than written
How do horns in Eb sound relative to what is written?
Sound a major sixth lower
What did sonata form permit composers to do? No.2
Appeal to contemporary sensibilities by inducing dramatic contrast within a single musical movement.
How do trumpets in Eb sound relative to what is written?
Sound a minor third higher than written
What is the form of the SECOND movement of Haydn’s Symphony No.103?
Double theme and variation
What is the key of the SECOND movement of Haydn’s Symphony No.103?
C minor (the relative minor) and C major
