Music from Classical Period
Ranjith Daluwatta
500 - 1500 Music from the Middle Ages and The Renaissance 1500-1750 Music of Baroque Period 1730-1820 Music of Classicism 1820-1910 Music of Romantism 1910- 1960 Music of Modern Era 1730- 1820 The Classical Period The dates of the Classical period in Western music are generally accepted as being between about the year 1730 and the year 1820. Classicism implies the ideals of the Apollonian cult of ancient Greece: objectivity, ethos, emotional restraint, and balance and clarity of form. In music classical was reflected on the development of the musical forms and the homophonic texture. Form: -Principles of sectional structure, particularly in sonata form, were firmly established in the late eighteenth century. Texture: -Classical textures were typically homophonic, with a single melodic line accompanied by non-melodic or less melodic materials. -A much favoured accompanied pattern was the so-called Alberti-bass (a broken chord figure) -Predominance of thin, light sonorities as opposed to the predominantly massive sonority of Baroque music. Major composers: Gluck (1714-1787) -The least versatile of the four, was a master of opera and opera reform. Haydn (1732-1809) -Was the most prolific of the major composers. -He established the form and instrumentation of the Classical symphony and developed the string quartet. -His principal fields were: symphony, chamber music, concerto, piano sonata, oratorio, church music, and opera. Mozart (1756-1791) -One of the most fertile musical minds of all times. -Rebelled against the system of patronage and attempted to fashion a living from commissions for and royalties from his music. -His principal fields were symphony, concerto, chamber music, sonata, and mass. -His operas represent the pinnacle of the genre. Beethoven (1770-1827) -One of the most important composers of Western art music. -He guided the transition from late Classical to a Romantic style -He expanded the concept of sonata form and made it a vehicle of powerful expression. -He was unsurpassed in the techniques of thematic development and variation. -His main areas of composition were symphony, concerto, string quartet, and piano sonata. He wrote an oratorio, an opera and one festival mass. Instrumental Music: The most significant changes in form and genre during the classical era took place in instrumental music: Sonata Form: Means a basic plan in 3 or 4 movements. -It applies virtually to all instrumental genres: See the full Standard Licence Terms http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/help/terms/