Music Appreciation: Chapters 29 - 36

Dates of the Classical Period

1750-1825

Minuet and Trio

An A-B-A form (A = minuet; B = trio) in a moderate triple meter; often the third movement of the Classical multimovement cycle

Which family did Haydn work for?

Esterhazys

thematic development

Musical expansion of a theme by varying its melodic outline, harmony, or rhythm

theme

The melodic idea used as a basic building block in the construction of a piece. (Also subject)

Which movement of a string quartet is often in minuet and trio form?

third movement

opera seria

tragic Italian opera

Principal genres of sacred choral music

- Mass: central (and most solemn) service of the roman catholic church - Requiem Mass: Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead - Oratorio: large-scale dramatic genre originating in the Baroque, based on the text of a religious/serious character, performed by solo voices, chorus, and orchestra

rounded binary

Composition form with 2 sections, in which the second ends with a return to material from the first; each section is usually repeated

scherzo

Composition in A-B-A form, usually in triple meter; replaced the minuet and trio in the 19th century

theme and variations

Compositional procedure in which a theme is stated and then altered in successive statements; occurs as an independent piece or as a movement of a multimovement cycle

Beethoven's Fifth Symphony

. . . .

Multimovement cycle: General Scheme

1st mvt: sonata-allegro form; 2nd mvt: theme and variations or ternary (A-B-A); 3rd mvt (optional): minuet and trio, or scherzo and trio; 4th mvt (last): sonata-allegro (or rondo)

multimovement cycle

A 3- or 4-movement structure used in Classical-era instrumental music—especially the symphony, sonata, concerto—and in chamber music; each movement is in a prescribed tempo and form; (AKA: sonata cycle)

overture

An introductory movement, as in an opera or oratorio, often presenting melodies from arias to come. Also an orchestral work for concert performance

Viennese School

The title given to the most prominent master composers of the classical era: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and their successor Frank Schubert

first-movement concerto form

Described as sonata-allegro form with DOUBLE EXPOSITION; Structure commonly used in first movements of concertos that combines elements of Baroque ritornello procedure with sonata-allegro form; (orchestral exposition, then 2nd exposition w/ soloist [elaborated versions of themes]); cadenza near end of the movement (trill to signal end), then coda

ballad opera

English comic opera, usually featuring spoken dialogue alternating with songs set to popular tunes (AKA: dialogue opera)

da capo

Found at the end of a trio; An indication to return to the beginning of a piece and be played over again

Opera Comique

French comic opera, with some spoken dialogue

Which composer played a central role in string quartet?

Haydn

Who worked in patronage system?

Haydn

Classical Concerto

Instrumental genre in several movements for a solo instrument and orchestra.

sonata

Instrumental genre in several movements for soloist or small ensemble

opera buffa

Italian comic opera, sung throughout

From what older genre did symphony develop from?

Italian opera overture

Mozart's Requiem

Mozart died and left unfinished; sketches for later movements completed by Mozart's pupil, Franz Xaver Süssmayr

Lorenzo da Ponte

Mozart's librettist for Don Giovanni

absolute music

Music that has no literary, dramatic, or pictorial program

Rondo

Musical form in which the first section recurs several times, usually in the tonic. In the Classical multimovement cycle, it appears as the last movement in various forms; (such as A-B-A-B-A, A-B-A-C-A, and A-B-A-C-A-B-A)

Exposition

Opening section. In sonata-allegro form, the first section in which the major thematic material is stated. (Also statement)

Which movement is the slow movement in the multimovement cycle?

Second movement

motive

Short melodic or rhythmic idea; the smallest fragment of a theme that forms a melodic-harmonic-rhythmic unit

coda

The last part of a piece, usually added to a standard form to bring it to a close

sonata-allegro form

The opening movement of the multimovement cycle, consisting of themes that are stated in the first section: EXPOSITION, developed in the second section: DEVELOPMENT, and restated in the third section: RECAPITULATION (AKA: sonata form)

Cadenza

Virtuosic solo passage in the manner of an improvisation, performed near the end of an aria or a movement of a concerto.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

born in Bonn, Germany; age 11, supported family; age 22, moved to Vienna; worked under modified patronage system; progressive hearing loss; Style: expert in large-scale forms, individuality evident: pushed against formal conventions (transitional composer to Romanic period); Compositional activity: 3 periods - first: reflection of Haydn and Mozart - second: strong dynamic contrasts, explosive accents, longer movements - third: chromatic harmonies, transcendence (Output: orchestral music, 9 symphonies, concertos, 32 piano sonatas, chamber music, 17 string quartets, one opera, choral music)

chamber music

ensemble music for up to about 10 players, with one player to a part

Multimovement instrumental works typically started with a ________?

fast movement

Which describes the character of the last movement rondo?

lively and spirited

The fourth movement of Haydn's string quartet is in what form?

rondo

The first movement of a string quartet or symphony is in what form?

sonata-allegro form

What type of chamber music is considered a "conversation without words"?

string quartet

What is considered the "heart of classical orchestra"?

strings

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Austrian composer and pianist, born in Salzburg, Austria; son of esteemed court composer-violinist Leopold Mozart; most gifted child in music history; rebelled against patronage system; freelance musician in Vienna; Style: elegant and songful melodies, contrasts of mood, and drama; Career peak: 3 comic operas: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte; (Output: 41 symphonies, chamber music, keyboard works, concertos, opera)

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Austrian composer, born in Rohrau, Austria; choirboy at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna; Esterházys: patronage system at its best (30 years); directed orchestra, opera company, marionette theater, Chapel; important in development of the orchestra and string quartet; Style: expressive harmony, structural logic, varied moods; (Output: over 100 symphonies, 68 string quartets, concertos, 14 operas, keyboard music)

What is the typical form of the second movement of a symphony?

Both ternary and theme and variations

string quartet

Chamber music ensemble consisting of 2 violins, viola, and cello. Also a multimovement composition for this ensemble.

divertimento

Classical instrumental genre for chamber ensemble or soloist, often performed as light entertainment

serenade

Classical instrumental genre that combines elements of chamber music and symphony, often performed in the evening or at social functions. Related to divertimento

Singspiel

Comic German drama with spoken dialogue; the immediate predecessor of Romantic German opera

Surprise Symphony

Composed by Haydn . .

The Joke Quartet (1781)

Composed by Haydn . .

Eine kleine Nachtmusik (1787)

Composed by Mozart; serenade (public entertainment; outdoor performance); 4 movements; Structural conventions: forms provide framework; 1st movement: sonata-allegro form (rocket-theme); 3rd movement: minuet-and-trio form

symphony

Large work for orchestra, generally in 3 or 4 movements

sequence

Restatement of an idea or motive at a different pitch level.

Patronage System

Sponsorship of a musician by a member of the aristocracy; palace seen as the center of musical life; provided composers with economic security; also provided opportunities to women (Mozart's sister, Maria [Nannerl] Anna Mozart, and blind friend, Maria Theresia); best associated with Haydn

development

Structural reshaping of thematic material. The second section of sonata-allegro form; it moves through a series of foreign keys while themes from the exposition are developed

cyclical form

Structure in which musical material, such as a theme, presented in one movement returns in a later movement.

Characteristics of the Classical Period

THEMATIC DEVELOPMENT; elegant, lyrical melodies; symmetrical four-bar phrases; clear-cut cadences; clarity: repetition, sequence; balanced structure; diatonic harmonies; homophonic texture

refrain

Text or music that is repeated within a larger form

recapitulation

Third section of sonata-allegro form, in which the thematic material of the exposition is restated, generally in the tonic. (Also restatement)

bridge

Transitional passage connecting two sections of a composition, (also transition); Its function is to modulate (change from one key to another)