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Classical period

1750 - 1825
(or 1750 - 1803)

The musical center of the universe turns to Vienna.

Viennese School:
Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven

The term "Classical" for the period from 1750 to 1803
refers to aspects of the classical Greek culture that the
later 18th-century movers and shapers felt they had
"rediscovered" in a special way.

Beginning: 1750, the year J.S.Bach   died, is generally
considered the end of the Baroque and the beginning of the
Classic era.  Certainly by 1750 the new symphonies and
string quartets were being written.

End: 1803, the year of the first Romantic piece of music,
BEETHOVEN'S "SYMPHONY NO. 3 IN Eb" , the "EROICA", is a
useful date for ending the Classic era and beginning the
Romantic.  (3rd Symphony, 1803, in 3 flats - three 3's help
one remember the date.)  Twice the length of any preceding
symphony, the "Eroica  ", originally dedicated to Napoleon,
speaks a new and different language.


By 1750 the Dionysian sympathies of the Baroque had given
way to the more Apollonian predilections of the Classic. 
(Apollo    was the Greek god of reason and Dionysus was the
Greek god of excess.)  The essential qualities of Greek
civilization and art were, as Johann Winckelmann put it, "a
noble simplicity and tranquil loftiness, a beautiful
proportion, order and harmony" -- a well-nigh perfect
description of the Apollonian style.

This era went back to the Greeks for inspiration just as
the Baroque Florentine Camerata had gone back to Greek
drama.

APOLLONIAN TRAITS                       DIONYSIAN TRAITS
unity                                   sharper, dramatic
order                                   contrasts
homogeneity                             exaggeration
tranquility                             hugeness
balance                                 energy
symmetry                                motion
moderation                              theatricality
flamboyance


In addition to the Greek revival and the existence of two
artistic and musical mainstreams the second half of the
18th century saw the Americans and French rid themselves of
their monarchies.  ("The American Revolution" and "The
French Revolution")

Though only 53 years and two generations long, the Classic
era had more than its fair share of giants:  Haydn, Mozart,
Beethoven, Beaumarchais, Dr. Johnson, Boswell,Burns,
Goldsmith, Voltaire, Rousseau, Schiller, Goethe, Thomas
Jefferson, Madison and Paine - not to mention Marie
Antoinette, the Marquis de Sade and Catherine the Great!

The Classic era brought the "age of Reason" to its climax;
in fact, Voltaire, in Houdon's great sculpture, is seen
smiling the sweet smile of reason on all of Classic
creativity.


Listening:

Haydn (1732-1809):
String Quartet in C Major, op. 76, no. 3, "Emperor," 2nd
Movt.
Ex. 21, page 156


FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN  1732-1809

served the Esterhazy family most of his life
father of the string quartet  - he wrote c.70 of them
greatest innovator in the history of the symphony
he wrote 104+ of them
wrote the first important concerto for the new valve trumpet
his c.52 piano sonatas are also highly experimental
master of the Mass - he wrote 12 of them
generally more monothematic than Mozart
(i.e. he didn't use as many themes)
his minuets tend to be in country dance style
loved lavish use of solos within the orchestra
fond of surprise dynamics
more frequent and more distant modulations than Mozart
more use of syncopations (i.e. displaced accents) and odd
interruptions and pauses than Mozart
more use of "masculine" cadences than Mozart
(i.e. cadences ending on a downbeat or strong beat)
his melodies tend to have more of a folk quality than those
of
Mozart and are less symmetrical
Patronage

Haydn
Lived as a "servant" all his life and prospered.

Mozart
Fought the system and was miserable and died poor.

Beethoven
Successfully defied the system.

Listening:

Haydn:
Concerto in Eb for Trumpet & Orchestra, III

Ex. 20, page 152

Wolfgang
Amadeus
Mozart

1756-1791
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART  1756-1791

the greatest musical child prodigy in history
highly travelled, he worked in Salzburg and,
for the last 11 years of his life, in Vienna
greatest spontaneous or effortless musician ever
wrote the greatest piano concerti of all time
-- he wrote c. 27 of them
his last 6 symphonies exemplify the synthesis of Apollonian
and Dionysian at its best -- he wrote c.41 symphonies -- the
finale of his "Jupiter" Symphony (No. 41 in C) has the
finest contrapuntalwriting in ALL symphonic literature
greatest variety of superb chamber music -- especially
important are his divertimenti, serenades, notturni, string
quintets and Clarinet Quintet
many would say that Mozart was the greatest opera composer
of all time - certainly his operas are the greatest by a
predominately instrumental composer or symphonist
-- his Don Giovanni, along with J.S. Bach's Mass in B Minor
and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, is one of the three greatest
works ever composed


his unfinished Requiem opens with the greatest double fugue
since J.S. Bach

extremely smooth and subtle transitions
more use of pure woodwind writing than Haydn
less emphatic, syncopated rhythms than Haydn
SMOOTH is the key work for Mozart
more "feminine" cadences than Haydn
(i.e. cadences ending on an upbeat or weak beat)
fewer folk-like themes than Haydn
more symmetrically balanced melodies than Haydn
Mozart uses many more themes in a given movement

Haydn told Mozart's father that Mozart was 'the greatest
composer known to me in person or by name; he has taste
and, what is more, the greatest knowledge of composition'.


Sonata-Allegro Form:


(Introduction)

Exposition (A)

Development (B)

Recapitulation (A)

Coda


Listening:

[Sonata-Allegro form]
Mozart:
Symphony no. 40 in G Minor, 1st movement

Ex. 18, page 150


Listening:

Mozart:
The Marriage of Figaro, Act I, Duet, Cavatina: "Se Vuol'
Ballare"

Ex. 22, page 162