CC BY, Elliot Jones Santa Ana College

1. Classical Genres

2. Vienna: Musical Capital
 Dominance of the Viennese School
 Franz Joseph Haydn
 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 Ludwig van Beethoven
 Other notable composers
 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
 Johann Christian Bach
 Muzio Clementi

3. Symphony
 Grows out of the Italian overture (sinfonia)
 3 sections: fast, slow, fast
 Sections evolve into separate movements
 Mannheim (Germany) a center of early
symphonic innovation

4. Mannheim Innovations
 Inserting an additional movement
 Minuet and trio inserted as third movement
 These are dances in triple time
 Crescendo
 Gradually building volume from soft to loud
 Rocket theme
 Rhythmic theme rising rapidly from low to
high register

5. Classical Orchestra
 Becomes the ensemble we know today
 Four instrumental families
 Strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion
 Strings are the dominant family
 Still smaller than today’s orchestras
 Classical orchestra: 30 – 40 players
 Modern orchestra: 90 – 100 players

6. Listening Example
 Title: Symphony No. 40 in G minor, I
 Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 Genre: Symphony

7. Notes on Symphony No. 40, I
 Three themes in exposition
 Theme 1 minor and urgent
 Transition theme interrupts repeat of 1
 Theme 2 major and lyrical
 Development focuses on theme 1
 Extensive modulation and fugal treatment
 Recap features unusual development
 Transition theme extended
 Theme 2 now in original key (minor)

8. Chamber Music
 Music on a smaller scale
 Performance in more intimate setting – smaller room
 Music for small ensemble, 2-8 players
 One player to a part
 String quartet becomes most popular
 Longer genres of chamber music
 Divertimento
 Serenade (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik)

9. String Quartet
 Created by Haydn from trio sonata
 As name suggests, just four players
 Two violins, one viola, one cello
 Equal participation by each instrument
 No conductor
 A genre as well as an ensemble
 Same multi-movement cycle as symphony

10. Listening Example
 Title: Emperor Quartet, II
 Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn
 Genre: String Quartet

11. Notes on Emperor Quartet, II
 Theme and variations form
 Listen for repeated melody w/changes
 Listen for 2nd movement characteristics
 Slow tempo
 Lyrical melody
 Note the sound of the small ensemble
 Violins (2), viola, and cello only

12. Serenade
 Chamber music on slightly larger scale
 Follows multimovement cycle
 Same movement structure as symphony
 Movements shorter – chamber music
 Lighter in character
 Strings alone or small orchestra
 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik most famous

13. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
 English: “A little night music”
 Serenade (1787)
 Likely intended as background music for
an aristocratic social event or party
 1st movement has one of the most
recognized melodies of all classical music
 Homophonic texture overall

14. Listening Example
 Title: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, I
 Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 Genre: Serenade

15. Notes on Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, I
 Fast tempo (Allegro)
 Sonata-allegro form (3 themes)
 First theme very famous (rocket theme)
 Contrast between themes:
 1st theme (marchlike)
 2nd theme (lyrical)
 Duple meter

16. Notes on Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, III
 Minuet & Trio form (ABA)
 Each dance features a theme
 Minuet is strongly rhythmic
 Trio is lyrical and expressive
 Moderate tempo (Allegretto)
 Triple meter

17. Sonata
 Another important chamber music genre
 Three movements (no dance names)
 Fast-slow-fast pattern
 Very popular genre among amateur pianists
 The most published genre of the era
 Sonata’s rise tied to the rise of the piano

18. Sonata
 Usually composed for private performance
 Unless specified, sonata refers to solo
piano music
 Two additional types of sonata
 Piano & Violin
 Piano & Cello
 Beethoven’s piano sonatas most significant

19. Concerto
 Baroque concerto had various forms:
 Small group vs. full orchestra
 Soloist vs. full orchestra
 Classical concerto had one form:
 Soloist vs. full orchestra
 Piano and violin most common solo inst.

20. Structure of Classical Concerto
 Three separate movements (same as Baroque)
 Fast-slow-fast pattern
 Double exposition in 1st movement
 Orchestra presents themes in 1st expo.
 Piano plays themes in 2nd expo.
 Often a new theme is presented in 2nd expo.
 Cadenza featured in 1st movement recap

21. Cadenza
 Passage of solo virtuoso performance
 Improvisatory flavor
 Orchestra falls completely silent
 Rhythmic and melodic freedom
 Soloist cues conductor/orchestra with trill

22. Listening Example
 Title: Piano Concerto in A Major, I
 Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 Genre: Concerto

23. Notes on Concerto in A
 Double exposition: orchestra then piano
 4 themes total
 Orchestra presents 3 themes in 1st expo.
 Piano presents the same themes in 2nd expo.
 Strings play a new theme at end of 2nd expo.
 Cadenza in the recapitulation
 Piano plays the new theme in recap