Classical Music
1750 - 1800
Key Characteristics.

A less complicated _____________ than had been evident in Baroque
times (less Polyphonic)

More use of expression through _____________. Greater Dynamic
contrasts were evident

A polished précis and _____________ character

Clear use of _____________

Clear use of _____________

Changing _____________ and emotions within one piece of music

_____________ changes were slower, less frequent unlike Baroque
music which often changed chords 2 or 3 times per bar

The replacement of the Harpsichord with the _____________

Less use of _____________

The use of _____________ _____________ in Piano music
Activity 1
Listen to Mozart’s Symphony No 40
1. Is the piece in a major or minor key? _____________
2. Which family of instruments play the opening theme? ____________
3. What playing technique are the strings using? _____________
Composers
There were many influential composers in the Classical period. Three of the most
important were:
The Classical Orchestra
The basic structure of the Classical Orchestra took the following form
Strings:
Violins, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses
Woodwind: 1 or 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2
Bassoons
Brass:
2 Horns, 2 Trumpets
Percussion: 2 Timpani
Symphony
•
The Symphony was an emerging style of composition for an Orchestra.
•
The symphony was usually written in four _____________
•
No_____________ and no voices.
•
The movements took the following format:
Movement 1 – Fast
Movement 2 – Slow
Movement 3 – _____________ and _____________
Movement 4 – Fast
Solo Concerto
•
Written for _____________ and 1 _____________ instrument
•
_____________ and _____________ between Orchestra and Soloist
•
Use of _____________ between orchestra and soloist
•
The _____________ where the soloist gets to show off their skills and can
be allowed some degree of Improvisation within this.
Movement 1 – Fast,
Movement 2 – Slow,
Movement 3 – Fast
Chamber Music
•
Chamber Music is music written for a _____________ group of musicians and
intended to be played in a room (chamber) rather than a large Concert Hall.
•
There were various groups of musicians which Chamber music was written for
such as a _____________ or a Quintet.
•
In the Classical period the most popular group written for was the String
Quartet, _____________ wrote many of these ensembles. The String Quartet
used the following instruments;
Scherzo

A _____________ movement (a ‘joke’)

_____________ time

Usually found as 3rd movement in a _____________, _____________ or
chamber work.
Overture
_____________ music which _____________ a large scale work such as Opera or
Oratorio
Alberti Bass
The _____________ was the Keyboard instrument of choice during the Classical
period.
•
Played on piano in the _____________ hand
•
Alternates the notes of the _____________
–
•
E.g C E G in the order C G E G
Common feature of the _____________ and Solo _____________
Activity 2
Now work out the alberti bass pattern for the chords of G, D and A
G
D
Sonata
•
Work for solo _____________ or
•
Solo _____________ plus piano
•
Both parts are technically demanding
A
Sonata Form
As already mentioned Classical composers liked to write their music with precision and order. At
their disposal they already had Binary and Ternary Form. Composers of the Classical era extended
these to develop Sonata Form which was used as the plan for the first movement of a Sonata.
Sonata Form followed the plan below:
Exposition
Development
1st Subject
(tonic)
1st Subject
(tonic)
Moving through new
keys,
discussing, developing,
Bridge
(Changing Key)
To round off
Bridge
(now altered)
combining and opposing
ideas from the
exposition
2nd Subject
(new key)
Coda
Recapitulation
2nd Subject
(tonic)
.
Minuet and Trio
The Minuet originated in the Baroque period as part of the _____________. The
Minuet and Trio was an extension of this form in the Classical period and involved
the addition of the Trio which was basically a _____________ Minuet. The Minuet
and Trio has the following features:
-
A graceful French _____________
-
_____________ beats in the bar
-
_____________ Form
A
B
A
Minuet
Trio
Minuet
Theme and Variation
This was a popular form in the Classical period with composers such as Mozart and Haydn. In
Theme and Variation form the composer first presents a tune, called a Theme, in a simple way. He
then builds up the theme by repeating it but altering it in a slightly different way each time. Below
are some of the ways in which a Theme can be varied:
5 main ways to vary a theme
-
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
-
The
The
The
The
The
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
The use of ornaments
Changing the harmony
Changing the rhythm, Time signature or
Tempo
Using Inversion, Augmentation, Diminution
Using Modulations
Changing the Instrumentation
Using Imitation
Rondo

In a rondo, the main theme (A) keeps ‘coming round’, with
_____________ sections (B, C and so on).

These contrasting sections are called _____________

The main theme (A) begins and ends in the _____________ key each time;
each episode is in a related key.
A plan for a simple rondo with two episodes looks like this:
A1
Main
Theme
A2
Repetition
of Main
Theme
B
1st Episode:
a contrast
A3
Repetition
of Main
Theme
C
2ndEpisode:
another
contrast
Things to remember:
 When the main theme ‘A’ returns, the composer may shorten or vary it in
someway.
 The sections may be joined by a link
 To round off the music the composer may add a coda