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UNIT FOUR: THE CLASSICAL ERA (CA 1750- CA 1825)
• Historians often refer to the late 18ht century as the Age of Enlightenment.
 Era characterized by the pursuit of knowledge, rational thinking, and growing desire for equality among all people
 Baroque era was replaced by Classical ideas of proportion, symmetry and balance.
 Musicians, artists and architects in this era took their inspiration form the simplicity and clean lines of Greco-Roman architectural models.

VIENNESE SCHOOL
 Vienna is the capital of Austria
 City stood at the crossroads between Europe and the East and attracted the leading artists, architects and writers and musicians of the day.
 In 18th Vienna, Austria emerged as a musical center
 Principal composers include Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven leader in the forging of the Classical style.

STRUM UND DRANG
 High level of emotionalism and dealing with the individual’s revolt against society
 2 writers use are Friedrich Schiller and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
 German for “storm and stress”
 Literary movement roughly spanning the years 1760-1785
 Artistic aim was to frighten, shock or otherwise overwhelm the reader with emotion
 Musically, it translated into passionate outburst and emphasis on minor keys
 Evident in the music of the sons of Bach, Haydn, and Mozart

SYMPHONY
BACKGROUND
 Developed from the 3 section Italian overture (fast slow fast)
 Mannheim composers inserted the minuet and trio, thereby establishing the 4 movements sonata cycle
 Incorporated the newly emerging sonata form
 Composed with the 4 orchestral families in mind

CHARACTERISTICS
 Multi-movement orchestral work
 Orchestra consisted of the 4 families: strings, winds, brass, and percussion
 Generally had 4 contrasting movements as shown below

MANNHEIM SCHOOL
 Group of composers active at the court of Mannheim, Germany in the latter half of the 18th
 Leading figures included Karl Stamitz and Christian Cannabich
 Developed the orchestral crescendo and rocket theme exerted a strong influence on the composers of the Viennese School

KEYBOARD MUSIC
DOMENICO SCARLATTI (1685-1757)
• Was born in the same year just like J.S.Bach and G.F. Handel, he composed Italian operas, his fame for today rests on brilliant keyboard sonatas
• Technical challenges: hand crossings, arpeggiated figures, ornaments, repeated notes, and rapid passagework, sonatas in binary or rounded binary form.
  MUSICALSTYLE:
• Brilliant harpsichordist
• Contributed to the development of idiomatic writing for harpsichord: rapid passagework, hand crossing, arpeggiated figures
• Frequent use of sequential passages
• Harmonic vocabulary also use of dissonance, acciaccaturas, suspensions, pedal point
• Absorbed international influence: Italian, Spanish, French
• Binary and round binary structures foreshadow sonata form
GENRES AND TITLES:
• Keyboard sonatas: over 500, Exercises for Harpsichord.
• Sacred work: Stabat mater, Salve regina
• Operas: Tolomeo et Alessandro.

PRE-CLASSICAL STYLE: lighter homophonic texture marked with elegant ornamentation and development of sonata form
CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH (1714-1788)
• C.P.E Back was better known then his father, he worked at the court of Frederic the Great King of Prussia at Potsdam.
• Outstanding keyboard player, particularly on the harpsichord and clavichord
• Produced an enormous body of music :keyboard sonatas, concertos, symphonies, cantatas, oratorios
• Contributed to the development of sonata form
• Author of important treatise: Essay on the True of Playing Keyboard Instruments (published 1753) that served as a practical guide to all aspects of keyboard performances including the correct execution of ornaments.
WILHELM FRIEDEMANN BACH (1710-1784)
• A brilliant organist, he held distinguished posts in Dresden and Halle
• Renowned (well known) for his improvisational skills
• Composed numerous solo keyboard works, concertos, organ fugues, chamber music symphonies and cantatas
JOHANN CHRISTOPH BACH (1732-1795)
• Held a lifelong post at the court of Buckeburg
• Composed solo keyboard music, keyboard concertos, symphonies, cantatas, oratorios and operas
JOHANN CHRISTIAN BACH (1735 1782)
• Converted to Catholicism and served as organist at Milan Cathedral
• Spent his last 20 years in London where he serve as music master to Queen Charlotte; historians frequently refer as “the London Bach”, or “the English Bach”
• Composed large body of music , such as keyboard works, chamber music, symphonies, and operas
• Shaped the classical concertos
• Befriended the young Mozart and exerted a strong musical influence over him

ORCHESTRAL SUITE
BACKGROUND:
• In the Renaissance era dances were often paired to emphasize contrast as in the Pavane and Galliard combination
• In the Baroque era the grouping of contrasting dances pieces was taken a step further with the establishment of the formal dance suite
• The practice of grouping dances together began in the 17th in France where the term Ordre was used in reference to collections of dances in the same key
• In Germany a standard order for the dances was established by Johann Jacob Froberger in the 17th.
CHARACTERISTIC:
• Dances are generally in binary form
• Contrasting dances in the same key are grouped together in suites.

GEORGE FREDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)
MUSICAL STYLE:
• A cosmopolitan figure, he absorbed the international styles of his time: German, French and Italian
• Use of very basic elements (chordal passages, scale figures) makes his style accessible and appealing
• Frequent alternation of homorhythmic passages (homophonic) with contrapuntal textures (polyphonic)
• Conveys a sense of pageantry and dramatic theatrical style through grandiose gestures such as full SATB choral sound, bold contrasts of dynamics.
• An important contributor to the development of Italian opera seria composed over 40 works in this genre
• His da capo arias were a showcase for vocal virtuosity
• Created the English oratorio emphasizing the role of the chorus
• Used both recitative secco and recitative accompagnato in operas and oratorios
• Used vivid word painting
• Virtuosic, idiomatic keyboard style, inverted the organ concerto
• Contributed to the development of orchestral and keyboard suites
GENRES AND TITLES:
• Operas: Rinaldo, Giulio Cesare, Serse, Orlando
• Oratorios : messiah, Judas Maccabeus, Israel in Egypt
• Sacred vocal work: Ode forSaint Cecilia’s Day, Te Deum
• Keyboard works for organ and harpsichord
• Orchestral works: suites-Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks; concerti grossi, organ concertos.

CONCERTO GROSSO
BACKGROUND
• “concerto” comes from the Latin concertare means to collaborate or to debate; in Italian concertare means to agree or get together
• The original use of the word concerto in music was in reference to mixed vocal and instrumental ensembles (to differentiate from a capella singing)
• Developed in 17th in Italy
• Originally a work for instruments and/ or voices based on the principal of contrast

CHARACTERISTICS
• Multi-movement work for soloist /soloists and orchestra
• Generally in 3 movements fast slow fast
• Outer movements usually used ritornellos form
• There were 2 types of concertos in the Baroques period – solo concerto (with a single soloist) and concerto grosso (group of soloists)
ORCHESTRAL SUITE
BACKGROUND:
• In the Renaissance era dances were often paired to emphasize contrast as in the Pavane and Galliard combination
• In the Baroque era the grouping of contrasting dances pieces was taken a step further with the establishment of the formal dance suite
• The practice of grouping dances together began in the 17th in France where the term Ordre was used in reference to collections of dances in the same key
• In Germany a standard order for the dances was established by Johann Jacob Froberger in the 17th.
CHARACTERISTIC:
• Dances are generally in binary form
• Contrasting dances in the same key are grouped together in suites.

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685- 1750)
MUSICAL STYLE:
• His music represents the ultimate in baroque craftsmanship and the culmination of 1oo years of polyphonic writing
• Did not invent new forms but perfected existing forms of this day like fugues, concertos and cantatas
• amazing control of polyphonic texture
• Wrote fugues throughout his career demonstrating a wide variety of techniques and approaches (The Well Tempered Clavier, Art of the Fugue)
• Also used contrapuntal texture within other genres (choral fugue in Cantata no 80 , fugal passages in Brandenburg Concertos)
• Organized large-scale works systematically (The Well Tempered Clavier is ordered chromatically by key: C major, C minor, C sharp major, C sharp minor , D major, D minor)
• Composed many “sets” of works ( 15 two-part Inventions, 15 Three- Part Inventions , 6 English Suites, 6 French suites , 6 partitas)
• Composed many sacred works for the Lutheran Church (chorales, cantatas) ; composed a mass in B minor , even though he was not catholic
• Italian influences – lyricism or operatic arias,, dynamic instrumental style
• French influences- dance rhythms, French overtures , ornamentation
• English influences- choral style , English dances
• A virtuoso organist who wrote many very difficult works for keyboard (toccatas, fugues, concertos, Goldenberg variations)
• Composed keyboard music for all levels from elementary level pieces for students (Notebook for Anna Magdalena, his 2nd wife) to concert pieces.
GENRES AND TITLES:
• Sacred and secular cantatas Coffee Cantata and Peasant Cantata; oratorios Christmas Oratorio, St.Mathew Passion and St. John Passion; motets Magnificat, Mass in B minor.
• Orchestral suites, concerti grossi- eg. Brandebourg Concerti ; solo concertos
• Chamber music , sonatas and partitas for violin, cello suites, flute sonatas solo viola da gamba sonatas – The Musical Offering
• Keyboard music, preludes and fugues, suites, partitas, variations, inventions, sinfonias- Italian Concerto, Goldberg Variations.
• Organ music, choral preludes, toccatas, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, fantasias, preludes, fugues, and passacaglias.

OPERA IN ITALY
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567- 1643)
MUSICAL STYLE:
• Embraced elements of baroque style such as the use of figured bass, major/minor tonality , monody , and “doctrine of the affections”
• Used chromaticism as an expressive device
• Used word painting in madrigals and operas
• Increase emotional intensity though the use of stile concitato
• In this operas, he increased the role of instruments to create moods and characters
• Differentiated between recitative and aria style in operas
• Increased the role of ensembles; established the love duet.
• His music is emotional passion.
GENRES AND TITLES:
• Madrigals: over 250 in 9 books
• Operas: L’Orfeo, L’Arianna , Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, and L’incoronazione di Poppea
• Sacred music: masses, magnificants and Vespers
OPERA IN ENGLAND
HENRY PURCELL (1659- 1695)
• The most important English Baroque composer
• Prolific composer, despite short life
• Combines elements of national styles by embracing: lyric arias( Italian style), ornamentation and the French overture (French style0 and Renaissance madrigal and choral tradition (English style)
• Effective use of word painting
• Virtuosic keyboard style
GENRES AND TITLES:
• Sacred vocal works , anthems, hymns , Te Deum, Jubilate
• Opera: Dido and Aeneas
• Dramatic music: King Arthur, The Fairy Queen
• Solo songs
• Keyboard music , suites
• Orchestral works
ITALIAN OPERA IN ENGLAND
• After 1st public opera houses in Italy in early 17th, opera seria spread throughout Europe
• Frederic Handel (1685-1759) represents an important stage in Baroque opera. He learned to perfect the craft of this works in Hamburg, Italy and Hanover. Arrival to London his 1st opera was Rinaldo 1711, later 30 years dominated the London opera scene, he has 40 operas. He incorporated aspects of French, German and English style into his dramatic works
CANTATA
BACKGROUND
• From Italian cantare “to sing”
• Originally the term designated vocal works as opposed to instrumental works
• Began as a form of chamber music for solo voice with continuo
• Adopted into Lutheran church service in 18th
• J.S. Back composed over 300, of which approximately 200 have survived
CHARACTERISTICS
• A multi-movement vocal work
• Sacred or secular
• For vocal soloists and chorus with instrumental accompaniment
• Consists of recitatives, arias , ensembles and choruses
• Sacred cantatas performed as part of Lutheran church service in 18th century Germany