Chapter 12: Classical Style

The Classical Era (1750-1820)• Musical proportion, balance, and formal correctness

• Emulation of the art of ancient Greece and Rome

• Classical architecture: geometric shapes, balance, symmetrical design, lack of clutter

The Enlightenment• Also called the Age of Reason

• Pursuit of truth and discovery of natural laws

• Encyclopedia Britannica and the French Encyclopédie

• Scientific advances

• Growth of the middle class

• Age of Revolution– American Revolution – Declaration of Independence. 1776

– French Revolution – storming of the Bastille, 1789

The Democratization of Classical Music:Public Concerts

• Performances gradually moved from the palace to the concert hall

• Supported by the middle class

• Concert spirituel: Successful Parisian concert series– First non-court orchestra played on a regular schedule of

performances

– Two-tiered price scheme for a subscription series made performance accessible to several strata of society

– Commercialization of a shared musical experience

• London – Vauxhall Gardens

• Vienna – Burgtheater (City Theatre) opened in 1759

The Rise of Popular Opera• Comic Opera: Expressed middle class values; satire of

pompous and incompetent aristocrats– Also called Opera buffa

– Use of everyday characters and situations

– Use of da capo arias (ABA)

– Sight gags, bawdy humor, and social satire

– Reflected social change as well as inspired it

The Advent of the Piano

• Invented in Italy around 1700

• Replaced the harpsichord

• Could play more than one dynamic level– Originally named the pianoforte

• Amateur music making in the home– Many amateur pianists were women

– Simpler, more homophonic style of keyboard music

Elements of Classical Style• Melody: Tuneful, catchy, singable melodies– Simple and short with balanced phrases

• Antecedent and Consequent phrases

• Example from Mozart’s Piano Concert in C major (1785)

Elements of Classical Style• Harmony: Harmonic rhythm much more fluid and

flexible than in the Baroque music– Alberti Bass: Spreads out pitches of a chord to provide a

steady steam of sound

• Rhythm: More flexible rhythm– Greater variety within a single movement

Elements of Classical Style• Texture: Mostly homophonic – Light and transparent

– Thin bass and middle range

– Counterpoint used sparingly and mainly for contrast

The Dynamic Mood of Classical Music• Use of rapid changes in mood, texture, color, and

dynamics adds a new sense of urgency and drama

• Use of crescendo and diminuendo

• An Example of Classical Style: Mozart, Le nozzi di Figaro (1786)