Classical Music: History, Features, and Key Composers
Classical Music: A Historical Overview
Some news: Classical music emerged between the 17th and 19th centuries. This era saw the rise of public concerts, accessible through paid musical tickets, and the advent of music journalism. Numerous books and studies were written to facilitate learning musical instruments.
Key Features of Classical Music
Features classical music: The basso continuo largely disappeared, replaced by accompaniments featuring repeated chords and arpeggios. The rhythmic accompaniment became smoother and more natural compared to the Baroque period. The main melody was almost always constructed symmetrically, with phrases of four or eight bars. Earlier musical forms were refined, with the classical sonata being a prime example. Composers aimed for precise proportions in their works, avoiding excessive emphasis on any single fragment. Sonata form was used extensively. Fixed instrumental groups, such as the string quartet and classical orchestra, were established, seeking a balance of different timbres.
Opera in the Classical Era
The opera: During the 17th century, opera seria declined in popularity, giving way to comic opera, particularly in Venetian theaters. Gluck composed numerous highly successful operas (Iphigénie en Tauride, Armide, Alceste, Orfeo, etc.), influencing Mozart. Mozart also revitalized the genre, creating several operatic masterpieces in both Italian and German, such as Bastien und Bastienne, Idomeneo, Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, The Abduction from the Seraglio, and The Magic Flute.
The Classical Sonata
The classical sonata: There are two distinct concepts:
- A musical form within a movement, comprising the following sections:
- Exposition: Typically contains two distinct melodies, referred to as themes. The first theme is in the main key, while the second often changes key to provide variety. It is often repeated using a full bar repetition.
- Development: The composer explores the themes creatively, using a single theme, combining both, or introducing a new theme, with key changes as needed.
- Recapitulation: A return to the exposition, with the second theme now presented in the main key to affirm it. This section is typically not repeated.
- A work in several movements, with at least one movement in sonata form. Example: A sonata in four movements:
- A fast movement in sonata form.
- A slow movement in lied form.
- A minuet (menuett) form.
- A quick movement in rondo form.
The Use of Sonata Form
The use of sonata form:
- Sinfonia: A composition for orchestra following the four-movement sonata structure.
- Quartet: A composition for string quartet (two violins, viola, and cello) following the sonata structure.
- Concerto with soloist: A work for solo instrument and orchestra, based on the sonata pattern but without the minuet.
(Other forms: Variations involve presenting a theme and then replaying it with altered elements. The rondo features a recurring section interspersed with different fragments, each with changes in tone and character.)
Chamber Music
The chamber music: The term “chamber music” originates from the practice of performing music in a chamber, often a private room of a king, prince, wealthy individual, or high-ranking clergyman. Today, it refers to a small group of instrumentalists (duo, trio, quartet, quintet, etc.). The term “chamber orchestra” is also used to describe a small orchestra consisting primarily of stringed instruments with some wind or percussion instruments.
Key Composers
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach was a significant figure in keyboard music. He is considered the father of the three-movement sonata. He composed 70 sonatas for harpsichord and served as a composer in the court of King Frederick the Great, a music enthusiast. He pioneered a new musical style that influenced subsequent musicians.
Johann Christian Bach
Johann Christian Bach, the youngest of Bach’s sons, was the eighteenth child of Bach. He wrote compositions for the harpsichord, designed to be accessible to female players. He created a sensation in London with his keyboard concertos, composing around 40. He served as organist of the Cathedral of Milan and achieved success as an opera composer. Mozart remembered him fondly and acknowledged his influence.