Composers and Musical Forms: Baroque, Classicism, and Romanticism

Posted on Feb 13, 2025 in Music

Leading Composers by Era

Baroque (1600-1750)

Notable Composers:

  • Antonio Vivaldi (The Four Seasons)
  • Johann Sebastian Bach
  • George Frideric Handel

Classicism (1750-1820)

Notable Composers:

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Joseph Haydn

Romanticism (approx. 1830-1900)

Notable Composers:

  • Frédéric Chopin (composed works for piano, including Op. 11 and Op. 21 concertos)
  • Franz Schubert (took lessons with Salieri; composed over 600 lieder and 9 symphonies)
  • Gioachino Rossini (operas: The Barber of Seville, William Tell)
  • Giacomo Puccini (Tosca, Turandot, La Bohème)
  • Giuseppe Verdi (Nabucco, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Aida, Otello, Falstaff)
  • Richard Wagner (Der Ring des Nibelungen [Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, Götterdämmerung], Der fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Tristan und Isolde)
  • Georges Bizet (Carmen)
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (ballets and 6 symphonies, 1 piano concerto, 1 violin concerto, 2 operas) (Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker)
  • Johannes Brahms (Hungarian Dances, 2 piano concertos, many lieder)

Characteristics of Each Period

Baroque (1600-1750)

(Final = Death of Bach)

The word “Baroque” comes from the Portuguese word for “irregular pearl.” Key features include:

  • Use of violins, violas.
  • Major and minor modes; decline of ecclesiastical modes.
  • Dominated by melody and polyphony.
  • Accompaniments with cello or bass for keyboard instruments.
  • The first opera, Orfeo, by Claudio Monteverdi, was created in 1607.
  • The first piano was created in 1711 by Bartolomeo Cristofori.
  • Both vocal and instrumental music were prominent.
  • The first orchestras, primarily string orchestras, arose.
  • The suite (a collection of dances) was a common instrumental form.
  • Instrumentalists were not yet accompanying singers and improvised frequently.
  • Key forms: toccata, prelude, fantasy.
  • Appearance of virtuosity.

Classicism (1750-1820)

Inspired by the philosopher Kant’s motto “Sapere Aude” (Dare to Know), the 18th century, or the Age of Reason, saw two key developments that favored composers’ freedom:

  1. Rise of the Bourgeoisie: Increased economic opportunities allowed people to attend concerts and purchase scores for keyboard instruments, leading to a demand for simpler works.
  2. Birth of the Modern Audience: Music became more symmetrical, and dynamic expression signs (crescendo, decrescendo) began to be used.

Key forms:

  • Sonata Cycle (3 or 4 movements: 1st fast, 2nd slow, 3rd moderate, 4th fast)
  • Sonata Form (Parts: 1st exposition, 2nd development, 3rd re-exposition)
  • Symphony: A form with 4 movements, played by an orchestra.

Romanticism (approx. 1830-1900)

  • Piano used in shorter forms.
  • Orchestras used in symphonies and symphonic poems.
  • Opera and lieder were prominent.
  • Forms included nocturnes, ballads, waltzes, impromptus, scherzos, fantasies, polonaises, preludes, and virtuoso studies (mazurkas).
  • Search for suggestive feelings.
  • More varied dynamic nuances.
  • Music education and conservatories were established (Paris Conservatory in 1793, Madrid Conservatory in 1830).
  • Public concert halls were built (not just for aristocrats and the church).
  • Expansion of the orchestra.

Typical Baroque Forms

  • Toccata: A piece for keyboard instruments.
  • Opera: A vocal and instrumental form.
  • Oratorio: A vocal and instrumental work based on biblical themes, similar to opera. Handel composed 43 oratorios (including Messiah and Judas Maccabaeus).
  • Concerto: An instrumental piece with 3 movements (1st fast, 2nd slow, 3rd very fast). Types include:
    • Concerto Grosso: A small group of soloists accompanied by a chamber orchestra (more than 20 instruments). Examples: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (4 concertos) and Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos (6 concertos).
    • Solo Concerto: One instrument accompanied by an orchestra.
  • Cantata: A vocal work with chorus. Bach composed 224 cantatas (e.g., Coffee Cantata).

Classical Forms

  • Symphony: A form with 4 movements, played by an orchestra.
  • Sonata: (As described above).

Romantic Forms

  • Lied: A song for solo voice accompanied by piano.