Music History

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Music History
Classical Period 1750 1825 AD
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Classical ---1750 1835 AD
Music History
1. Opera splits into two categories
a. Tragic Opera
-also called opera seria
-usually told a very sad story
b. Comic Opera
-also called opera buffa
-usually told a funny story
-Mozart made this style very popular
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Music History
F. Classical --- 1750 - 1825 AD
1. Opera splits into two categories
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Music History
Classical --- 1750 - 1825 AD
New instrumental musical styles
a. Symphony Orchestra
-invented during the Classical Period
-the Symphony Orchestra evolved from the Concerto
Grosso of the Baroque period
-uses the same form as the Concerto Grosso (fast
slow fast), but there is a fourth
movement added after the slow movement. It is in
3 beats per measure
Fast Slow 3 beats per measure Fast

• The Classical Symphony
• has 4 sections or movements

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Music History
Classical --- 1750 - 1825 AD
New instrumental musical styles
a. Chamber Music
-music for a small ensemble and audience (an
ensemble is a group of musicians)
-usually consisted of two to eight different
instruments
-examples String Quartet, Piano Trio
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Music History
Classical --- 1750 - 1825 AD
New instrumental musical styles
Chamber Music (continued)
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Music History
Classical --- 1750 - 1825 AD
Important Composers
a. Franz Joseph Haydn
-From Vienna, Austria (the new center of
musical activity)
-very poor as a child, he taught himself to write
music
-experimented with every new musical style
-most famous for writing Symphony Orchestras
(104) and String Quartets (chamber music).
-nicknamed the Father of the Symphony
- Two famous pieces by Haydn are the Surprise
Symphony and The Creation
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Music History
Classical --- 1750 - 1825 AD
Important Composers (continued)
b. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- lived in Austria (the cities of Salzburg and
Vienna)
- a child prodigy and a musical genius
- composed in almost every musical style
including concerto, string quartet, symphony,
mass, and opera
- most famous for writing comic opera

• Two famous Mozart pieces include Eine Kleine
  Nachtmusik and his opera The Magic Flute

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Music History
Classical --- 1750 - 1825 AD
Important Composers (continued)
b. Ludwig van Beethoven
- born and lived in Germany
- had a rough early life, which made him
temperamental and mean later in life.
- a very hard worker, Beethoven spent months
on every composition.
- went deaf later in his life (due to severe
tinnitus)
- most well-known for his symphonies
- bridged the Classical and Romantic periods
- Two famous pieces include his piano piece Fur
Elise, and his 5th Symphony
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Music History
Classical --- 1750 - 1825 AD
Important Details
a. Simplicity is the important word of the
Classical Period

• The pianoforte was invented during this time and
• becomes the most important keyboard instrument