Transcript
Chapter 12
Instrumental Music in
the Classical Era
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-1 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The Language of Instrumental Music
Since antiquity, theorists and musicians considered vocal music superior to purely instrumental music
Without words, music could please the senses, but could not embody concepts or reason
Idea emerged that instrumental music had a syntax and rhetoric of its own
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-2 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Most important genres of Classical era – sonata, string quartet, symphony, concerto – consist of three or four movements providing contrasts of tempo
First and last movements were fast; middle movement (or one of the middle movements) was slower
Slow movements could take many forms: sonata form, theme and variations, ternary (ABA)
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-3 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
In four-movement cycles, one of the interior movements (usually the third) was typically a minuet
Minuet is in triple meter and almost always consists of two juxtaposed binary forms
First of these binary forms is minuet proper and second is trio
At end of trio, minuet proper is repeated
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-4 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Finales can take on a variety of forms, most common of which are sonata form and rondo
Rondos involve alternation of recurring theme with contrasting material
Pattern can be diagrammed as ABACADA, with A representing opening, recurring idea (often called refrain) and B, C, and D representing contrasting ideas (episodes or couplets)
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-5 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
Sonata-rondo form: aspects of sonata form and the rondo
In this synthesis, first episode (B) is in secondary key (like theme in secondary key of sonata-form exposition); when theme reappears toward end of movement, it is transposed to tonic as in a sonata-form recapitulation
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-6 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
Sonata
Remained quintessential domestic genre of instrumental music
Keyboard sonata flourished due to growing affordability and availability of piano
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-7 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
Sturm und Drang (“storm and stress”) – characteristics include use of minor mode, large melodic leaps, jagged syncopations, and sudden dynamic contrasts
Result is sense of heightened emotional intensity and drama
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-8 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Piano by Johann Andreas Stein, Augsburg, 1790. Mozart praised the responsive action of Stein’s pianos, which had a keyboard of 61 notes, from the F two-and-a-half octaves below middle C to the F two-and-a-half octaves above. The dampers were controlled by a sideways-moving lever operated by the player’s right knee.
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-9 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
String Quartet
New to Classical era
Its performance forces – two violins, viola, violoncello – are from same family, creating a homogeneous timbre
No basso continuo line
Domestic genre for performance in the house or salon to a small and select audience
Typically consists of three, four or five movements with four-movement format emerging as standard
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-10 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
Symphony
Around 1720s, these one- or three- movement works (fast-slow-fast) began to appear independent of any opera or oratorio for which they had been written
Concert symphony was intensely cultivated throughout Classical era
Quality of orchestras varied within Europe, but their size grew during second half of 18th century
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-11 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
Symphony
Familiar four-movement structure became standard around 1770
First movement – typically the weightiest and sets the expressive tone. Usually in sonata form, sometimes with slow introduction
Slow movement – usually the second movement. Takes a variety of forms including sonata form, sonata form without development, theme and variations, or some variety of ABA
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-12 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
Symphony
Minuet – dance-inspired, usually the third movement
Finale – last movement; usually relatively light; often in sonata form, rondo, or sonata-rondo form
Slow introductions – in addition to their musical qualities, served a practical purpose: to dampen noise of audience
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-13 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Haydn corrects Beethoven’s counterpoint exercises. Haydn has marked infelicities of voice leading with an “x” above the staves at various points, and to the right of the uppermost example he has written out a preferred solution.
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-14 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
Concerto
Principal genre for instrumental virtuosos to showcase their talents
Ideals of spontaneity and improvisation play an important role – cadenzas in every movement
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-15 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
Concerto
First movements employ a variant of sonata form called double-exposition concerto form
Presents two expositions – first for full orchestra (tutti exposition) and second for soloist (solo exposition)
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-16 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Form and Genre in the
Instrumental Music of the Classical Era
Concerto
Tutti exposition does not modulate and remains in tonic
Solo exposition begins in tonic and moves to secondary key area
Development and recapitulation proceed along lines of conventional sonata form with opportunity for solo cadenza toward end of recapitulation
A History of Music in Western Culture, 4e 12-17 © 2014 Education, Inc.
By Mark Evan Bonds Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458