Performance Practice During the Classical Musical Period

LEARNING TASK 3:
Answer the given questions.

Music in Classical Period
The classical era is the period from 1750-1820. It is also known as the “Age of Reason”. During that day, the cultural life was dominated by the aristocracy, as patrons of musicians and artists who have commonly influenced the arts. Significant changes in musical forms and styles were made. The music of this period was generally of an orderly nature, with qualities of clarity and balance, and emphasizing formal beauty rather than emotional expression. In the middle of the 18th century, Europe has begun new style in architecture, literature, and the arts. This is known as Classicism. This pushed changes in the economics, order and in social structure. The instrumental music was patronized primarily by the nobility. The principles and characteristics of ancient Greece and Roman literature and art which were formal, elegant, simple, freed and dignified signify the term “Classical”. There is also a practice of Alberti Bass. This means that there is a style of broken chord accompaniment.
The Great Composers during the Period

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732—1809)

He was born on March 31, 1732 in Rohrau, Australia and died on May 31, 1809 in Vienna. His life was described as a “rags-to-riches” story. He is from a poor family and his music led him to rise in his social status. He was hired by rich patrons and eventually became a musical director for the Esterhazy family for 30 years. His personality and character reflect in his music and these are: calm, balanced, serious but with touches of humor. He has a great contribution in the establishment of the forms and styles for the string quartet and the symphony. Haydn composed more than 100 symphonies and improved them into long forms for a large orchestra. Haydn was named “Father of the Symphony” and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his great contributions to these genres. Most of symphonies that he composed have its nicknames such as the “Surprise Symphony”, “The Clock”, “The Military”. He also wrote chamber piano music and choral works.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

He was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, the archbishopric of Salzburg, Austria and died on December 5, 1791 in Vienna. He is widely recognized as one of the great composers in the history of Western music and considered as the most amazing genius in musical history. He was already playing the violin and the harpsichord at the age of five and when he was six years old, he was recognized as an exceptional pianist. Furthermore, at the age of seven, he was already composing excellent music. He had written sonatas, concertos, symphonies, religious works, and operas and operettas in the age of thirteen. He created more than 700 compositions. Due to mismanaged finances, Mozart lived his life in poverty and died young and was buried in an unknown grave. Some of the wonderful compositions (concertos, operas and symphonies) of Mozart are “The Marriage of Figaro” (1786), “Don Giovanni (1789), and “The Magic Flute” which became popular. Other known works: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Symphony No. 40 in G Major, and Sonata No. 11 in A Major K311.

Ludwig Van Beethoven

He was born and baptized on December 17, 1770 in Bonn, the archbishopric of Cologne in Germany and died March 26, 1827 in Vienna, Austria. Beethoven belongs to the family of musicians and he studied music at an early age. He is the predominant composer who bridged the late Classical era and the early Romantic era. He is brilliant pianist and composer. Beethoven started going deaf, when he was around 30 years old (1796).Although he could no longer hear well enough to play the piano, this did not
become a hindrance and he continued composing with the help of an assistant and hearing gadget. Some of the compositions he made when he was deaf became famous. He has famous compositions that include: 32 piano sonatas, 21 set of variations, 9 symphonies, 5 concertos for piano, 16 string quartets and choral music. The “Missa Solemnis” (1818-1823) and opera “Fidelio” (1805) are included to their works. His known symphonies are: Symphony No. 3 (Eroica), No. 5, No. 6 (Pastoral), No. 9 (Choral), which add voices to the orchestra.

Characteristics of Beethoven’s works:
- His music veered toward larger orchestras.
- Cellos give his music a darker mood, and sound was centered on
the violas and lower registers of the violins
- All themes in a piece are tied together by one motif.
- He developed musical themes and motifs extensively by means of
modulation. He used more brass instruments and dynamics.

--What are the performance practices that you’ve noticed in the article? *​