Classical Era Exam 3 Study Guide

• Exam 3 will cover the Classical Era, consisting of multiple-choice, true/false, and listening identification questions.
• Notes can be brought in on a 3x5 notecard.
• The exam will be administered via Brightspace.

Terms

• Absolute Music: Music that is not explicitly about anything; it is not representational or illustrative.
• Theme: A recognizable melody or musical idea that recurs within a piece.
• Motive: A short, recurring musical fragment or idea.
• Chamber Music: Instrumental music played by a small ensemble, with one player to a part.
• String Quartet: A chamber ensemble consisting of two violins, a viola, and a cello, as well as the piece written for this ensemble.
• Theme and Variations: A musical form where a theme is presented and then altered in successive statements.
• Sonata Form: A musical structure consisting of an exposition, development, and recapitulation.
  • Exposition: The initial section where the main themes are presented.
  • Development: The section where themes are explored and transformed.
  • Recapitulation: The section where the themes from the exposition return in their original form.
• Symphony: A large-scale orchestral work, typically in four movements.
• Concerto: A musical work for a solo instrument accompanied by an orchestra.
• Cadenza: A solo passage, often improvisational, within a concerto.
• Sonata: An instrumental piece, usually in several movements, for one or two players.
• Opera Buffa: Italian comic opera.
• Opera Seria: Italian serious opera.
• Requiem: A mass for the dead.
• Joseph Haydn: A prominent composer of the Classical period.
• W.A. Mozart: A highly influential composer of the Classical period.
• Ludwig Van Beethoven: A crucial figure in the transition from the Classical to the Romantic era.
• Heiligenstadt Testament: A letter written by Beethoven to his brothers, wherein he discusses his struggles with hearing loss and his commitment to his art.

Key Questions and Concepts

• Age of Reason/Enlightenment: An intellectual and cultural movement emphasizing reason, logic, and individualism.
• Vienna: The central hub of musical activity during the Classical era.
• First Viennese School: Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
• Patronage's Influence: The system of wealthy patrons supporting musicians shaped the culture of the 18th century by commissioning works and providing financial stability.
• Classical Period Texture: Predominantly homophonic.
• Keyboard Instrument Transition: The piano gradually replaced the harpsichord.
• Absolute Music: Instrumental music composed purely as music, not intended to represent or illustrate something else.
• Haydn's Nickname: "Father of the String Quartet and Symphony."
• Most Important Chamber Music Genre: String quartet.
• Joke Quartet: Composed by Haydn; named for its humorous musical devices.
• Movements in a String Quartet: Typically four.
• String Quartet Instruments: Two violins, viola, and cello.
• Theme and Variations: A form where a theme is stated and then undergoes various transformations. Often found in string quartets.
• Haydn's Patrons: The Esterházy family.
• Most Important Classical Period Form: Sonata form.
• Origins of the Classical Symphony: Evolved from the Italian overture (sinfonia).
• Movements in a Classical Symphony: Usually four.
• Order of Movements: Typically fast, slow, dance-related, fast.
• Form in First Movement: Sonata form.
• Surprise Symphony: Composed by Haydn; known for a sudden loud chord intended to startle the audience.
• Sonata-Allegro Form Sections: Exposition, Development, Recapitulation.
  • The development is the most unstable section.
• Mozart: A child prodigy who composed masterpieces across virtually every genre.
• Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Composed by Mozart; a serenade intended for outdoor performance.
• Concerto: A musical work for solo instrument and orchestra.
• Piano Concerto/Double Concerto: Work for solo piano, or two solo instruments plus piano with orchestral accompaniment.
• Beethoven's Affliction: Hearing loss, eventually leading to deafness.
• Beethoven's Symphonies: Nine.
• Symphony with Chorus and Soloists: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 includes chorus and vocal soloists.
• Other Instrumental Genre Beethoven was Known for: Piano sonatas.
• Heiligenstadt Testament: A letter written by Beethoven about his deafness.
• Moonlight Sonata: Composed by Beethoven.
• Beethoven's Symphony with "Fate" Motive: Symphony No. 5.
• Italian Comic Opera (Opera Buffa): Explored everyday characters and situations, often with comedic elements.
• Italian Serious Opera (Opera Seria): Focused on heroic or tragic subjects, often featuring mythological or historical figures.
• Don Giovanni: Composed by Mozart; librettist was Lorenzo Da Ponte.
• Don Giovanni Premise: The story revolves around the seductions and ultimate downfall of the title character.
• Mass for the Dead: Requiem.
• Dies Irae: "Day of Wrath," a sequence in the Requiem Mass.
• Composer Who Died While Composing Requiem: Mozart.

Listening Examples

• Haydn: Symphony No. 94 in G Major (Surprise), II
• Haydn: String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 33, No. 2 (Joke), IV
• Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525, I
• Mozart: Piano Concerto in G Major, K. 453, I
• Beethoven: Piano Sonata in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 (Moonlight), I
• Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, I
• Mozart: Dies irae, from Requiem