Classical Music Characteristics and Dynamics

Classical Music Characteristics

• Classical music features a lighter texture and clarity compared to Baroque, showcasing less complexity.
• Homophonic texture is characterized by a single melody supported by chordal harmonies.
• Style galant emerged in the Classical period, highlighting elegance and simplicity, contrasting with the Baroque's grandeur.

Dynamics

• Crescendo refers to a gradual increase in volume.
• Diminuendo indicates a gradual decrease in volume.
• Sforzando is a sudden, strong accent or emphasis on a note.
• Ritardando involves slowing down the tempo gradually.
• Accelerando means to speed up the tempo gradually.

Musical Elements

• Key, mood, and timbre contribute to the unique sound quality of different instruments.
• Frequent shifts in key, mood, and timbre became more prevalent in the Classical era compared to the Baroque.
• Classical melodies are typically shorter than Baroque melodies, featuring distinct phrases and cadences.
• Cadences serve as musical pauses or endings, marking structural points in compositions.

The Orchestra

• The orchestra grew larger and more varied, with the discontinuation of the harpsichord continuo.
• The harpsichord, previously central to orchestral music, provided continuous harmonic support.
• Woodwinds, including flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons, evolved into their own command sections within the orchestra.
• The Classical orchestra comprises strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion, specifically 2 timpani tuned a fifth apart.

Instrumentation

• The piano, also known as fortepiano, replaced the harpsichord as a leading instrument.

Musical Forms

• The sonata is structured in three movements for a solo instrument.
• The concerto also consists of three movements for a solo instrument accompanied by an orchestra.
• The symphony typically has four movements written for an orchestra.
• The string quartet features four movements arranged for two violins, a viola, and a cello.
• Sonata form is the primary structural framework used during the Classical period, usually encompassing four movements.

Movement Structures

• First movements are predominantly in sonata form; many last movements may also adhere to this structure.
• Theme one generally represents the tonic key, while theme two typically signifies the dominant key.
• A codetta serves to prepare the listener for the coda, the concluding section of a piece.
• The second movement often employs binary form (AB) or theme and variations.
• Variations alter the theme through changes in key, rhythm, instrumentation, harmony, or tempo.

Third and Fourth Movements

• The third movement follows a Minuet & Trio pattern, which is a triple meter dance with an ABA structure.
• The 'A' section is identified as the Minuet, and the 'B' section as the Trio, originally intended for three instruments.
• The fourth movement can be structured in either sonata or rondo form, with rondo being outlined as A B A C A D A E A.