The classical period

1. Historia de la Música Esperanza Romero Cuevas

2. Context
 XVIII century: new
thoughts/ new society
(middle class)
 Industrial Revolution
 Neoclassical Art.
Historia de la Música Esperanza Romero Cuevas

3. Classical music characteristics
 Clear and simple
melodies and music
structure
 Balance, and
symmetrical
 Use of crescendo and
diminuendo
 Regular phrase structure
 “Question and answer”
Historia de la Música Esperanza Romero Cuevas

4.  2.1. CLASSICAL MUSIC1. Watch the following videos of some classical music
concerts. Then, in pairs, write the right answer for each question.
 The music…
 … uses acoustic instruments
 … uses electric instruments
 … uses no instruments
 The audience…
 … participates in the concert,
singing or dancing
 … remains silent
 The musicians…
 … have a score
 … don’t have a score
 The orchestra…
 … is conducted by a conductor
 … has no conductor
 The music…
 … was written by a well known
composer
 … was written by someone
anonymous
 The music is made of…
 … only voices
 … voices and instruments
 … only instruments
 The singers…
 … use lyrical techniques
 … sing in a less technical way
 The music…
 … seems serious
 … seems funny
Historia de la Música Esperanza Romero Cuevas

5.  VOCABULARY
 acoustic instruments
 electric instruments
 audience
 musician
 Score
 Orchestra
 conductor
 Composer
 anonymous
Historia de la Música Esperanza Romero Cuevas

6. Musical forms of the Classical
period
 In this period, pre-existing musicals forms were used,
but their structures became more clearly defined and
fixed: SONATA, MINUET, RONDO, THEME AND
VARIATIONS.
Historia de la Música Esperanza Romero Cuevas

7. SONATA
 Four movements/constrast in tempo.
 Form: ABA`
 Exposition (A): has two themes: theme A (more
energetic and rhytmic)+ theme B (more lyrical).
Bridge, Short Coda.
 Development: the composer have more freedom
 Reexposition (A´): similar to the exposition, but with
some modifications. It ends with a final coda.
Historia de la Música Esperanza Romero Cuevas

8. Historia de la Música Esperanza Romero Cuevas

9. Historia de la Música Esperanza Romero Cuevas

10. Minuet
 Its and ABA structure.
 The dance of the same
name also has this
structure.
Historia de la Música Esperanza Romero Cuevas

11.  VOCABULARY
 Pre-existing
 Exposition
 Development
 Coda
Historia de la Música Esperanza Romero Cuevas