CC BY, Elliot Jones Santa Ana College

1. Classical Composers & Genres

2. Vienna: Musical Capital
 Dominance of the Viennese School
 Franz Joseph Haydn
 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 Ludwig van Beethoven
 Other notable composers
 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
 Johann Christian Bach
 Muzio Clementi

3. Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
 Born to poor family in south Austria
 Sang in Vienna Boy’s Choir
 St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna
 Received education through the choir school
 Dismissed at age 16 when voice changed
 Made meagre living teaching and playing
 Enters service of Esterhazy’s at age 29

4. Franz Joseph Haydn (contd.)
 Esterhazy’s – wealthy Hungarian princes
 Nikolaus Esterhazy – musical court
 Haydn served almost 30 years
 Became famous throughout Europe
 Profitable London visits after Nikolaus dies
 Considered the father of the symphony
 Composed over 100 symphonies

5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 Relatively short life (1756 – 1791)
 Enormous cognitive and creative ability
 Toured Europe with father & sister as child
 Started to compose before he was five
 Operas, symphonies, & concertos by age 12
 Chafed under unappreciative patron
 Archbishop Colloredo of Salzburg

6. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 Moved to Vienna as freelancer
 Taught, performed, and composed
 The Marriage of Figaro
 Don Giovanni
 The Magic Flute
 Requiem (unfinished)
 Died at age 35

7. Beethoven (1770-1827)
 Born in Bonn, Germany
 Unhappy upbringing
 Alcoholic father was abusive
 Had to provide for mother and 2 brothers
 Organist in chapel at age 11
 Unsuccessfully tried to study with Mozart
 Studied with Haydn and Salieri

8. Ludwig van Beethoven
 Received support from aristocracy and concert-
going public – annuity
 Difficult personality
 Napoleonic – 5ft 4 inches tall
 Ill health (lead poisoning)
 Deafness (started in his late 20’s)
 Was extremely famous when he died
 Transitional figure from Classical to Romantic

9. Listening Example
 Title: Pathetique Sonata (C minor), I
 Composer: Beethoven
 Genre: Sonata

10. Notes on Sonata in C minor
 Slow introduction precedes sonata form
 Agitated ascending melody (theme 1)
 Bass/treble call and response (theme 2)
 Extreme emotional contrasts

11. The Symphonies of Beethoven
 Beethoven’s symphonies much more epic
in scale than Haydn and Mozart
 Beethoven’s 9 vs. Haydn’s 104
 Six of the nine are from his heroic period
 Beethoven introduces new instruments
 Trombones, contrabassoon, voice

12. Listening Example
 Title: Symphony No. 5 in C minor
 Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
 Genre: Symphony

13. Notes on Symphony No. 5
 Best known of all symphonies
 Recurring “short-short-short-long” theme
 Note emotional drama in the music
 The beginnings of Romanticism

14. Notes on Symphony No. 5
 First mvmt.
 Sonata Allegro form (3 themes)
 1st theme is famous (s-s-s-l)
 Fast tempo (Allegro con brio)
 Duple meter

15. Notes on Symphony No. 5
 Second mvmt.
 Theme and variations form (2 themes)
 2nd theme features s-s-s-l
 Slower tempo (Andante con moto)
 Triple meter (unusual for 2nd mvmt.)

16. Notes on Symphony No. 5
 Third mvmt.
 Scherzo and Trio form (ABA)
 Each dance features a theme
 Scherzo is a rocket theme
 Scherzo is followed by s-s-s-l
 Trio is active and fugal
 Very active low strings (trio)
 Fast tempo (Allegro – unusual for 3rd mvmt.)
 Triple meter
 Transitions into 4th mvmt. without break

17. Notes on Symphony No. 5
 Fourth mvmt.
 Sonata Allegro form (4 themes)
 1st theme is very triumphant
 2nd theme was paraphrased in Superman
 4th theme features s-s-s-l
 Fast tempo (Allegro)
 Quadruple meter
 Extended coda solidifies C major
 Opening key was C minor (triumph)