Music
Assignment: Composers of the Classical Era
Greatest
classical composers of this era:
·
Franz
Joseph Haydn: He was born on March 31, 1732 in Rohrau, Austria. He was one
of the most brilliant classical composers who, unlike any other composer, aimed
in incorporating the aims and achievements of the Classical Era. He had a
stupendous voice and his sensitivity, knowledge and talent for music was
precise and accurate. In his early adult years, he became a freelance musician,
teaching music and composing. In 1757, he had a job of a music director for
Count Morzin, who was an aristocrat of the Austrian Empire. Soon, his name and
compositions spread and became recognizable. During his apprenticeship with
Count Morzin, he wrote 107 symphonies, concertos, 45 piano trios, 83 string
quartets, 62 piano sonatas, 14 masses and 26 operas. Haydn was also acquainted
to Mozart. They respected and invited each other to their performances. On May
31, 1809, He perished in Vienna.
·
Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart: He was born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg,
Austria. He was a musician who could play multiple instruments in public at the
age of six. He was able to show his father, Leopold Pertl Mozart, a profound
understanding of chords, tonality and tempo. At the age of five, he played the
clarinet and the violin perfectly. In 1762, his father took him to the court of
Bavaria for displaying his outstanding performance to nobles and ambassadors.
Importantly, he had a meeting with Johann Christian Bach in London who had a
strong influence on Wolfgang. In 1763, they had a three-and-a-half-year tour
throughout Germany, France, Switzerland and other countries. In 1770, at the
age of 14, he composed Mitridate, re di Ponto, by December. He also performed
the opera Idomenée in Munich, 1781. As he was becoming known, more of his
compositions flourished. He was known for his complex music and the insertion
of too many notes in his compositions. In addition, he was also known for
extracting familiar musical lines from one piece and include them into another
piece.
·
Antonio
Salieri: He was born on August 18, 1750, in Legnago, Italy. Antonio
was one of the greatest composer of the 18th and 19th
century in Europe. Also, he was famous for operas such as Armida and Tarare.
Then, in 1804, he stopped composing operas. He only focused on religious
compositions and was a court musical director. Was acquainted to Franz Joseph
Haydn and taught Ludwig Van Beethoven about music composition. He died on May 7th,
1825. He became one of the most leading musical figures in Viennese, Parisian
and Italian circles.
·
Christoph
Willibald Gluck: He also played an important role in opera where he
improved it by softening the contrast between recitatives (it is an opera style
in which a singer adopts the rhythms of ordinary speech) and arias (a long song
with a solo voice) by mixing underlying melodic themes and orchestral passages
within recitatives as they flowed into arias. He also combined French and
Italian opera styles. He composed a few arias, solo motets and chorals as well
as 9 symphonies, 6 trio sonatas and 2 trio sonatas. He composed the famous aria
‘Se mai senti spirarti sul volto’. Christoph mentored Antonio Salieri and
became his protégé.
·
Muzio
Clementi: Born at Rome in 1752. He was known as the ‘Father of the
Pianoforte’. Clementi's 3 sonatas op. 2, published in London, 1779, represented
a turning point in keyboard playing. He was also a master of many musical
trades such as a performer, composer, publisher, teacher, arranger as well as
an instrument maker. He travelled throughout Europe, gathering and publishing
manuscripts of Beethoven, etc. and sold pianos. He was also a mentor who then
advanced further in teaching great composers like Chopin and Mendelssohn. His
most notable, famous compositions of the piano were Gradus ad Parnassum
including 3 piano sonatas.
·
Luigi
Boccherini: Luigi lived the same time as Franz Joseph. Coincidentally,
his music is closely related with his, therefore, musicologist refer to him as
the “wife of Haydn”. However, his music was less popular compared to Haydn and
died in poverty in 1805. He had a prolific collection of compositions and his
most notable works were his cello sonatas, concertos especially his guitar
quintets. In addition, his most famous classical piece of music was Minuet from
the string quartet Op. 13, no. 5.
·
Carl
Philipp Emmanuel Bach: Born on March 8th, 1714. He was a German
musician and a composer. He was the son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria
Barbara Bach. He was a very important composer in the transition between the
Baroque and Classical periods. He was also one of the founders of the Classical
style and composed during the Rococo and Classical periods. He was a creative composer
of vocal and instrumental (keyboard instruments) music. He also formed the
Viennese classical style. He also wrote Essay on the True Art of Playing
Keyboard Instruments laid the foundation for keyboard playing. Even to this
day, it is still being taught.
·
Ludwig van
Beethoven: Born in Bonn in December 16th, 1770. He was a
formal student of Christian Gottlob Neefe who taught him using Carl Philipp’s
Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments. Then, in 1787, he was
sent to Vienna and studied with Mozart. In 1800, he performed his first
symphony and a septet (op. 20). He also wrote 4 symphonies in order to overcome
his disability (deafness) before 1806. The third symphony, Eroica, was titled
Bonaparte to honor Napoleon. He died of dropsy in 1857. Overall, he composed 9
symphonies between 1799 and 1824. Tutored under Haydn in 1793.
Chosen
Composer (Ludwig van Beethoven):
He was a deaf German composer and the chief musical figure in
the transition period between the Classical and Romantic era. He was the
innovator who widened the scope of sonata, symphony, concerto and quartet. He
also combined vocals and instruments in a completely new method. Some of his
important works were composed during the last ten years due to his hearing
condition/deafness. He was also a pianist.
He was born in the city of Bonn in 16th December, 1770. His
father, Johann and his grandfather, Ludwig, were musicians. Coincidentally,
this trait was common in Beethoven too. At the age of 4, he was able to learn
how to play the piano. He received piano lessons from Tobias Friedrich
Pfeiffer, and Franz Rovantini gave him violin and viola lessons. He became an
assistant organist who played for the Prince-Elector’s orchestra. Then, he
became a student of Christian Gostlob Neefe. Then he moved to Vienna to study
with Franz Joseph Haydn, who was also a famous classical composer. His musical
genius matched Mozart’s however, he was dyslexic and never exceeded elementary
level. In his teen years, he experienced deafness which shocked him. When he
was 30, he performed Septet (Op. 20). By 1800, he became highly regarded as a
composer.
Between 1800 and 1827, he evolved as a composer, composing
more heroic works concentrating on struggle and revolution. The most important
example is the Third Symphony called Eroica which is dedicated to the Corsican
revolutionary leader Napoleon Bonaparte. He wrote 9 symphonies overall, string
quartets and his aria, Fidelio. He also composed famous piano sonatas such as
Moonlight and Waldstein. By 1815, he was almost deaf. At this time, he composed
the Ninth Symphony “Ode to Joy” and the last string quartets which showed their
complex and modern sound. Finally, he died on March, 1827.
Analysis of
the Beethoven’s work (Fur elise):
During the classical period (1750-1830), Beethoven mastered
the piano. The piano used at that time had a range of 6 octaves. The modern
piano now has a range of 7½ octaves. Fur Elise was composed in 1810 and
published in 1867 after the death of Ludwig van Beethoven in 1827. Its name
means “Keyboard piece in A minor”.
Texture of the piece is thin. There is a melody line with
little accompaniment. In the script below, the C section, a repetitive bass
line in the left hand along with a melody on the right hand. There are two
dynamic marking in the original script or piece which are pp. There are some
dramatic parts located in the piece. The notes in the piece are mostly in
semi-quavers. In addition, there are some quavers, demi-semi quavers, dotted
rhythm and crotchets. The semi-quavers give a moving mood throughout the piece
of music. This piece is in a time signature of 3/8 (simple triple). The tempo
in this piece is less.
It has a wide range of approximately 6 octaves. Therefore,
extensive use of a piano since many instruments do not have that type of range.
The pitch of the piece travels in a slow motion when moving in steps and in a
fast motion when using octaves and other intervals. It has a rondo form
(ABACA). The theme of the piece has a repetitive tune. The “B” alphabet gives a
more joyful touch. The “C” alphabet consists of drama and dynamic variation
especially a large pitch range.
The left hand makes a simple fundamental-third arpeggio. The
beginning melodic indecision between the note and turning note signifies that Beethoven
creates an essential, clarifying melody with the next chordal arpeggios. In the
central variation, he includes evidence F-E-D-C top notes. The time signature,
3/8, establishes a rhythmic fluency to the piece and a flowing feeling with the
alternation of hands.
