Classical Period in Western Music History

Overview

• Time Period: Approximately 1750 to 1820
• Characteristics: Establishment of many traditional practices, rules still followed today
• Cultural Context: Reaction to Baroque era's decorated melodies and emotional extremes

Defining "Classical Music"

• Commonly used to describe Western art music
• Encompasses music from the Middle Ages to the 21st century
• Associated with concert halls, symphonies, and operas

Musical Characteristics

• Focus on formal balance, singable melodies
• Emphasis on form over emotion
• Development of standardized forms and genres

Key Developments

• Orchestral Symphony: Evolved from Baroque opera overture
• String Quartet: Evolved from Baroque trio sonatas
• Sonatas: Standardized as a three-movement genre
• Instrumentation: Standardized orchestral sections, medium string sections

Form and Structure

• Sonata-Allegro Form: Developed from Baroque rounded binary form
  • Exposition, Development, Recapitulation
  • Example: Mozart Sonata No. 10 for Piano, K-330
• Binary and Rounded Binary Forms: Used across genres
• Rondo Form: Repeated A material with contrasting sections

Musical Texture and Tonality

• Homophonic Texture: Melodies with chordal accompaniment
• Tonality: Based on Jean-Philippe Rameau's treatise on harmony
  • Concepts of Tonic, Dominant, Subdominant

Social and Cultural Impact

• Public Concert Houses: Rise in concert houses, ticket-buying audiences
• New Audiences: Rise in public attendance, less reliance on church or court

Notable Composers

• Overview of major composers and examples of classical style

Further Learning

• Suggestion to explore more music history videos and composer bios from Liberty Park Music

Note: This is a summary of key points covered in a lecture on the classical period in Western music history.