Music of the classical period

PRE-ASSESSMENT
•IDENTIFY THE TERM BEING DESCRIBED. WRITE THE LETTER THAT
CORRESPONDS TO YOUR ANSWER ON THE SPACE PROVIDED.

1. A MUSICAL WORK WITH DIFFERENT MOVEMENTS FOR AN
INSTRUMENTAL SOLOIST AND ORCHESTRA.
A. SYMPHONY C. CONCERTO
B. SONATA D. RONDO

2. A SECTION OF THE SONATA ALLEGRO FORM WHERE THE THEMES
ARE INTRODUCED.
A. EXPOSITION C. RECAPITULATION
B. DEVELOPMENT D. THEME AND VARIATION

3. THE GENERAL TEXTURE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC.
A. MONOPHONIC C. HETEROPHONIC
B. HOMOPHONIC D. POLYPHONIC

4. THE TERM FOR SERIOUS OPERA.
A. OPERA C. OPERA BUFFA
B. COMIC OPERA D. OPERA SERIA

5. THE MOST IMPORTANT FORM THAT WAS DEVELOPED DURING
THE CLASSICAL ERA AND USUALLY THE FORM OF THE FIRST
MOVEMENT OF A SONATA OR SYMPHONY
A. MINUET C. RONDO
B. SONATA ALLEGRO D. SYMPHONY

6. IT REPEATS THE THEMES AS THEY FIRST EMERGED IN THE
OPENING EXPOSITION
A. EXPOSITION C. RECAPITULATION
B. DEVELOPMENT D. SONATA

7. A MUSICAL COMPOSITION DESIGNED TO BE PLAYED BY THE FULL
ORCHESTRA
B. SONATA D. CANTATA

8. THE TERM FOR ITALIAN OPERA
A. OPERA C. OPERA BUFFA
B. COMIC OPERA D. OPERA SERIA

9. IT IS A MULTI-MOVEMENT WORK FOR SOLO INSTRUMENT
B. SONATA D. CANTATA

10. IT IS CALLED “THE AGE OF REASON”
A. MEDIEVAL C. BAROQUE
B. RENAISSANCE D. CLASSICAL

ANSWERS:
1. C
2.A
3.B
4.D
5. B
6.C
7. A
8.C
9.B
10.D

MUSIC OF THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
•The classical era, also called “age of reason”, is
the period from 1750-1820.
• The cultural life was dominated by the
aristocracy, as patrons of musicians and artists
who generally influenced the arts.

•In the middle of the 18th century, Europe began to
move toward a new style in architecture,
literature, and the arts, known as classicism.
•It was also pushed forward by changes in the
economic order and in social structure.

•Instrumental music was patronized primarily by
the nobility.

•Important historical events that occurred in the
west during this era were:
•french revolution;
•napoleonic wars;
•the american declaration of independence in 1776 ; and
the
•american revolution.

•The term “classical” denotes conformity with the
principles and characteristics of ancient Greece
and roman literature and art which were formal,
elegant, simple, freed and dignified.

• The same characteristics may also describe the
melodies of classical music. Harmony and texture
is homophonic in general.

•The dynamics of loud and soft were clearly shown
through the extensive use of crescendo and
diminuendo.

•A style of broken chord accompaniment called,
alberti bass was practiced.

•The great composers of the period were:
•Franz Joseph Haydn;
•Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; and
• Ludwig Van Beethoven.

•Sonata, concerto, and symphony are the
instrumental forms developed during this era while
opera seria and opera buffa are the two vocal
forms.

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY: “Word maze”
•Pick the words from the maze that relate to
the classical period. Write your answer on
the blanks.

FYI:
•Works of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven are still popular
today.
•Their compositions are now commonly used as music to
animated series of popular cartoon companies such as:
• Looney Toons
• Warner Brothers
• 20th Century Fox
• Pixar, etc.

•Beethoven’s music was used in one of the films for
children and little Einstein’s animated series also
features the music of the great composers
Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart.

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY: “Music & Match”
•Listen to each recording then match the
title of the cartoon show/movie in column B
to the title of the music in column A.

A B
___1. Piano sonata no 11 in A major (rondo) 3rd mov. A. Mr. Bean
___2. Piano sonata no 14 in c#m (moonlight) 1st mov. B. Little einstein’s
___3. Symphony no. 5, op. 67, cm C. Tom & jerry
___4. Fur elise D. Popeye
___5. Eine kleine nachtmusik E. The ring
F. Backyardigan

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809)
•One of the most prominent composers of the
classical period.
•His life is described as a “rags-to-riches” story.
He came from a poor family and his music led
to his rise in social status.
•He was hired by rich patrons and eventually
became a musical director for the esterhazy
family for 30 years.

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809)
•His music reflects his character and personality:
mainly calm, balanced, serious but with touches of
humor.
•He was able to compose over 100 symphonies and
developed them into long forms for a large
orchestra.
•He was named, “father of the symphony” although he
excelled in every music genre of the period.
•Most of his symphonies have nicknames such as the
“surprise symphony”, “the clock”, “the military”.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791)
•Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a child prodigy and the
most amazing genius in musical history.
•At age five, he was already playing the violin and the
harpsichord; at six, he was recognized as an
exceptional pianist and, at seven, he was already
composing excellent music.
•At age thirteen, he had written sonatas, concertos,
symphonies, religious works, and operas and operettas.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791)
•He experimented in all kinds of music and composed over
700 works.
•Unfortunately, due to mismanaged finances he lived his life
in poverty, died young and was buried in an unknown grave.
• He composed wonderful concertos, symphonies and opera
such as “the marriageof figaro”(1786), “don giovanni (1789),
and “the magic flute” which became popular.
•Other known works: eine kleine nachtmusik, symphony no.
40 in G major, and sonata no. 11 in A major K311.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
•Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany to a
family of musicians and studied music at an early age.
•He was the composer who bridged the late classical
era and the early romantic era.
•He was a talented pianist and composer.
•His famous compositions include 32 piano sonatas, 21
set of variations, 9 symphonies, 5 concertos for piano,
16 string quartets and choral music.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
•His works include the “missa solemnis” (1818-1823) and
opera “fidelio”(1805).
•His known symphonies are: symphony no. 3 (eroica), no. 5,
no. 6 (pastoral), no. 9 (choral), which adds voices to the
orchestra.
•He began to go deaf in 1796 but this did not become a
hindrance.
•He continued composing through the help of an assistant
and hearing gadget.
•Some of his famous compositions were made when he
was deaf.

CHARACTERISTICS OF BEETHOVEN’S
WORKS:
• HIS MUSIC VEERED TOWARD LARGER ORCHESTRAS.
• SOUND WAS CENTERED ON THE VIOLAS AND LOWER REGISTERS OF THE VIOLINS AND CELLOS TO
GIVE HIS MUSIC A DARKER MOOD.
• ALL THEMES IN A PIECE ARE TIED TOGETHER BY ONE MOTIF.
• HE DEVELOPED MUSICAL THEMES AND MOTIFS EXTENSIVELY BY MEANS OF MODULATION
• HE USED MORE BRASS INSTRUMENTS AND DYNAMICS

•In the middle of the 18th century, europe began to move
toward a new style in architecture, literature, and the arts,
known as classicism. It was also pushed forward by
changes in the economic order and in social structure.
Instrumental music was patronized primarily by the nobility.

SONATA
•A multi-movement work for solo instrument, sonata came
from the word “sonare” which means to make a sound.
•This term is applied to a variety of works for a solo
instrument such as keyboard or violin.

MOVEMENTS OF SONATA
•1ST MOVEMENT: ALLEGRO – FAST MOVEMENT
•2ND MOVEMENT: SLOW TEMPO: (ANDANTE, LARGO, ETC.), MOSTLY LYRICAL
AND EMOTIONAL.
•3RD MOVEMENT: MINUET: IT IS IN THREE-FOUR TIME AND IN A MODERATE
OR FAST TEMPO.

SONATA ALLEGRO FORM
•The most important form that developed during the
classical era consists of 3 distinct sections: Exposition,
Development and Recapitulation.

SECTIONS OF SONATA ALLEGRO FORM
•1. Exposition - the first part of a composition in sonata form that
introduces the theme
•2. Development is the middle part of the sonata-allegro form wherein
themes are being developed
•3. Recapitulation - repeats the theme as they first emerge in the
opening exposition

CONCERTO
•A multi-movement work designed for an instrumental soloist and orchestra.
•It is a classical form of music intended primarily to emphasize the
individuality of the solo instrument and to exhibit the virtuosity and
interpretative abilities of the performer.
•The solo instruments in classical concertos include violin, cello, clarinet,
bassoon, trumpet, horn and piano.
•A concerto has three movements: fast, slow, and fast.

3 MOVEMENTS OF CONCERTO
•1st movement: fast: sonata-allegro form with expositions of the
orchestra and then by the soloist.
•2nd movement: slow: has more ornamentation than the first
movement.
•3rd movement: fast: finale: usually in a form of rondo, resembling the
last movement of the symphony and usually a short cadenza is used.

SYMPHONY
•A multi-movement work for orchestra, the symphony is
derived from the word “sinfonia” which literally means “a
harmonious sounding together”.
•It is a classical music for the whole orchestra, generally in
four movements.

4 MOVEMENTS OF THE SYMPHONY
•1st movement: fast: sonata-allegro form
•2nd movement: slow : gentle, lyrical – typical ABA form or theme and
variation
•3rd movement: medium/fast: uses a dance form (minuet or scherzo)
•4th movement: fast: typically rondo or sonata form

•As the 18th century progressed, instrumental music was
patronized primarily by the nobility which led to the rise of
public taste for “comic opera”.
•The music was mostly of a simple yet pleasant character,
while the singing was highly flexible and sensitive and
could freely express emotion through melody.

GROUP ACTIVITY:
“NAME THAT TUNE”
• PROCEDURE
• DIVIDE YOURSELVES INTO 4 GROUPS
• LISTEN TO THE GIVEN COMPOSITION
• IDENTIFY WHETHER IT IS A SONATA, A CONCERTO OR A SYMPHONY
• CHOOSE YOUR GROUP REPRESENTATIVE WHO WILL WRITE THE ANSWER ON THE BOARD
• EACH CORRECT ANSWER IS EQUIVALENT TO 1 POINT (ADDITIONAL 1 POINT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOUR GROUP IF
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE TITLE AND ANOTHER 1 POINT FOR THE NAME OF THE COMPOSER)
• THE GROUP WITH THE HIGHEST SCORE WINS THE GAME.

REFLECTION:
• WHICH AMONG THE COMPOSITIONS ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH?
• HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE MUSIC IS A SONATA, A CONCERTO OR A SYMPHONY?
• WHICH DO YOU PREFER LISTENING TO CLASSICAL MUSIC OR TO POP MUSIC? WHY?

OPERA
•A drama set to music where singers and musicians perform in a
theatrical setting.

2 DISTINCT STYLES OF OPERA
•OPERA SERIA
•OPERA BUFFA

OPERA SERIA
• (Serious opera)
• Usually implies heroic or tragic drama that employs mythological characters, which was
inherited from the baroque period
• Idomeneo (by Mozart) is an example of opera seria.

OPERA BUFFA
•(Comic opera)
•From Italy made use of everyday characters and situations, and typically
employed spoken dialogues, lengthy arias and was spiced with sight gags,
naughty humor and social satire.
•“The Marriage of Figaro”, “Don Giovanni”, and “The Magic Flute” are examples of
popular Opera Buffa by Mozart.

FILM VIEWING ACTIVITY:
• YOU WILL BE WATCHING ONE OF THE FILMS BEL0W:
• Amadeus
• Beethoven
• Immortal beloved
• Beethoven lives upstairs

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
• WHAT IS THE MOVIE ALL ABOUT?
• WHO ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERS?
• WHEN AND WHERE WAS THE STORY SET?
• WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THE MOVIE? WHY?
• WHAT PART OF THE FILM DID YOU LIKE BEST? WHY?
• ANALYZE THE USE OF MUSIC IN THE FILM. DID IT ENHANCE THE FILMMAKER’S STORY?
• WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE STORY?
• WHAT ARE THE GREAT QUALITIES/TRAITS OF THE COMPOSER THAT INSPIRE YOU?

WHAT TO UNDERSTAND
• music of the classical era is usually associated with the nobility. During that time most of the
members of the nobility would financially support the musicians. Music was played in the
courts which make the music of the classical era more familiar to the nobility than the lower
classes.
• This association of the rich and classical music is still being experienced in some parts of the
world.
• However, with the dawn of radio and TV, classical music may now be experienced by the masses.

GROUP ACTIVITY
“COMMERCIAL BREAK”
• YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED TO ADVERTISE A PRODUCT OF YOUR OWN CHOICE WHEREIN CLASSICAL MUSIC
WILL BE USED AS BACKGROUND MUSIC.
• YOU WILL PERFORM IN FRONT OF THE CLASS.

CRITERIA FOR GRADING:
• CHOICE OF MUSIC (MUST BE A CLASSICAL PERIOD PIECE AND APPROPRIATE FOR THE PRODUCT) – 30%
• ORIGINALITY (USE OF OWN CONCEPT) – 40%
• CREATIVITY (USE OF PROPS, COSTUMES) – 30%

GROUP ACTIVITY
“STORY SINGING”
• YOU WILL CREATE AN ORIGINAL STORY AND TURN IT INTO A SONG BY ADAPTING A TUNE OR MUSIC (OF
YOUR CHOICE) OF THE CLASSICAL ERA.
• YOU CAN CREATE OR IMPROVISE AN INSTRUMENTAL OR RHYTHMIC ACCOMPANIMENT FOR YOUR SONG.

CRITERIA FOR GRADING
• CHOICE OF MUSIC (MUST BE CLASSICAL AND APPROPRIATE) – 30%
• ORIGINALITY (CONTENT OF LYRICS) – 30%
• VOICE QUALITY (PITCH, PROJECTION) – 40%

GROUP ACTIVITY
“ON STAGE”
• YOU WILL CREATE A SHORT MUSICAL PRODUCTION (30 MINUTES) ON EITHER THE LIFE OF HAYDN,
MOZART OR BEETHOVEN.
• USE THE MUSIC/COMPOSITIONS OF YOUR CHOSEN COMPOSER AS YOUR BACKGROUND,
ACCOMPANIMENT FOR YOUR DANCE, AND SONG.
• YOUR GROUP CAN CREATE OR IMPROVISE AN INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT.

GROUP ACTIVITY
“SING IT TO THE CLASSIC”
• YOU WILL CREATE A SHORT POEM WITH A THEME N THE CLASSICAL ERA OR ANY THEME OF THEIR CHOICE.
• YOUR GROUP WILL RECITE OR RAP THE POEM AND USE MUSIC OF THE CLASSICAL PERIOD AS YOUR
ACCOMPANIMENT (EXAMPLE:ODE TO JOY OF BEETHOVEN)

SUMMARY:
• AT THE END OF THE UNIT, YOU MUST HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE FOLLOWING CONCEPT.
• CLASSICAL MUSIC REFERS TO THE PERIOD FROM 1750 – 1820. IT ALSO KNOWN AS THE “AGE OF REASON”
OR “AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT” BECAUSE REASON AND INDIVIDUALISM RATHER THAN TRADITION WERE
EMPHASIZED IN THIS PERIOD.
• DURING THIS PERIOD, DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTAL FORMS OF MUSIC WERE DEVELOPED. THESE WERE
SONATA, CONCERTO, AND SYMPHONY. THE THREE GREATEST AND MOST POPULAR COMPOSERS OF THE
PERIOD ARE: FRANZ JOSEF HAYDN, WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART AND LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN.

REFERENCE:
• LEARNER’S MATERIAL FOR GRADE 9 MUSIC ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

Music of the classical period

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