§ Classical music

• References: inside the score
• Prelude: musical form on wikipedia
• Musical forms on wikipedia

§ What is a symphony?

• a work usually consisting of multiple distinct sections or movements, often four, with the first movement in sonata form.
• Symphonies are almost always scored for an orchestra.

§ Prelude

• Develops a singular theme.

§ Sonata Form

• Exposition: two conflicting keys / two groups. First group: home tonic. Second group: different key. Usually I -> V, or i -> V / bIII
• Exposition ends with a codetta, to transition to the development. Often, the whole exposition is repeated.
• Development: looser, more free form. Will avoid the expository keys. Unstable key. Some composers might insert a new theme into the development --- an expansion of the sonata form.
• Recapitulation: Goes back to exposition with a twist. Here, the second group will also be in the home tonic . The transition from group 1 to group 2, that makes sure group 2 from the exposition is in the same key gives a large point of interest. Note that this can be in the home tonic major or minor . This can change the entire tone of the group by going from tonic major to tonic minor.
• Coda: closure at the recap.

§ What is a sonata? (stuff I should practice on piano!)

• This is not the same as a sonata form!
• A group of pieces called movements. Eg. moonlight sonata has three movements.
• Upto two instruments. For more instrument, we call them trio, quartet, quintet, etc.
• A full sized sontata will have four movements.
• The first movement is usually in sonata form.
• The second movement will be a slow movement. Can be in modified sonata form, with exposition, recap, and coda, no development. Will often be ABA' movement.
• The third movement will be a minuet or scherzo (dance).
• The fourth movement will be lively, often in sonata or rondo form. Rondo goes round and round again. Comes in episodes which are contrasting. ABACA or ABA'CA''BA'''

§ Mini sonatas

• Sometimes we only have three movements, which exclude the dance movement.

§ Two other forms that might occur: Variations

• Restatements of the theme.
• Variation takes the whole structure of a theme and remakes it.
• Variation form is cumulative. Each variation builds on the other one.

§ Two other forms that might occur: Fugue

• Bach was a master of the fugue. Well tempered Clavier. 24 preludes and fugues.
• A fugue has a process of development.
• It's a discussion of a compact melodic idea, by a definite number of voices, in imitation of each other.
• The fugues depend on each other for harmony. Horizontally, they are all self-consistent, but vertically, they intertwine to create chords.
• This is called counterpoint.
• A fugato is a section of music in fugue.
• A fugue begins with an exposition.
• The melodic idea is called as the subject.
• The fugue begins with a single voice stating the subject.
• Then, another voice answers in the dominant key.
• The answer could be either the "real answer" (straight transposition), or a tonal answer (slight delta).
• Voices are introduced in the same way: V1: tonic subject, V2: dominant answer, followed by V3: tonic subject, V4: dominant answer.
• An episode in a fugue is when the complete subject is not being heard.
• A canon is when different voices play the same music at different times.
• Augmentation is the delivery of the subject or countersubject in consistently slower notes.
• Diminution is the delivery of the subject or countersubject in consistently faster notes.
• Inversion is the delivery of the subject or countersubject in reflected notes.
• Stretto is the delivery of the subject that has been squeezed.

§ What is chamber music?

• Music for a small space, such as a castle, which is a new venue from the church and theater.

§ Dates

• Middle aggres: 400 - 1450
• Renaissance: 1450-1600
• Baroque: 1600 - 1750
• Classical: 1750 - 1820
• Romantic: 1820 - 1900

§ Biographies

• Collect biographies from wikipedia, and "Five minute mozart".

§ Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)

• Rhineland of Germany.
• Had visons, was accepted into a monastary.
• Pre Renaissance
• Was a great nun, who exchanged letters with kings and popes.

§ Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

• Renaissance

§ Bach (1690-1750)

• Baroque

§ George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

• Baroque
• Handel's oratorio, "messaiah" is the most famous one.
• Handel was blind for the last seven years of his life. Dictate compositions.

§ Antonio Vivaldi (1680-1740)

• Baroque

§ Mozart (1756 - 1791)

• Classical
• Austria.
• Child prodigy, learnt music from his father.
• Wanted to be free of the royal patronage system, tried to strike his own path.

§ Franz Joseph Haydn (1730-1809)

• Classical
• Did not come from a musical family.
• Notable singing abilities, travelled to Vienna to join choir.
• Wrote a bunch of piano sonatas.

§ Beethoven (1770-1827)

• Classical/Romantic
• German, baptized in Bonn.
• Father was a singer and musician, wanted his son to be a mozart as a child prodigy.
• Father was abusive, he was an incompetent teacher for Beethoven.
• Beethoven travelled to Vienna to study under Mozart.
• Trip was cut short when his mother died of tuberculosis.
• He went back to vienna around 1790, studied with Haydn.
• His hearing started to diminish, penned his testament.

§ Franz Schubert (1800-1830)

• Romantic
• Quit school.
• Wrote "lieder" (songs), inspired by Goethe.
• Attended funeral of Beethoven as pallbearer.
• Died in Vienna.

§ Richard Wagner (1810-1880)

• Romantic
• Born in Leipzig during the Napoleonic wars.
• Wagner's early idols were Beethoven and Shakespeare.
• Most inspiring composer of the 19th century.
• Did away with earlier french and italian styles of opera.
• Later in life, his polemical ideas were better known than his music.
• Anti-semitism, adoped by Hilter and the Nazis

§ Johann Strauss II (1825-1900)

• Romantic
• Austrian, composer of light music
• "waltz king"

§ Johannes Brahms (1840-1900)

• Romantic
• Took him 20 years to publish his 1st symphony, out of fear that it would never live up to beethoven.
• Best known now for hungarian dances.

§ Frederic Chopin (1810-1850)

• Piano virtuoso, great composer.
• Talent as a musician was apparent at a young age. By the age of 7, was composing and performing.
• Most well known for his work on the piano. Waltzes, Nocturnes, etc.
• Untimely death from tuberculosis. Died in Paris.

§ Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)

• Part of the upper class.
• Made his musical debut at age 9, was accomplished composer by age 13.
• Performed one of bach's pieces for the first time since his death.
• Founded the Leipzig conservatory of music.
• Died when he heard of the death of his sister, along with overwork.

§ Franz Liszt (1810-1890)

• Prodigious musical talent at a young age.
• Made his debut at the age of 9.
• Funded by prince Nicholas, he travelled to Vienna. Here, he met Beethoven and Schubert.
• Affairs with married noblewomen.
• Apex was his years spend at Weimar, composed his major works.

§ Giuseppe Verdi (1813 – 1901)

§ Bruckner (1825-1900)

§ Richard Strauss (1860-1940)

§ Gustav Mahler (1860-1910)

§ Robert Schumann (1810-1850)

§ Antonín Dvorak (1841 – 1904)

§ Claude Debussy (1860-1910)

§ Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1890)

§ Vaughan Williams (1875-1950)

§ Rachmaninoff (1880-1950)

§ Maurice Ravel (1875-1935)

• Romantic impressionist composer, leading figure in Modernism.
• Born in france, next to the french spanish border.
• At age 14, entered the paris conservatory.
• During WW1, applied to the military, but was declined for his small stature. Drove ambulance.
• lived out his remaining days in Paris.
• Contracted dementia and died 5 years later.

§ Igor Stravinsky (1880-1970)

• Modern
• Born in russia.
• Father was an opera singer, mother a pianist.
• Parents encouraged him to study law, but he met a talented composer and decided to learn music.
• Collaborated with the ballet company in paris.
• Following WW1, began to compose in various styles and genres, shifted towards Objectivity, shun emotions of the Romantic era.
• Was inspired by pre-romantics (Mozart, Bach, Handl).
• Began changing composition based on his own uncommon rhythmic and harmonic style (neo-classicism).
• Implemented the twelve-tone technique, which uses all twelve tones.
• Moved to NYC.

§ Shostakovich (1900-1975)

• Modern
• Under rule of joseph stalin
• 9th symphony was too insolent, had name dragged through mud for it.

§ Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)

§ Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

§ Philip Glass (1930-)

§ Double Fugue

• Fugue exposes with two subjects

§ Concerto

• A sonata for solo instrument(s).
• We get anthesis between soloist versus orchestra, and how do we balance this?
• Eg. orchestral introduction (ritornello / return), soloist enters, soloist climax, orhestral climax (ritornello).
• An example is vivaldi's spring. soloist imitates birdsong. the solo section imitates different natural phenomena.