Unit 3

Unit 3 will focus on the Classical period of music. This is what most people associate with classical music. Here we get to study some of the most famous composers of all time, Beethoven.

Mozart, and Hayden. If anyone has seen the movie "Amadeus" then they will have seen a very dramatized Mozart and Salieri from the Classical period.

Objectives:

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

Define different types of musical composition styles.

Identify Classical composers and their respective compositions.

Identify and formulate the links between Classical music, its predecessors, and the following period.

Listen critically to Classical period western compositions and identify composer's stylistic contributions during that era.

Activities:

Read the Mini Lesson

Memorize the music definitions.

Participate in the Discussion Board

Watch the Unit 3 videos

Complete the Theme and Variation activity

Take unit 3 quiz

Lesson 3 Reading

Reading:

Tarasti, E. (2012). Semiotics of Classical Music : How Mozart, Brahms and Wagner Talk to Us. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.

Part 1

Schweizer, S. L. (2010). Timpani Tone and the Interpretation of Baroque and Classical Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Chapter 4

Definitions:

String quartet - A quartet of performers on stringed instruments usually including a first and second violin, a viola, and a cello

Serenade - An instrumental composition in several movements, written for a small ensemble, and midway between the suite and the symphony in style

Divertimento - An instrumental chamber work in several movements usually light in character

Overture - A piece of music played at the start of an opera, a musical play, etc.

Symphony - A long piece of music that is usually in four large, separate sections and that is performed by an orchestra

Exposition - The first part of a musical composition in sonata form in which the thematic material of the movement is presented

Recapitulation - The third section of a sonata form

Modulation - A change from one musical key to another

Coda - A concluding musical section that is formally distinct from the main structure

Sonata - An instrumental musical composition typically of three or four movements in contrasting forms and keys

Concerto - A piece for one or more soloists and orchestra with three contrasting movements

Interactive Lecture PDF - Right Click to Download: Read the Unit 3 Lecture

Videos:

Watch Video

Haydn - Symphony no 94 "Surprise": 1st movement

User: n/a - Added: 6/20/10

YouTube URL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFcONi1ynIM

Watch Video

Mozart "Turkish March"

Watch Video

Beethoven Symphony no.5

Watch Video

Franz Schubert: Fantasy In F Minor

Here we have Haydn's Symphony No. 94 in G major called "Mit dem Paukenschlag" Which loosely translates to "with the kettledrum stroke."

However, most people well recognize this as his "Surprise" Symphony. It is so called for its sudden unexpected hits and jumps. This is Mozart's 3rd movement from his Piano Sonata in A Major It is called the Turkish March.

As one can see, Mozart shows off not only his fine compositional skills but his ability to compose and play virtuosic piano. The player here is Massimiliano Ferrati. It is always hard to choose a Beethoven piece for an example because there are so many of them that can be identified immediately. Here is Beethoven's 5th Symphony as conducted by Heinrich Schiff.

I believe that almost everyone will know this incredibly well. It shows his masterful compositional skills and his tremendous power. It is easy to hear the difference between this and Mozart. Schubert was the transitional composer working in both the Classic Era and Romantic Era. This piano piece for 4 hands is not quite classical in its sound nor romantic.

Supplemental Resources:

Below are a couple pieces of supplemental reading material that illustrates the connections between the Baroque and Classical periods.

The Classical or Viennese Period

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Ludwig van Beethoven

Unit 3 DB: Unity and Variety ( 1-2 pages ) with APA style citation )

Effective and interesting music uses a combination of UNITY (something used more than once in a piece that binds it together), and VARIETY (different ways of saying something musical to add interest to a piece).

Using any ONE piece of music from any style as an example, describe in what ways you find "unity and variety" being used? Some of the elements that convey this are verses and chorus in lyrics or melody, or a recurring theme in instrumental pieces.