Classicism Classical Music Chapter 15 Cultural Setting 1750

Classicism & Classical Music Chapter 15

Cultural Setting 1750 - 1820 Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire center of musical activity Renewed interest in Greek & Roman history, philosophy, architecture, etc.

Descartes “I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am. ”

Age of Reason/Enlightenment “Some years ago I was struck by the large number of falsehoods that I had accepted as true in my childhood, and by the highly doubtful nature of the whole edifice that I had subsequently based on them. I realized that it was necessary, once in the course of my life, to demolish everything completely and start again right from the foundations if I wanted to establish anything at all in the sciences that was stable and likely to last. ” This movement provided the framework for the American and the French revolutions.

Versailles

French Revolution Sans-coulottes Tri-color Rejection of titles Citizen - Citizeness

Napoleon 1769 -1821

Authors Thomas Paine, new America Goethe, German Robert Burns, Scottish Wordsworth, British Sir Walter Scott, Scottish, “Ivanhoe” Jane Austen, British

Poets At the end of the era - 1820 - some of the greatest, most sensitive poets were writing. Lord Byron Percy Bysshe Shelley John Keats Preparing the way for Romanticism

Etc. Cassanova “Amazing Grace” by John Newton Marquis de Sade

Features to listen for in Classical Music Melody: pleasant & tuneful Harmony: backdrop for the melody Rhythm: Regular patterns, steady beat Dynamics: Crescendo & decrescendo Performance: Orchestra larger than Baroque & musicians were part-time Forms: Absolute music, longer works

Composers Mozart Haydn Boccherini

Mozart

Haydn

Boccherini