The Classical Period (1730s-1810s)

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    Couperin

    Francois Couperin was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He is best known for his harpsichord works, all of which are found in the collection of more than 220 pieces entitled Pièces de clavecin, consisting of four books.
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    Rameau

    Jean- Philippe Rameau was a French composer and theorist.He is known for being the leading French composer of his time for the harpsichord, alongside François Couperin.
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    Pieta

    Anna Maria della Pieta was an Italian violinist, composer and teacher.
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    Metastasio

    Pietro Metastasio was an Italian poet and librettist.He is known for being the most important writer of opera seria libretti.
  • Invention of the Pianoforte

    Invention of the Pianoforte
    The Pianoforte is an early piano and the first patented version of a piano. It was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori.
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    Richter

    Franz Xaver Richter was a German composer, teacher, and singer. He is most known for inventing the string quartet and for being one of the foremost Mannheim composers.
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    Bach

    Wilhelm Friedemann Bach was a German composer and the son of J.S. Bach. He is known as being the "Halle Bach" for his work in that town.
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    Holzbauer

    Ignaz Holzbauer was a composer of symphonies, concertos, operas, and chamber music.
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    Frederick the Great

    Frederick the Great was a Prussian king and military leader who ruled the Kingdom of Prussia.
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    Jommelli

    Niccolo Jommelli was an Italian composer. He is known for writing religious music and operas.
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    Mozart

    Leopold Mozart was a German composer, violinist, teacher, theorist, and the father of Wolfgang Mozart. He is most known for his violin textbook Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule.
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    Burney

    Charles Burney was an English organist, amature composer, writer, and music scholar.
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    Anfossi

    Pasquale Anfossi was an Italian composer.
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    Piccinni

    Niccolo Piccinni was an Italian composer. He is most known for writing symphonies, sacred music, chamber music, and operas.
  • Characteristics

    Characteristics of the Classical Era include order, objectivity, symmetry, etiquette, restraint, and harmonic proportion.
  • Musical Style

    The musical style of the classical era is characterized by singable melodies, diatonic harmony, regular rhythms and meters, slow harmonic rhythms, homophonic textures, and frequent inclusion of folk elements.
  • Forms

    Minuet- a dance, subgenre, and form.
    Minuet A- where A= aa bb or aa ba
    Trio B- where B= cc dd or cc dc
    Minuet A- Return of A without repeats= ab or aba
    Rondo= abaca or abacaba
    Rounded Binary= a ba'
    Scherzo= "joke" or "jest" aba (replaced minuet)
  • Musical Traits

    Melody: symmetrical phrasing; Instrumental music
    Rhythm: not complex
    Harmony: predictable and uncomplicated
    Texture: Homophony
    Form: Sonata; Rondo; Ternary; Da capo aria
    Dynamics: forte; piano; pianissimo; fortisimo
    Orchestration: clarinet; timpani
  • Musical Genres

    Musical genres of the classical era include Aria, Ballet, Concerto, Lied, Motet, Sonata, and many others.
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    Cannabich

    Christian Cannabich was a German violinist, composer, and Kapellmeister.
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    Haydn

    Franz Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer, teacher, violinist, and keyboardist. He is most known for serving as an innovator and mover within the new classic style. "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet".
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    Paisiello

    Giovanni Paisiello was an Italian composer. He is known for being one of the most popular opera composers of the 1700s and influencing Mozart and Rossini.
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    Lombardini

    Maddalena Lombardini was an Italian composer, violinist and singer.She is known for writing violin concertos.
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    Billings

    William Billings was the first American choral composer and leading member of the First New England School.
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    Ponte

    Lorenzo da Ponte was an Italian librettist, poet, and Roman Catholic priest. He is known for working with Mozart.
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    Cimarosa

    Domenico Cimarosa was an Italian composer.He is known for writing more than eighty operas.
  • String Quartet

    One of the most important chamber genres. Four movements, following the general outline of a symphony.
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    Salieri

    Antonio Salieri was an Italian composer, conductor, and teacher. He is known for composing Mozart's organ concerto, "Organ Concerto in C,1773."
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    Mozart

    Maria Anna Mozart was a musician and the older sister of Wolfgang Mozart.
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    Soler

    Vicente Martin y Soler was a spanish composer, He is known for his Italian opera "L'arbore di Diana."
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    Mozart

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer and child prodigy. He is most known for writing in all genres; his best being opera.
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    Paradis

    Maria Theresea von Paradis was an Austrian musician and composer. She is known for being blind and her friendship with Mozart. Also, she was known for being an excellent pianist and organist.
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    The Industrial Revolution

    The Industrial Revolution transformed economies that had been based on agriculture and handicrafts into economies based on large-scale industry, mechanized manufacturing, and the factory system. New machines, new power sources, and new ways of organizing work made existing industries more productive and efficient.
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    Weber

    Aloysia Weber was a German singer. She is known for her association with the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
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    Beethoven

    Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He is most known for being one of the most admired composers in the history of western music. His most famous piece is titled "Symphony No. 5 in c minor, Op."
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    The American Revolution

    The American Revolution arose from growing tensions between residents of Great Britain’s 13 North American colonies and the colonial government, which represented the British crown.
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    The French Revolution

    The French Revolution was a period of major social upheaval that began in 1787 and ended in 1799. It sought to completely change the relationship between the rulers and those they governed and to redefine the nature of political power.
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    Schubert

    Franz Schubert was an Austrian composer. He is most known for writing lieders, chamber music, symphonies, masses, and piano works.
  • Invention of the Valve Trumpet

    Invention of the Valve Trumpet
    The Valve Trumpet ordinarily built in B♭, maintains the traditional trumpet bore, cylindrical with a terminal bell flare, though usually the bore tapers toward the mouthpiece to provide additional flexibility of tone.
  • Invention of the Steamboat

    Invention of the Steamboat
    The Steamboat is any watercraft propelled by steam, but more narrowly, a shallow-draft paddle wheel steamboat widely used on rivers in the 19th century, and particularly on the Mississippi River and its principal tributaries in the United States. It was invented by Robert Fulton.