FRANZ

JOSEPH
HAYDN

Ludwig Van
Beethoven

WOLFGANG
AMADEUS
MOZART
 Music of the
Classical period
 MUSIC OF THE CLASSICAL PERIOD (1750-1820)
• 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 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 the French Revolution and the 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 Greek 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 was 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.
Crescendo – gradually becoming louder

Diminuendo – gradually becoming softer

Alberti Bass – a special type of broken chord accompaniment
where the chord is played in this order: lowest note - highest note -
middle note - highest note then repeats the pattern to create a
smooth, sustained, flowing sound
Sonata – any instrumental composition that has several movements
with variation in key, mood, or tempo

Symphony – a musical composition for the whole orchestra

generally in four movements; also a sonata for orchestra
 MUSIC OF THE
ROMANTIC
PERIOD 1820-1910
• Romantic Period is described as a cultural movement that stressed
emotion, imagination, individualism, and freedom of expression.
• These characteristics are evident in music, art, and literature of the era.
• Nationalism was also incorporated in the music of the Romantic
Period.
• An example of a composition that shows nationalism is the “Polonaise”
of Frederic Chopin, which is a dance composition for piano and is
famous in Poland until today.
• Ludwig Van Beethoven bridged the music from Classical to Romantic
Era by expressing his passion and emotions through his music.
• Other composers were inspired by this musical style that they started to
use music as a means of expressing their emotions and individuality.
• This change in musical form also paved the way for expanding the
orchestra as the composers explored various instrumentations.

• Piano music of the Romantic Period is in free form such as fantasy,

rhapsody, ballade, and nocturne.

• Program music was expressed in tone poems such as Symphony

Fantastique.

• Most of the musical compositions of the era portray literature, history,

emotions, and nature.
VIOLIN AND STRINGS MUSIC
Niccolo Paganini
• He was born in October 27, 1782 in Genoa, Italy in
a family of six children.
• His musical skills started with playing the
mandolin at the age of five.
• He eventually transferred his training to the violin
at the age of seven with different violin professors
in Italy.
• His violin teachers could not keep up with the
progress of his violin skills that he kept on
transferring from one violin teacher to another.
• This led him to adopt all his teachers’ influences in
playing the violin.
• Paganini became the most famous violin virtuoso in the world.
• However, together with his fame came the rumors about his amazing violin
skills that was said to be a gift from the devil and that he sold his soul in
exchange for those skills.
• He was also rumored to have a problem with women and gambling.
• His compositions inspired a lot of other composers such as Franz Liszt,
Frederic Chopin, and Robert Schumann.

Some Works of Niccolo Paganini:

• “La Campanella”
• 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1
• Concerto no. 1 in Eb , Op. 6
• 15 Quartets for Guitar and Strings Trio
• “The Carnival of Venice”
PIANO MUSIC
Piano music of the Romantic period was filled with innovations. Most of the compositions require
a high level of virtuosity. Some were reinventions of sonatas from the Classical era. Today, some
piano compositions from the Romantic period have been adapted into songs. An example of this is
Chopin’s Etude Op. 10, no. 3 in E Major that was used for the song “No Other Love.”

1. Frederic Chopin
• Frederic Chopin was known as the “Poet of the Piano,” He
was born on March 1,1810 in Zelazowa, Poland.
• Frederic Chopin began to play piano at age 4.
• He composed polonaise at the age of 7.
• He studied piano at Warsaw Conservatory under Wilhelm
Würfel and most of his music was influenced by folk music.
• He finished his formal education at the higher school in 1829
and soon traveled to Europe giving concerts in places such as
Vienna, Munich, Paris, and London.
• He wrote almost exclusively for piano.
• He made extensive use of piano pedal in most of his
compositions.
• Chopin composed almost primarily for the piano and some of his most well
known compositions are Fantasie in F minor, Op. 49, Revolutionary Etude, Op.
10, No. 12 and 24 Preludes, Op. 28.
• In 1831, Chopin arrived in Paris and met other legendary composers such as
Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, and Robert Schumann.
• During this time in Paris, Chopin met and married the famous French writer
George,Sand which later became a source of inspiration as well as a
maternalmfigure in Chopin’s life.
• In the later part of Chopin’s life, his health began tomdecline and he was
diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis.
• Chopin died mon October 17, 1849, in Paris. Chopin’s music is recognized
worldwide for its beauty and his works on the piano are mainstays in the piano
repertoire.
• Some of his music is characterized by its beautiful tone, rhythmic flexibility,
grace, and elegance.
• Some of his compositions like mazurkas and polonaise express his love for
Poland.
Chopin is famous for the following:
• Ballade – a verse form or narrative that is set to music
• Etude – a piece composed for the development of a specific technique.
• Mazurka – a Polish dance in triple time signature
• Nocturne – an instrumental composition of a pensive, dreamy mood, for the
piano
• Polonaise – a slow Polish dance in triple time that consists of a march or
procession
• Prelude – a short piece of music that can be used as a preface, and introduction
to another work or may stand on its own
• Waltz – a German dance in triple meter
• Impromptu – a short free-form musical composition usually for a solo
instrument, like the piano
• Scherzo – a musical movement of playful character, typically in ABA form
• Sonata – composition for one or more solo instruments usually consisting of
three or four independent movements varying in key, mood, and tempo
2. Franz Liszt • The best word that describes the works of Franz Liszt is “virtuosity.”
• He was known as the virtuoso pianist, a composer and the busiest
musician during the romantic era.
• He played and studied in Vienna and Paris while performing in
concerts in the rest of Europe.
• Liszt was born in the village Doborjan, Hungary.
• He displayed remarkable talent at a young age and easily understood
sight reading.
• His father was his first teacher age six.
• A turning point came when in his early twenties, Liszt heard the
virtuoso violinist Niccolo Paganini perform so he decided to dedicate
himself in becoming a virtuoso pianist.
• He was known for his symphonic poems where he translated great
literary works into musical compositions.
• He also made piano transcriptions of operas and famous symphonies.
• Many of his piano compositions are technically challenging pieces.
• He was also known with his generosity in sharing time and money to
the orphans, victim of disasters, and the many students he taught
music for free.
Some of Liszt’s Piano works:
• “La Campanella”
• “Liebestraume No. 3”
• Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsodies” were originally written for solo
piano, but many were arranged for orchestra or other
combinations of instruments. The Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 is
the most popular and was the basis for the “Tom & Jerry”
cartoon called the “Cat Concerto”
• Un Sospiro
• Sonata in B Minor
• Arrangements of the 9 Beethoven Symphonies
• Transcriptions of Lieder by Schubert

Orchestral Composition
• Symphonic Poems (“Hamlet,” “Les Preludes”)
 • One of the famous Romantic composers that beautifully combined
3. Robert Schumann music and words is Robert Schumann.
• He was a composer and music critic.
• Robert Alexander Schumann was born in 1810 in Zwickau.
• His father wanted him to study law and so in 1821, Schumann went to
Leipzig to study law.
• However, he spent most of his time with musical and literary circles
through the effort of Friedrich Wieck who took some time to teach
Schumann how to play the piano.
• It was also this time when he wrote some of his first piano
compositions.
• He eventually convinced his family that he should put aside law in
favor of a performing career.
• In 1830, Schumann went to live with Wieck in Leipzig. He soon
developed a problem with his hands, effectively ending his dreams as a
pianist.
• It was in 1834 when Schumann founded the music journal, “Jornal
Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik,” wherein he edited and wrote music
criticism for his publication.
• He wrote numerous write-ups and one of which was the performance
of Frederic Chopin in Paris, France.
• In his journal, Schumann often wrote under two pseudonyms -
Eusebius (his sensitive, lyrical side) and Florestan (his fiery, stormy
side).
Piano Works
• “Abegg Variations,” Opus 1(1830)
• “Davidsbundlertanze” (“Dances of the Band of David”), Opus 6 (1837)
• “Carnaval,” Opus 9 (1835) - a portrait of a masked ball attended by his allies and his beloved Clara
• “Phantasiestucke,” Opus 12 (1837) - a series of mood pieces
• “Kreisleriana,” Opus 16 (1838) - a fantasy on the mad Kapellmeister
• “Kinderszenen,” Opus 15 (1838) - a poetic series of evocations of a child’s world

Art Songs:
• “Frauenliebe und Leben” (“A Woman’s Love and Life”)
• “Dichterliebe” (“A Poet’s Love”)

Orchestral music:
• “Piano Concerto in A Minor,” Opus 54
• “Overture,” Scherzo
• “Finale,” Opus 52 (a mini symphony)
• “Konzertstuck in F Major for Four Horns and Orchestra,” Opus 86