Classical Period Structure
Opera:
· Dramatic musical performance
· Vocal melodies with orchestral accompaniment
Overture
· An instrumental opening to an opera
· A French overture is a piece in tertiary form with a slow A section and a quicker B section
· An Italian overture has three movements
· Have no musical connection to the opera or oratorio played after
Intermezzo
- Comic scenes between acts
- Eventually developed into full scale Opera Buffa
· Giovanni Battista Pergolesi known for intermezzo
The Aria
· Vocal solo with instrumental accompaniment
· Dramatic Soliloquy
· Da capo aria – the common ABA form; permitted uniqueness with detail
Libretto
· The text of the opera
· Lyrics sung by opera performers
Opera Buffa
· Opera Buffa – comic/jesting drama and music; a full length work with 6+ singers
· Often accompanied by continuo, or keyboard alone
· Arias in galant style with repeated short phrases
· Made to entertain and portray the conflicts of common people
Later Comic Opera
· Serious plots began to appear as well
· Finales contained all characters with a climax in which all participated; composers had to follow changing action and maintain musical coherence
· Periodic phrasing, tuneful melodies, simple harmonies, simplea accompaniment, direct expression, emotional fluidity, etc all characterize Italian comic opera
Opera Seria
· serious opera – dramatic; conflicts of human passions; tragic endings were rare
· three acts consist of alternating recitatives (developing action, sometimes with accompaniment) and arias (dramatic soliloquy)
· high voices used
· made to entertain and portray the conflicts of royalty and nobility
· known as court opera and it was made to please members of the court
Opera in Other Languages
· Different forms in different countries; middle and lower class
· Written in national tongue with national musical idioms
· Reflected the demand for simple, clear, natural singing and encouraged the growth of separate traditions of opera
· Opera comique – French opera with popular tunes and spoken dialogue, but eventually became more like Italian opera
· Ballad opera – English opera with spoken dialogue and borrowed tunes (folk), but like opera comique began to compose original music (ex. The Beggars Opera by John Gay)
· Singspiel – singing play aka German opera with spoken dialogue, musical numbers and comic plot
· Theme
o An existing musical melody, bass line, or harmony
· Variations (CHECK THIS)
o 16th century invention
o Was not dance music
o Takes a theme and varies it numerous times
· Sonata-Allegro (CHECK THIS)
o Can be written for any instrument
o Usually for piano or orchestra accompaniment
· Sonatina
o A short sonata
· Sonata
o Also called “first movement” form according to Grout
o AABA
o Slow introduction before the exposition is not uncommon
o “AA”- Exposition
o “B”-Development which modulates through keys
o “A”- Recapitulation: motives and themes are restated but in a different key
o There may be a coda that restates the one or more themes
· Concerto (CHECK THIS)
o Two contrasting instruments together in a piece
o Three different types of concerti
§ Orchestral Concerto-Emphasized the first violin and bass
§ Concerto Grosso (Born in the Baroque)- put the small ensemble against the large ensemble
§ Solo Concerto- contrasted a single instrument with a large ensemble
· Symphony(CHECK THIS)
o A work in three or four movements
§ First movement-a sonata
§ Second Movement- usually slow and had any form
§ Third Movement- faster and commonly a minuet and trio but not always
§ Fourth Movement- still faster and usually in rondo form
o Primarily homophonic
o No division between orchestra and soloist
· String Trio
o 1 violin, 1 viola, 1 cello
· String Quartet
o 2 violins, a viola, and a cello
o The first violin carries most of the melody
o The cello is the bass part
o The other two fill out the texture of the piece
o Composers wrote quartets in which musicians exchanged short motives
· Divertimento
o Written to be background music
o Multi-movement piece for an Orchestra or other winds and strings
· Oratorio
o Similar to an opera but sacred
o Were not staged, or did not move around
o No costumes
o Usually a narrator is present
o Chorus could take various roles
· Mass
o A sacred structure used for ages and still prevalent in the classical era
· Strophic Form
o Repeats verse and chorus with same notes, different text
· Etudes
o A work made for amateurs to help them improve
By Sachin Sharma, Liz Swarthout, Katherine Liu, Hanna Astephen
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