The Classical Music Era

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Introduction The Classical Era was a time of great change in both culture and music. Previously, the Baroque Era had been influenced mostly by the Catholic Church and the conservation of aristocracy. Their architecture was very ornate and was meant to impress visitors. Baroque palaces would usually have courts, grand staircases and reception rooms to show how wealthy they were. The Classical Era, on the other hand, was focused on a philosophy called “enlightenment”. The main idea of enlightenment is that by reason, balance, and logic, man could accomplish anything. It focuses on individuality and making your own decisions, whereas the Baroque Era depended on the church to make choices and decide the people’s beliefs. In keeping with the ideals of balance and logic, composers tried to keep the music simple and unemotional. The middle class were gaining more privileges; now they could afford to go to concerts and operas, things that used to be exclusively for the rich. The Classical Era’s architecture was inspired by Ancient Greek and Roman buildings, which were symmetrical and simple. In contrast, the Baroque period buildings were ornate and asymmetrical. Musical Form The word “sonata” comes from the Italian word “sonare” which means simply to sound. From the Classical Era onwards, composers have used the sonata form to provide basic framework for their symphonies. The sonata usually consists of three or four independent pieces called movements, each of which follows certain conventions of character and structure. The first movement is the exposition which introduces the main themes of the song. The second movement is called the development, which is where the story heats up; themes appear in fragmentary form, the composer will ... ... middle of paper ... ...Sonata Form Simplified." Key-notes Virtual Piano Studio by Albert Frantz. Web. 16 Oct. 2011 King, Don. "The History of the Classical Guitar." Academy of Guitar. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. "Ludwig Van Beethoven's Biography." Ludwig Van Beethoven's Website. Dec. 2001. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. "Wolfgang Mozart Biography." The Biography Channel website. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. “Music.” Baroque Life. No publisher, 2008. Web. 11 Oct. 2011. "Neo-classicism" World Encyclopedia . Philip's, 2008. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 11 October 2011. Rosenfeld, Paul. New Republic: Neo Classicism and Paul Hindemith. New York. 2004. Print. Sadie, Stanley. "Classical Era, the." The Oxford Companion to Music. Ed. Alison Latham. Oxford Music Online. 11 Oct. 2011 Wilson, Rick. "Classical Flutes; the ‘Additional Keys’." Old Flutes. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.

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