Classical Music 101

[Dragon Phoenix]

Welcome to those of you who have selected this optional programme. The class will be largely interactive, and I'd like those attending it to post questions and topics they would like to discuss. This can be along the lines of:

* what is a concerto?
* I like Brahms - which other composers would you recommend?
* I like Beethovens 9th - are there any other symphonies which use the human voice?

and so on.

I will throw in a 'lecture' once and again about less well-known composers whom I think deserve a broader exposure.

Questions?

[Hitchhiker]

*sits attentively*

Who would you say is the first great composer?

What, exactly, is a fugue?

[Coyote]

What are the differences between music of the Classical period and music of the Romantic period?

[Dragon Phoenix]

Lecture 1 - at the request of Hitchhiker

Theme: who was the first great composer?

Evidently, it is not easy, as the term 'great' here leaves ample room for interpretation. The first named composer of any reputation is probably Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), who wrote medieval choral music, akin to the older Gregorian chants. I would hesitate though to call her a 'great' composer, although I definitely like to listen to her works once in a while. The renaissance period (1430-1600) gave us composers like Dufay, Palestrina, Lassus and Byrd. Palestrina (1525-1594) is probably the most respected of these and makes another case for the title first great composer. Personally, though, I consider the renaissance music too stylistically limited to apply this term. The seventeenth century gave us composers continuing more or less in this vein, like Monteverdi and Lully, who again would not qualify as 'great' IMHO.

Which brings us to the period of the baroque music (1600-1750). Many good composers emerged, like Purcell and the Scarlattis, but foremost three names that everybody should recognise, even if they have little knowledege of classical music at all: JS Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. Of these three, Bach is by far the superior composer (in fact I regard him as the best composer of all time), so he gets the vote.

[jeep]

Originally posted by Radar O'Reilly:

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"Ah, Bach."

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-JEEP

[Dragon Phoenix]

Intermezzo, requested by Hitchhiker

What is a fugue? I think it is very well explained here. If you want to hear more, try to get hold of a CD of Bachs Die Kunst der Fuge or musically even more rewarding, his set of Preludes and fugues, from The Well-tempered Klavier.

Note that the fugue hit its high point during the baroque period (with Bach), but that later composers like Beethoven and Mozart still used the technique in some of their works. Even in the 20th century, fugues have been incorporated in compositions by for instance Ives, Bartok and Stravinsky (although in the latter case, it was admittedly mainly in his neo-baroque period).

[Dragon Phoenix]

Coyotes request deserves a longer treatment, as it deals with two of the most important periods of (Western) classical music. To be continued.

Other requests are welcome.

[VinnyQ]

Hi Teach,

would you tell us again what all the different levels of human vocal ... uh ... (vocalizing?) are?

[RequiemEternam]

*raises hand*

Frederic Chopin is my absolute favorite composer for piano, hands down. But what are the distinguishing characteristics of an etude, a prelude, a waltz, a nocturne, a mazurka, a polonaise and an impromptu?

[Huey]

*gives Teach an apple*

[Huey]

Question: during concerts, what exactly is the task of the conductor? are they really necessary? do the players actually pay attention to them? (I've heard someone said that the conductor is mainly there for the audience).

[SaberKitty]

Huey, you've never been in a band, have you....

[Huey]

nope. Wish I had, but I was too busy learning english.

[SaberKitty]

isn't music the univeral language?
(or is that love, i never remember)

[Agamemnon]

If I may be so bold and step in for the Dragon, just to answer Req's questions.....

Etude - A short musical Piece or composition for a solo instrument, intended to develop a point of technique, or to display the performer's skill, but often played for its artistic merit. (Showing off really)

Prelude - A piece or movement that serves as an introduction to another section or composition and starts the key, like one that precedes a fugue, opens a suite, or precedes a church service.

Waltz - An instrumental or vocal (rare in classical) composition or piece, in triple time.

Nocturne - An instrumental composition of a pensive, sleepy, dreamy, senseless, night time mood, especially one for the piano

Mazurka - A piece of music resembling the Polish polka. For such a dance, frequently adopted as a ballet form, written in 3/4 or 3/8 time with the second beat heavily accented.

Polonaise - A stately, marchlike Polish dance, having triple meter, primarily a promenade by couples. Dating back to 18th centuary Poland for origins.

Impromptu - A piece composed or played at first thought, a composition in the style of an extempore piece.

[Coyote]

I asked my question out of laziness...one of my less laudable traits, I'm afraid.

But another of my bad traits is impatience, so when I didn't get an immediate answer I took it upon myself to do my own research. Having done so, I now think perhaps the question might be a little too complex for a 101 course. I'll withdraw it if you'd like.

Here's one of the links I read through, if anyone in the class is interested.

[Agamemnon]

I still whinge at the thought of you beating me in classical quiz coyote.

[Coyote]

I only won because you were trying to show off, and garnered a 'wrong answer' penalty!

[Dragon Phoenix]

Vinny:

The male voices, from low to high are
Bass - seldom used outside choirs and some opera roles
Baritone - often seen performing in classical songs and song cycles, and in opera roles, but seldom the leading part
tenor - often seen performing in classical songs and song cycles, and in opera roles, usually in the leading part
countertenor - falsetto type singing (replacing the original castrates), seldom seen outside period performances.

Pavarotti, Carreras and Domingo are as you know tenors. Fischer-Dieskau is my favourite baritone and Raney my favourite bass.

The female voices from low to high are:
alto - often seen performing in classical songs and song cycles, and in opera roles, but seldom the leading part
mezzo-soprano - often seen performing in classical songs and song cycles, and in opera roles, but seldom the leading part
soprano - often seen performing in classical songs and song cycles, and in opera roles, usually in the leading part

I think there is also a counteralto even lower, but can't recall that right now.

My favourite soprano is Dawn Upshaw, my favourite alto/mezzo (she can do both) is Brigitte Fassbaender.


Huey
The conductor indicates the tempi (speed) and loudness of the various sections. He (seldom a she) often has his own view on a piece, and the same composition with the same orchestra under different conductors can sound quite different. That said, a conductor is not absolutely necessary - the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has received a good reputation (both on CD and live) although they always perform without a conductor.


Saberkitty
I think music is one of the few things that can cross any boundary in the world, so indeed you could call it a universal language.

Coyote
Thanks, I still plan to gather my thoughts on this one (it is rather complex), because it is a key period in the history of classical music.

Old bean
Thanks for chipping in. Feel free to continue to do so.

[Dragon Phoenix]

Lecture 2 - Classical versus Romantic periods, at Coyotes request

The following is purely my own opinion, I did not look at the link you provided. Would be interesting to see whether there is a lot of disagreement. Pssstt... homework..

The classical period followed the baroque period, and gave us giants like Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and the young Schubert. I would say that the main characteristic of this period, which distinguishes it from the subsequent Romantic period, is shape before content. In this period, some of the most important types of compositions were established, such as the symphony (there had been some attempts in this direction before, but the composers listed above put it on the musical map), the piano sonata and the string quartet. These compositions followed strict rules like ancient Greek and Roman buildings and culture (hence the name classical). The content of the composition was purely musical - indeed, when Beethoven composed his sixth symphony (Pastoral) with many references outside music (imitated bird song and thunderstorm) he hastened to play it down and stress it was just music.

In contrast, the romantics, whilst not abandoning structure altogether, placed more amphasis on the content. Composers like Brahms, Chopin, Schumann and Mendelssohn still wrote piano sonatas, but also introduced different forms for piano compositions like nocturnes and 'songs without words'. Symphonies became more and more free in structure (instead of the classical lay-out) and often referred to inspiration outside music. Examples are Mendelssohns Italian symphony and Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique. Symphonies became more elaborate as well, with the result that most composers after Haydn and Mozart did not exceed nine symphonies (versus 41 for Mozart and over a 100 for Haydn)...

Even more than in the symphonies, outside inspirations became clear in shorter orchestral pieces called overtures or symphonic poems (Mendelssohn, Dvorak and Liszt for instance). Often these were based on literature (Shakespeare for instance) - a theme even more clearly followed in the creation of the classical music song (Lied) based on romantic poems (Schumann, Brahms, Mahler). The romantic period also placed more emphasis on the performer, especially solists in concertos. Whereas the many concertos by Haydn and Mozart (27 pianoconcertos for Mozart alone) were more a dialogue between solist and orchestra, romantic composers wrote their concertos for virtuoso solists who more or less battled against the orchestra. Like in the case of the symphonies, one result was a rapid decrease of the number of concertos per composer, which rarely exceeded five.

Strangely, the one composition type that hardly changed in this period was the string quartet. The Brahms, Mendelssohn and Schumann string quartets are hardly different in style (and actually clearly worse in content) from the classical period masterpieces. Dvorak hinted at new possibilities with his American string quartet, but it took two 20th century composers (Bartok and Shostakovich) to really change the nature of the string quartet.

Anybody still reading this?

[VinnyQ]

Zzzzzzz ...

*wakes up*

What? True! A! 42! Incorrect! 1977!


( j/k DP, I am reading this.)

A personal question: How do you feel about composers for the Motion Picture, e.g. James Horner, John Williams, Alan Silvestri?

(BONUS)

What about "popular" Orchestra like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra?

(BONUS)

[SaberKitty]

John Williams rocks!

DP: If i were looking for a new baroque oboe solo, what would you sugguest? (i'm very fond of telemann's(sp?), handel's, and vivaldi's concertos)
preferrably something difficult(grade 6 is the highest in the states, but in europe (or britain, at least) it goes to 8)

one more q: what do you think of the harpsichord? (and why would anyone bother to learn it)

[SaberKitty]

one more i just thought of:
is there anyway that we can get around your vast knowledge of classical music in robichelli without it being the forbidden subject?

[Agamemnon]

Pah! Easy!
Just ask him something he does not know!

[Dragon Phoenix]

Responding to VinnyQ:
I like many composers of film music. Granted, some of them are regular classical music composers, who were/are asked to compose for films as well (such as Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Hermann, Korngold, Arnold and Takemitsu). Amongst the pure film music composers, John Williams is the one who often writes works of such beauty that they should be counted as classical music. I also very much enjoyed the music of LotR-TFotR, although there is more than abit of Prokofiev in that score. Horner and Elfman are other names that come to mind as good composers of film music.
I don't particularly like Popular Orchestras playing classical music. Too often I get a James Last feeling with that.

Responsing to Saberkitty:
I think several of JS Bachs beautiful keyboard concertos are available as oboe concertos as well. Albinoni is another option. If you want to look just outside baroque, I suggest you try some of CPE Bachs (as in 'the son of'..) very rewarding concertos.
The harpsichord is not one of my favourite instruments, it is too limited in dynamics. Mostly you have a choice to listen to compositions by harpsichord or piano, and I'd choose the latter option.
The dragoncelli...

[RequiemEternam]

DP, any recommendations for a bassoon/piano duet to perform? My friend was a bassoon performance major in college, and I've been playing for years. We'd like to throw something together, for our own enjoyment, but possibly to be performed for friends.

Also, what's your favorite double-reed instrument?

And what do you (or any of your teaching assistants) think of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique?

[Dragon Phoenix]

Tough questions, RE...

[1] bassoon/piano combinations - I am admittedly out of my depth here. Don't think I have anything like this in my vast collection. Sorry. Googling reveals a Mozart transcription, which obviously should be good music (even though I rate Mozart less high than most people).

[2] my favourite double-reed instrument... this would mean choosing from oboes, oboe d'amores, English horns, heckelphones and bassoons, right?
Easy - the oboe. Melancholic and expressive, one of my favourite instruments.

[3] Berlioz' Symphonie fantastique was one of the first symphonies I enjoyed, and I still do. That says a lot about the sheer quality of this exuberant work. Good introduction to classical music for newcomers as well.

[SaberKitty]

Originally posted by DP:

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my favourite double-reed instrument...
Easy - the oboe. Melancholic and expressive, one of my favourite instruments.

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DP, you are so my hero!

[ChienFou]

20 years ago I was at a performance of the Resurrection. I remember being able to hear Fassbaender above 110 instruments and a 300 piece choir, during the final showdown in the last movement. It still makes my hackles rise. Without question one of the greatest instances of choral music. People next to me were openly weeping.

My record for crying is in three of the four acts of Boheme.

Mise en scene: Motorway, balmy summer's afternnon; bored, let's pick up a hitchhiker :-

~stops (clearly a teacher): "Bristol?" "Yes, do you mind Mahler 2?" "Lovely, I had an Eroica lift this morning".

~Hits play; drops clutch; pulls second gear; opens roof; pulls 3rd (70mph); winds down window; pulls 4th (100mph); hits full volume; pulls 5th (115 and rising)

"F**k me, what a way to go!"



[This message has been edited by ChienFou (edited 01-06-2003 04:21 PM).]

[SaberKitty]

can we have more 'lectures?' the first few have been really interesting. maybe about specific composers of certain periods?

[Dragon Phoenix]

I'll pick a few composers. Requests are also welcome.

[Agamemnon]

Maybe notable significant composers through the ages. Talking about chosen people and the differences between their music and compositions.
Dragon, I ask you to start with Guillaume Dufay, if that's ok with you?

[Dragon Phoenix]

Actually I would prefer to tackle composers I know a fair bit about. Feel free to hop in as a guest lecturer once more, though... Or I will do some searching on Dufay.

Candidates for my first choice:

Famous composers:
Claude Debussy
Antonin Dvorak
Dmitri Shostakovich

Less famous composers:
Arnold Bax
Toru Takemitsu
Ottorino Respighi

[This message has been edited by Dragon Phoenix (edited 01-09-2003 04:58 AM).]

[Dragon Phoenix]

In addition, I plan to tackle the following subjects in 'lecture' style the coming weeks:

* Nationalist composers
* Impressionism
* Symphonic poems
* Requiems

Any other requests?

[Agamemnon]

You forgot Operas

[Dragon Phoenix]

Can do....

[SaberKitty]

Dmitri Shostakovich!
we've played two of his
(if i see Festive Overture again, i'll scream. movement 1-argh)

[Agamemnon]

Ok, from what I know about Guillaume Dufay.

Guillaume Dufay was born in France around 1400. After serving an apprenticeship under Richard Loqueville, Guillaume Dufay took composing appointments around Italy and France. This made him one of the most famous composers of Europe for this time, and gave him chance to compose time famous works like Adieu ces bons vins de Lannoys and Apostolo glorioso.
Because of his appointments and movement around Europe, many of his compositions can be directly linked to historical events.
Doing my best here with limited knowledge
By around 1430-ish, Guillaume Dufay had become head of the Papal choir, and had wrote some fantastic hymns and plainchant along with more dramatic isorhythmic motets such as Ecclesie militantis
Struggling now
On his return to France, he wrote a cantilena motet entitled regina celorum, which he requested to be performed at his death bed.
HELP!!!!
For an early Renaissance composer, Guillaume Dufay was the most bespoke writer for this part in historic music, especially his harmonized chants, plainchant, secular songs and complex isorhythmic motet. Dufay was the last great exponent of the isorhythmic style, and his large-scale festival motets such as er rosarum flores are among the most spectacular creations of the period.
For an introduction into his works, I recommend his composed mass cycles such as the Missa Ecce ancilla Domini and the Missa Ave regina celorum.
Phew!
Recorded works I recommend are:
.
the Seraphim Guide to Renaissance Music
72 vocal and instrumental works from the 13th to 17th centuries Syntagma Musicum of Amsterdam - Kees Otten
.
Masterpieces of the Early French & Italian Renaissance
Groupe vocal et Ensemble instrumental anciens - Chaillé
.
Guillaume Dufay - Secular Music
The Medieval Ensemble of London - Peter Davies & Timothy Davies
.
Dufay: Se la face ay pale
Early Music Consort of London - David Munrow

[RequiemEternam]

Originally posted by DP:

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* Requiems

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My three favorites are Brahms, Duruflé, and Mozart, in that order. Can we hear about those, please?

[Beartalon]

Define a musical segue.
What basic "rules" are there to creating a fantasia? As I understand it, a fantasia is somewhat similar to a "variation on a theme" but what it the difference or am I misunderstanding?

By the way, I can assist with musical theory questions