In honor of the great and numerous works of the Kapellmeister Bach, the Baroque musical period ends with his passing and the classical period begins. Although, as with all musical periods, the change is a transitional one. Prominent composers of the period include Franz Josef Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Ludwig van Beethoven was a transitional figure between the classical and romantic periods.

It might also be interesting and informative to note that many people refer to all art music, symphonic music, chamber music, opera, art song, ballet music and other forms of artistic music as "classical music." The term "classical" was chosen by someone to cover all the music of the great and not so well known master composers. Maybe because the music was considered classy, high-toned or upscale. But, the classical period is just one of many periods and styles of music.

This particular period is recognized for vigorous development of the sonata form, the rise of the symphony orchestra and of opera. This was a time when the world was at peace with itself, at least from the viewpoint of the common peoples. Active faith in Jesus Christ and the practices of Christianity dominated in most of the countries where this music was composed. The lifestyle was rural and agrarian (agricultural) surrounding the cities where the pace had not yet succumbed to the urgency of the machine.

Classicism in music, art and architecture is noted by its order and symmetry, marked by optimism, vigor and charm. Form dominates content as clarity, precision and restraint over emotion is favored. The goal is ease of understanding without demanding too much from the listener.

Classical music has an inherited tradition. Its harmony is referred to as traditional. It grows out of the cultural heritage of its composers. Accessible melodic lines that can be easily remembered form its core. The melody is impressed on the listener through repetition. Step-wise motion predominates classical melodies, melodic skips (intervals larger than a second - usually thirds, fourths or fifths) outline chords and the rhythm is established by the repetition and development of simple motives. The melodic vocabulary is predictably diatonic (scalar or within the notes of a major or minor scale) with chromaticism as elaboration, moving to a strong, scale tone or note.

Classical harmony is diatonic and predictable as well. Secondary movement (movement to chords other than those built on the scale tones) is employed around the tonal centers of the I, V and IV chords. Movement to secondary dominants broaden the harmonic vocabulary. Harmonic movement is simple and slow to moderate in pace. Cadences found are the V-I authentic in the perfect (root in bass) or imperfect (3rd or 5th in bass) form, the IV-V-I, the half cadence (IV-V) with the penultimate chord not V and the final not I, and the deceptive and modulatory cadences that move on, such as V-VI.

Harmonic order is emphasized by tonality. Classical music displays mostly diatonic, consistent root relationships moving a 5th down and a 4th up. A limited chordal vocabulary with limited cadences is employed as foreign modulations requiring more than one accidental change in the key signature are infrequent. Melodic chromaticism is more prevalent than harmonic embellishment.

Franz Josef Haydn is the often overlooked master of the classical style. Overshadowed by Mozart, the music of Haydn sets the tone for the style - grace, happiness, joy and purity. Many of his piano sonatas, symphonies and much of his chamber music rivals and excels the other composers of the period . . . if there were really a competition. Beethoven well acknowledged his teacher, Master Haydn. The string quartets and piano trios are well-equipped to acquaint you with the calm beauty, rhythmic vitality and harmonic exploration found in his work. Click here to listen to the Guitar Quartet, 5th movement.

Any of the many piano sonatas are examples of the grace and joy inherent in the classical style.

The London symphonies, including the Clock, the Surprise, and the London, demonstrate Haydn's experimental and developmental techniques as well as providing the listeners, the performers and the conductor with the sheer bliss of the experience. The vocal music including the oratorios, The Creation and The Seven Last Words of Christ on The Cross (originally written as orchestral sonatas with baritone recitative, later arranged for string quartet and as an oratorio) are examples of his God-glorifying work for chorus, soloists and orchestra.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - the child prodigy driven by his father to perform, compose and seek an illustrious, well-salaried position and a stable, respectable wife and life. Born in the lovely city of Salzburg, the music of Mozart contains moments of sublime beauty that have not been equaled before or since. Other musical moments are playful and almost childlike. Overall, his music has an elegant grace and simplicity that seems, inevitably, to always take the best musical direction based on the best of all musical choices. Some of his darkest moments cannot escape the light and beauty, such as in the Confutatis from the Requiem. In the unrepentent moments from the opera Don Giovanni, the feeling is ominous.

There has been considerable reference to his musical genius. Of this, there is no doubt. Some of the stories concerning his ability to compose a work completely in his head, then write it down have been exaggerated perhaps. Certainly, the story about the evil Salieri seeking his doom is entertaining fiction that made good copy in a book and played well on the stage and theatre screen. The real Mozart was capable of writing down works of sublime beauty such as the Andante, second movement, of his Piano Sonata No.16 in C, K.545 ('Sonata semplice'.) There is a profound sense of peace that comes with hearing or playing this work.

Perhaps, at times, God did speak through him. Many of us hope for that honor. "May breezes blow lightly," the English translation of the trio from Cosi fan tutte, is another example of the sublime grace and peaceful beauty found in much of his music. Another favorite is the 2nd movement of the "Elvira Madigan" Piano concerto (No.21, nicknamed after the film in which the music was popularized in the 1960's.)

Beethoven . . . Ludwig van. The family name was derived from words meaning "beet root farms." In 1731, Louis, Ludwig's grandfather, migrated from Malines, France to Louvain. In 1733 he moved to Bonn after a stay of several months at Liege at the end of 1732. Next he was joined by his brother Corneille, and then by his parents who were fleeing bankruptcy. So, the message here is that Ludwig van Beethoven's ancestry is French, or, people of Germanic origin who moved back and forth between the two countries, which may go a long way in explaining why his music was so different from the strictly Germanic master composers who preceded him.

A driven, intensely private man who moved frequently in Vienna to maintain his solitude. He needed to be alone to concentrate on his work; it was necessary to be joyful, even when it was only to be found in his music, necessary to reveal and release the turmoil within. His work has moments of tranquil beauty, quickly ended by a sforzando that leads to the sturm and drang, the angst from a sometimes difficult childhood and a creeping deafness (the film "Immortal Beloved" portrayed Beethoven resting his ear on the closed top of a piano in order to hear the vibrations loudly enough to compose) or perhaps his intention was simply to arouse patrons who were nodding off in the concert hall. The romantic tendency to express personal emotion had already begun in his work, shown by extreme mood and dynamic changes but, make no mistake, Beethoven held strongly to the classical dictates of form, order and symmetry. Beethoven, as many musicians apparently have, sought comfort, solace and friendship from a number of women, single and married, although he has often been described as a celibate. Some of his work bears their name in the dedication.

The many works of the great master include 9 Symphonies. Although difficult to choose favorites due to the greatness of the works, let me choose specific movements from them for commentary. Perhaps the most amazing fact about the 9th is that it was written by a man in an advanced stage of hearing impairment. The great work ends with a rousing Finale featuring the Ode to Joy (Ode an die Freude) chorus, based on a text by Schiller. The complete 4th movement of the 9th symphony runs the emotional gamut of Beethoven's music, from sad and dark to happy, bright and joyous. Demonstrated here, particularly in some of the voice parts, is Beethoven's tendency to explore wide ranges in all vocal and instrumental parts.

The 8th Symphony, 1st movement, demonstrates the facility of the great composer for rhythmic vitality and sudden and frequent changes in volume (dynamics.) The 6th Symphony, entitled "Pastorale" is representative of a day spent in the country, complete with sunshine changing to showers and back again. The 1st movement, subtitled "Awakening of happy feelings on arrival in the country," is a good example of the brighter, playful side of Beethoven. A passage from this movement is heard in a scene from the film "Soylent Green" as "The Book" Eddie G. watches an IMAX film of some of the most beautiful vistas this world has to offer. The following movements are subtitled "By the brook." - "Joyous gathering of country folk." - "Thunderstorm. Storm." - "Shepherd's song; happy and thankful feelings after the storm."

Perhaps, the 1st movement of the 5th Symphony is the most recognizable of all of Beethoven's work because of the association of the opening theme with him in film and television commercials. You know . . . dah, dah, dah, dum . . . dah, dah, dah, dum. . . .

The often playful and joyful 1st Symphony is simply evidence that a major talent has arrived on the scene.
The 3rd Symphony (Eroica,) contains a change of dedication. Originally to Napoleon, when Beethoven realized that Bonaparte was just another tyrant, he scratched out his name and re-dedicated it to the real heroes. This work contains a magnificent fugato section that begins about midway through the 2nd movement, "Marche funebre."

If not by the time you play or your ears hear the chords with embellished melody in bars 11-14 or when the exquisitely voiced Eb11 chord that resolves to the relative major Ab tonic at the first repeat sign, then certainly at the last ten chords of the Piano Sonata No.1, you know that this composer is something special. Dedicated to his teacher, Franz Josef Haydn, the dark opening movement of this sonata in f minor moves to one of many beautiful Beethoven adagios, not unlike those found in Mozart. The f minor menuetto and F major trio reveal the joyful, dancing, rhythmic vitality that is so characteristic of the "up minor" and brighter sections of Beethoven's work. In the closing prestissimo, rapid broken chords and arpeggios shift from bass to treble, punctuated by block chords and driven by melodic octaves. Many sonatas follow that cover the range of emotional experience and expression from dancing with joy to depths of despair and often to the musical expression of sublime beauty.

Although it's difficult to name a favorite, perhaps, Sonata 10 (Op.14 No.2) has to be among them. This G major sonata is alive with rhythmic vitality and dances throughout. Rhythmic patterns such as 4/3 (4 over 3 or 4 against 3) and 4/6 are explored here as is Beethoven's characteristic use of rapid scalar melodic patterns, sequenced 32-note patterns over block chords, descending melodic thirds and rapid repeating and shifting triadic patterns in the melody are all found here. The Andante is an exercise in perfection when it comes to chord voicings. Often sparse and staccato, always rhythmic and repeated, this movement ends similarly to the start of Bach's 1st Prelude, employing the single quarter note in the bass followed by three 16th notes in the treble that fill out the harmony. The scherzo dances its way to a beautiful yet fast B section that is again untouchable in its melodic/harmonic/rhythmic construction.

Along with his many Piano Sonatas, the 7 Bagatelles, the 11 New Bagatelles (Op. 119,) Prayer (Op. 48, No.1,) and The Glory of God in Nature are fine examples of his ability to compose graceful and majestic small pieces for piano. The 2 Preludes look back to Bach and forward to chords that would be heard again in the music of Wagner and Debussy, among others. Richard Wagner found a "leitmotiv" in melody and harmony for "Tristan and Isolde" in bars 8-9 of Beethoven's Piano Sonata, Op.81a (No.26) and Samuel Barber echoes a passage 23 bars following the 2nd of the opening allegro of that same sonata in his famous "Adagio for Strings."



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