Chapter 15:
1. What are the dates of the Classical Period? Describe the Classical period of music (5 pts).
The dates of the Classical Period are 1750 to 1820. Classical music has excellent quality. It is something of high quality which is what the Latin word “classicus” means. The term classical used by most people refers to unpopular concert or art music. The term Classical (capital C) used by musicians refers to musical style in 1750 to 1820. Instrumental music excelled during this seven year period. Symphony, solo concerto and chamber music were developed, and Opera continued to grow. Vienna became the center of music compared to what was Italy. Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and Schubert were four major composers. Classical music is usually homophonic.
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Describe the seven features of Classical music (10 pts).
1. Melody - Pleasant and tuneful themes. Most can be sung if in the correct range. Made up of short phrases of two and four measures in length. Phrases often in statement-answer form. These phrases are balanced and symmetrical. This is part of what makes the music clean and logical.
2. Homophony - Classical music is usually homophonic. This is melody plus accompaniment. There is an exception of counterpoint in Classical music.
3. Harmony - Similar to Baroque harmony with some changes. The continuo part and filling in of chords from figured bass were left behind. The second modification was changing chords less frequently. Some Classical composers would keep the same chord for a measure or two before making the change. Sometimes the change would occur several times over a short span. Classical harmony is a backdrop for melodies and does not draw attention to itself. It stays