The Classical Period 1750-1820
Characteristics of Music The Classical Period of music differs from the Baroque Age in that is does not value the fluidity and smoothness of the individual elements of music. There are contrasts of mood; many of the pieces in classical music will convey numerous moods. The moods may be a gradual change or a sudden change, depending on the composer, but the composer always has a firm control. Rhythm is another element that is varied in classical music. Unlike the Baroque Age of fluid rhythm that rarely changes, classical composers used unexpected pauses, syncopations, and frequent changes in length of the notes. The texture in classical music in mainly homophonic, meaning there is a main melody backed with a progression of chords, although, like the rhythm, it can also change unexpectedly. The melodies in classical music have an easy tune to remember. Although they may be complex compositions, there is usually a basic melody to follow. They are often balanced and symmetrical with two phrases of the same length. The widespread use of dynamic change comes from the composer’s interests in expressing their different layers of emotions. The crescendo and decrescendo became increasingly used to get the audience more involved. The gradual shift from using a piano instead of the harpsichord came from this desire to have more dynamic changes. Unlike the harpsichord, the piano allows the player to adjust the dynamic by pressing harder or softer on the keys. Most classical composers began to want to control their own music, not make music according to what someone else wanted.
During the eighteenth century, the economy began rising and people starting making more money. The prospering middle class could afford larger homes, nicer clothes and better food. They also wanted aristocratic luxuries such as theatre, literature, and music. The middle class had a great impact on music in the Classical Period. The palace concerts were usually closed to the middle class, so public concerts were held. Many people were not satisfied with always going to concerts to listen to music; they wanted it in their homes as well. They wanted their children to take music lessons and play as well as the aristocratic children. Many composers wrote music to appease the public and their music was often easy enough for amateur musicians to play.
The Romantic Period 1820-1900
The Romantic Period was a time when emotion was poured into the music. Each composer had an individual style and expression. Music lovers could quickly decipher the composer of a piece of music because of its style. Many of the compositions convey nationalism and exoticism. Nationalism is expressed when a composer writes in the style of their native homeland. Exoticism was a style of music in which the composer was fascinated with a foreign land and would create music to sound like it. Composers used exoticism to keep up with their obsessions with remote, picturesque, and mysterious things. Program music was a huge part of the Romantic Period. This is when the composer would write music to follow a story, poem, idea, or scene. The instruments would represent the emotions, characters, and events of a particular story; it would also convey sounds and motion of nature. One of the greatest program music composers was Hector Berlioz, who wrote the Symphonie fantastique, a story about an artist who overdoses on opium. Timbre, or tone color, was used more now than ever before. It was extremely important to the composer to obtain their specific mood or atmosphere that they wanted the audience to feel. Along with new tone colors, composers also sought new harmonies for greater emotional intensity. They began using the chromatic harmony, which uses chords from the twelve tone scale as opposed to the major and minor eight tone scales. By doing this they could use more tension and release methods. They would play extremely dissonant chords, and then release it with a more stable consonant chord to create feelings of yearning, tension, and mystery. To follow the expansion of timbre, and harmonies, dynamics, pitch, and tempo were also expanded. Composers used extreme dynamics ranging from pppp to ffff, which is extremely soft to extremely loud. Composers experimented with new instruments, such as the piccolo and contrabassoon to expand the pitches of the orchestra. The other thing they varied was tempo. Accelerandos and ritardandos were used more for variety along with the rubato, a hesitation or pushing of the tempo.
In the earlier periods of music, composers had specific jobs, such as writing for churches or courts. In the Romantic Period, more composers became freelancers; Beethoven was one of the first. He inspired many others to freelance and compose for their own pleasure. Much of the music of this time was written for the middle class because they prospered due to the industrial revolution. Because of this demand from the middle class, public orchestras and operas became more popular. Conservatories began forming in the first half of the nineteenth century throughout Europe. The United States also welcomed conservatories in Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, Ohio, and Philadelphia during the later nineteenth century. Music became a big part of the home; many families had pianos of their own. Much of the orchestra music was transcribed for the piano for private use. Many composers did not have financial wealth; only a few had money to support them in their suffering times.
The Twentieth Century 1900-1945
During the Twentieth Century, tone color became more important than ever before. Many techniques that were considered uncommon before were being used during this time. Many composers used noiselike and percussive instruments. The glissando, a rapid slide up or down the scales, was used more. The percussion instruments became a major part of twentieth century music. They helped give variety of rhythm and tone colors. The music did not blend as well as it did during the Romantic times because the composer often wrote for each different section of the orchestra to have a different tone color. Prior to 1900, chords in music were either considered consonant of dissonant. Dissonant chords were becoming just as common as consonant chords. The composer was no longer tied down to using traditional chords; what they did was up to them and what sound they wanted to achieve. Another key element of the Twentieth Century was the sway from the traditional tonal system. From the 1600’s up to the 1900’s, songs had a central tone, and were based on a major or minor scale. Many composers now were getting away from the major and minor scales, and would sometimes have more than one central tone. Just as composers were expanding their tonal abilities, they expanded their rhythmic patterns. Many emphasized irregularity and unpredictability. The different rhythmic patterns were drawn from all over the world. The time signature would often change in the middle of piece. Accents and other rhythmic irregularities would come unexpectedly. Composers also wrote polyrhythmic music, where more than one rhythm would be played at the same time by different sections. With all the different tone colors, tonal systems, and varied rhythms, melodies of the twentieth century became unpredictable.
Music has become an even greater part of society now, because of recordings, radio broadcasts, and the ability to mass print copies of music for anyone to play in the convenience of their home. At the beginning of the twentieth century, though, many people did not accept these outrageous new styles of music, so the composers mostly performed their less dramatic pieces in concerts. Women became more active in the music world as composers, virtuoso soloists, and educators. During the wars, women joined the orchestras as players and conductors. During Hitler’s reign in Europe, many composers moved to the U.S. to look for work. The United States became a powerful force for twentieth century music. Jazz, country, and other popular music swept the world. American colleges and universities have expanded music throughout the nation, educating countless numbers of students. These colleges and universities now are what the churches and nobility were in the past.
