I) Read the chapters (Chapters 12, 13 and 14) on the classical period. As you read, please make note of the approximate beginning and ending dates for this period and its general historical outline (for example, what was happening in politics and culture at the time?). Also, please make note of the major genres of this period (such as the symphony, sonata form, the concerto, and theme and variations), and what are the features that distinguish one from the other.

II) Listen to the musical examples for the music of the classical period contained in the audio CD’s that come with the textbook.

III) Select at least two of those examples and do this:

A) Post a short essay with our personal reaction to the music that we are listening to this week, and
B) Read the essays posted by other students and respond to those ideas.

You are free to post at any time this week, but do keep in mind that the forum will only be available for one week.

Here are the specifics:

1) About the essay:

1.1) The essay should be at least 300 words in length (but of course could be longer).

1.2) The essay should engage at least two listening examples of your choice from the classical period (but not Beethoven’s

Symphony no. 5, we’re saving that one for next week). You should listen to all the examples in the textbook, but I

encourage you to focus your writing on those examples that you find most interesting. If you wish to write about more than

two examples that’s OK too!

1.3) The content of the essay is your own subjective reaction to the music, but I’d like to suggest that you consider the

following perspective:

A) The aesthetic ideals of the classical period emphasized simplicity, directness, clarity, structure, balance, and

contrast. By repeating entire sections of music (please see Sonata Form for an example), the composer clarifies the

thematic material. By setting a theme against a contrasting them in a different key (again, please Sonata Form), the

composer balances the thematic material. And by employing cadences (usually followed by a short rest or silence), the

composer emphasizes the boundaries between sections. These and other strategies are deployed by composers such Haydn and

Mozart to realize those classical aesthetic values. How does this music strike you in comparison to the complexity of a

Baroque fugue?

A) The textbook has examples of “neo-classical” paintings (which is the equivalent of “classical music” in the visual

arts. Compare this to Baroque paintings. In general (and there are many exceptions), neo-classical art tends to favor

straight lines, and often times there is a lot of light, so the overall effect tends towards clarity, order, and an almost

photographic realism. Compare this to Baroque paintings and see if you can develop your own understanding of how these two

periods approach the creative arts from two different perspectives.

1.4) Your essay should be posted on this forum, on the body of your post (not as an attachment). I suggest the following

procedure:

A) As you listen to the music over the next few days, write down any thoughts that come to mind. Towards the end of the

week you’ll have a few insights that you can use to begin to develop your essay.