Download Classical music and the music of the classical era and more Study notes Music in PDF only on Docsity! Connexions module: m15294 1 Classical Music and the Music of the Classical Era ∗ Catherine Schmidt-Jones This work is produced by The Connexions Project and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License † Abstract For those new to music history, a discussion of the meaning of the term "classical music", and an introduction to the Western art music of the second half of the eighteenth century. 1 Introduction: What is Classical Music? The term Classical music has a general meaning and a specic meaning. As a general term, it is used in opposition to the ideas of popular music and folk music. Popular and folk music both tend to feature works that are immediately appealing and "understandable", even to people who have little musical training or knowledge. This immediate appeal usually comes from an underlying simplicity; folk and popular musics often feature short or repetitive forms, driving rhythms that encourage movement and dance, and melodies and harmonies that are comfortably within their traditions. One does not need to study music to appreciate a popular song, and in fact, studying that song would probably not increase one's appreciation of it very much. Classical music, by this denition, is music that is inherently more challenging, with elements that cannot be grasped or appreciated without careful attention. The form might be very long, or the rhythm very subtle. The harmony might be very complex, or there might be multiple melodies occurring at the same time. Repeated listening and study increases appreciation of these more complex pieces of music, and people who are not interested in careful or repeated listening may not appreciate such music at all. Classical music traditions usually develop with the encouragement of an educated elite that has plenty of leisure time to devote to such challenging music. By this denition, there are multiple classical music traditions; the classical music of India is one of the more widely known examples. However, most Westerners (those raised in the European, European-American or related cultures) who speak of "classical music" are referring to the music of one specic tradition. This tradition began in Europe at the end of the middle ages. It developed and spread in the following centuries with the spread of European culture across the world; and in more recent times, many of its composers, performers, and devotees have belonged to European-inuenced cultures on other continents. Along with American popular musics (which also borrowed much of their "musical vocabulary" from the European tradition), this "classical" music continues to be adopted, explored, and adapted in many cultures, and some of its composers are among the most-recognized names in the world of music: Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart, for example. ∗Version 1.1: Oct 25, 2007 3:00 pm GMT-5 †http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ http://cnx.org/content/m15294/1.1/ Connexions module: m15294 2 Within this tradition, however, there is a much more specic use of the term "Classical", and this may lead to some confusion. The Classical period was only one short era in the history of this tradition. Although not in common use, the term art music is more accurate as a general description for challenging music. It can be used to describe the more challenging works in popular genres (such as jazz and rock), as well as new eorts in the "classical" tradition, without sounding contradictory. It can also describe, without confusion, challenging music from any era in the Western1 tradition. For example, knowledgeable musicians might object to someone referring to the work of J. S. Bach as "classical music", since his music is Baroque, not Classical, in style. And yet, "classical" remains popular as a general term, branding the entire Western art music tradition with the appellation of a single era that wasn't even particularly long. (The Baroque and Romantic eras, for example, were both considerably longer.) Why name the entire tradition for one short era? No doubt, part of the reason is the general use of "classic" or "classical" to refer to things from another era (as in "classic cars" or "classical languages"). But another part of the reason may be the conscious attempts by composers of that period to develop a musical style with universal appeal. 2 Classical Ideals The Classical period in Western Music2 was relatively short, lasting from about 1750 to about 1800. note: In art, architecture, and literature, ancient Rome and Greece are considered to be the Classical period, and the late eighteenth century is often referred to as the neoclassical. As if that weren't confusing enough, the term neoclassical in Western music refers to twentieth-century pieces that were strongly inuenced by eighteenth century ideals. Archaeological discoveries in the eighteenth century were increasing Europeans' awareness and appreciation of ancient masterpieces, and many of the artists and writers of the time were very strongly inuenced by Classical architecture, sculpture, and poetry. We have no "Classical" music from ancient Greece and Rome, because no written music from ancient times has ever been discovered. In most cultures across the world and throughout history, the musical "literature" is passed on from teacher to student aurally, without any written music being necessary. Music notation only became common in Europe in the middle ages, when the Catholic church used it to standardize music practices across a large area. So eighteenth-century composers interested in classical ideas did not have any ancient music to learn from or imitate. Nevertheless, they were very strongly inuenced by neoclassical ideals. This period in Europe is often called the Age of Enlightenment. The leading thinkers of the Enlight- enment sought to improve endeavors such as philosophy and politics, by using the same kind of careful reasoning and observation of nature that had already led to signicant advances in science. Metaphysics and mysticism were rejected in favor of a more secular morality that was believed to be derived from nature and common sense. Rule-bound formality and privileged authority were seen as inferior to practical actions, liberation and egalitarianism. Nationalism was also rejected, in favor of celebrating the universal aspects of human nature. Although the ancients had left no examples of music, they had written extensively about music theory. Some eighteenth-century composers tried to incorporate musical concepts from ancient times into their works, but most were more inspired by the Enlightenment ideals of rationalism and egalitarianism that seemed to be reected in the naturalistic sculpture and austere architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. Inspired by these ideals, the composers of the Classical era sought to craft music that would be universal in its appeal. In spite of the fact that they were working within an art music tradition largely supported by the upper class and the church, they (and their Enlightenment-era audience) felt that the highest type of music would have a simplicity and "naturalness" that would appeal even to the uneducated. Underlying 1"What Kind of Music is That?" <http://cnx.org/content/m11421/latest/> 2"What Kind of Music is That?" <http://cnx.org/content/m11421/latest/> http://cnx.org/content/m15294/1.1/