Music 344—Encounter 1
The Classical Era
 Classical Instrumental Music—Classic Vocal Music & Opera
Readings
I. Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved
II. Group Presentation One
III. Final Paper Preparation
Listening Assignment 1
Extra Credit Listening
Sonata Form Listening Guide
Due Dates: Parts I & III due Friday, February 12, 2021
Part II due on the day of your presentation

What to hand in for Encounter 1?—

  • Part I: One paragraph that answers my questions about Solomon’s article on the Immortal Beloved.
  • Part II: Give Group Presentation One and hand in a one-page summary of your presentation notes and a bibliography in MLA format with at least eight sources (due on the day of the presentation)
  • Part III: Three possible topics for the final paper with a brief abstract for each one.
  • Listening: Nothing to hand in for the listening assignment. The Classicism Unit Exam will test you on this material.

Readings—

  • Burkholder, J. Peter. A History of Western Music, 10th ed. W.W. Norton, 2019.
    • Chapter 20—Musical Taste and Style in the Enlightenment, pp. 454-470
    • Chapter 21—Opera and Vocal Music in the Early Classic Period, pp. 471-493
    • Chapter 22—Instrumental Music: Sonata, Symphony, and Concerto, pp. 494-513
    • Chapter 23—Classic Music in the Late Eighteenth Century, pp. 514-551
  • Burkholder, J. Peter. Norton Anthology of Western Music, Vol. 2, 8th ed. W.W. Norton, 2019. (NAWM)
    • NAWM 109-128, pp. 1-322
  • Solomon, Maynard. Ch. 15, “The Immortal Beloved.” Beethoven. Schirmer Books, 1977, pp. 158-189 (Library and Blackboard RESERVE)
  • Wingell, Richard J. Writing about Music, 3rd ed. Prentice Hall, 2002, 808.06678 W956w 2002 (Library and Blackboard RESERVE). Read Chapter 1, Writing about Music, pp. 1-8, and Chapter 2, Analysis and Research, pp. 9-20
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I. Beethoven’s Immortal Beloved

To prepare, read Maynard Solomon’s chapter on “The Immortal Beloved” from his landmark biography (pp. 158-189). Solomon shows just how much one can learn from careful study of even a single letter. In his unusually perceptive, creative analysis, Solomon solved the riddle of “The Immortal Beloved” that had perplexed scholars for a century and a half. NOTE: Solomon’s article also serves as an excellent model for your final paper, demonstrating the thoroughness and creativity scholars bring to their study of primary sources.

In one paragraph, identify the primary sources Solomon uses in his article (see the discussion of primary vs. secondary sources under Readings & Research Tools in the Blackboard Encounters module). Briefly describe any interesting or unusual approaches he uses in analyzing Beethoven’s letter to “The Immortal Beloved.” Finish by describing why Solomon succeeds where others failed.

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II. Group Presentation One
Classical Instrumental & Vocal Music

For detailed instructions and guidelines for all group presentations this spring, go to the Group Presentations Guidelines webpage. Visit this page for information on presentation format, what to turn in, bibliography, and other useful items.

Here are the five pieces from NAWM (Norton Anthology of Western Music) for the Encounter 1 group presentations.

  • Group I—NAWM 113, Gluck, Orfeo ed Euridice, Act II, scene 1—Wednesday, February 10
  • Group II—NAWM 124, Mozart, Piano Sonata in F, K. 332, Movement I—Monday, February 8
  • Group III—NAWM 130, Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 in E-flat, “Eroica,” Movement I—Friday, February 19
  • Group IV—NAWM 129, Beethoven, Piano Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13, “Pathétique,” Movement I—Wednesday, February 17
  • Group V—NAWM 127a, Mozart, Don Giovanni - Act I, Scene 1—Monday, February 15

Here are the general questions every group must answer about their work:

  • Who is the composer?
  • Where would this music be performed?
  • Who would perform it? Who would be there to listen? Who would not be there?
  • Who would benefit or profit from the performance?
  • What function would this work serve in the performance context?
  • What is the genre?
    • Which features of your piece are typical of that genre?
    • What features of this work are unique or unusual?
  • What style is used? Is it closest to style galant, Empfindsamer Stil, or Sturm und Drang? Or are all those elements integrated entirely into late Classic style?
    • What elements are typical of the style? Which are not?
  • Which two or three elements of music are most important in each major section of your work?
    • Melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, texture, color (timbre), form, and/or text setting?
    • Describe how those most essential elements are used.
  • What is the key of your work?
  • Describe the form (sections, phrase relationships, and so on).
    • For your close analysis, include an analytical chart in your Powerpoint that shows each major section. Identify the key and measure numbers for each major section. Browse through NAWM for examples of charts you can use as models.
  • If there are words, identify specific techniques used to depict or express the text.
  • What performances practices would be used in singing and/or playing this piece?

Here are the specific questions for each individual group:

  • Group I—Gluck, Orfeo ed Euridice—How does Gluck’s opera differ from Classic opera seria and comic opera? Consider form, melodic features, ornamentation, subject matter, language, instrumentation, rhythm, texture, and so on.
  • Group II—Mozart, Piano Sonata in F, K. 332—Visit the Sonata Form Listening Guide below. What features of the 1st movement of this Mozart Sonata are typical of sonata form? Which are not? Any surprises?
    • Note: Don’t forget there is a world of difference between the sonata genre and sonata form. Sonata genre refers to a multi-movement work for solo instrument. Sonata form refers to the internal structure of the first movement in a Classical symphony, quartet, or solo sonata. Sonata-form movements typically divide into three sections, an Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation.
  • Group III—Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 in E-flat, “Eroica”—Visit the Sonata Form Listening Guide below. What features of the 1st movement of this Beethoven Symphony are typical of sonata form? Which are not? Any surprises?
    • Please see the Note for Group II.
  • Group IV—Beethoven, Piano Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13, “Pathétique”—Visit the Sonata Form Listening Guide below. What features of the 1st movement of this Beethoven Sonata are typical of sonata form? Which are not? Any surprises? Pay special attention to the ways Beethoven uses the slow introduction.
    • Please see the Note for Group II.
  • Group V—Mozart, Don Giovanni - Act I, Scene 1—What’s going on in this scene? What’s funny? (Think words, music, concepts.) What’s not funny? (Donna Anna and her father are definitely not smiling…) Is it possible to tell if Don Giovanni forced himself on Donna Anna, if it was consensual, or if he tried and she rejected him? What message is Mozart conveying? What does the music tell us? How does Mozart fit all of this into the same scene? Could Baroque music depict this?
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III. Final Paper Preparation

Choose three possible topics for your final research paper. Write a brief abstract (one paragraph description) about each topic that sketches out some of your ideas for that topic. Click here for more information about the paper.

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Listening Assignment 1

Classical Instrumental Music, Vocal Music & Opera

Notes on the Classicism Unit Exam

The scores/listening section on the Classicism Unit Exam will consist of several score excerpts drawn from Listening Assignments for Encounter 1 and Encounter 2. All works on the Listening List below are fair game. Recordings are from NRAWM unless otherwise noted. For each Encounter 1 work on the test you will identify the following:

  • Composer, title, and movement
  • Genre—piano concerto? solo sonata? string quartet? symphony? intermezzo? opera buffa? opera seria? reform opera? dramma giocoso?
  • Form—
    • For instrumental works—binary? rondo? rounded binary? sonata form? ternary? theme & variations?
    • For operatic works—recitative (simple or accompanied?)? aria (da capo or other type?)? ensemble (duet? trio? etc.)? chorus?
  • Style—early Classic (galant, empfindsam, or Sturm und Drang?) or late Classic?
  • Other important features as requested in questions drawn from Study Questions described above

For further info on features of sonata form, click here to see the Classic Sonata Form Listening Guide below.

NOTE: To prepare for the major essay on the Unit I Exam, read the section on “Essay Examinations” from Chapter 6 of Wingell’s Writing about Music (Library and Blackboard RESERVE, pp. 97-101). This short excerpt offers valuable pointers on writing a good essay. In this case, the audience is your instructor and the writing style, though informal, should still be concise and informative, i.e., chock full of relevant facts and perceptive observations.

Study Questions

The best way to do well on quizzes, exams, and other assignments in this course is to know the assigned listening well. Listen to each work below as often as you can, study the scores, and learn what the NAWM notes say about each one. For each work you want to be able to answer the following Study Questions:

  • What is the genre?
  • What is its form?
  • What is the name of the style in which it is written? (for this encounter your choices will be early Classic (galant, empfindsam, or Sturm und Drang) or late Classic)
  • How does the composer use the elements of music? What features of the work are typical of the style? What features are not?
    • To answer this, look at the ways the composer uses melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, texture, color (timbre), form, text setting, and so on
  • How does the work compare with other works in the listening assignment, especially those in the same genre or form?
  • What features of the work are unique or unusual?

In some cases, additional Study Questions below will draw attention to particularly interesting, unique features of particular works. These Study Questions and recordings together will help you prepare for the Classicism Unit Exam. They require no written report.

Encounter 1 Listening List

Before you listen, do the Burkholder readings above to familiarize yourself with the composers, their works, early and late Classical forms and genres, and significant style features. Challenge yourself to identify musical features described in these sources as you listen. The listening materials below will give you practice recognizing these works, genres, forms, and their style features. As always, you really want to read the NAWM notes and follow the score for every work from NAWM.

A. Early Classic Sonata & Concerto—Bach’s Sons

A1) NAWM 117—Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Sonata in A Major, H. 186, Wq. 55/4 (Early Classic Sonata)

  • mvmt. ii: Poco Adagio (binary form—sonata form without development)

A2) NAWM 120—Johann Christian Bach, Concerto for Piano and Strings, Op. 7 no. 5 (Early Classic Concerto)

  • mvmt. i: Allegro di molto (double exposition sonata form)
  • Alternate Recording: Blackboard Assignment Resources module—Encounter Listening—Encounter 1—J.C. Bach, Piano Concerto in E-flat, Op. 7, no. 5, I

B. The Classical Symphony

Early Classic Symphonies

B1) NAWM 118—Giovanni Battista Sammartini, Symphony in F Major, No. 32 (Early Classic Symphony)

  • mvmt. i: Presto (rounded binary form)
  • Alternate Recording: Blackboard Assignment Resources module—Encounter Listening—Encounter 1—Sammartini, Symphony in F, I
  • mvmt. ii: Andante (rounded binary form)
  • mvmt. iii: Allegro assai (rounded binary form)

B2) NAWM 119—Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz, Sinfonia a 8 in E-flat Major (Early Classic Symphony)

  • mvmt. i: Allegro assai (sonata form)

Late Classic Symphonies

B3) NAWM 122—Franz Joseph Haydn, Symphony No. 88 in G Major, “Oxford” (Late Classic Symphony)

  • mvmt. i: Adagio—Allegro (sonata form)
  • mvmt. ii: Largo (rondo form with elements of theme and variations form)
  • mvmt. iii: Menuetto. Allegretto (minuet and trio form)
  • mvmt. iv: Finale. Allegro con spirito (rondo form)

B4) NAWM 126—Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Symphony No. 41 in C Major, “Jupiter,” K. 551 (Late Classic Symphony)

  • mvmt. iv: Finale. Molto allegro (sonata form)

Study Questions on Group B:

  • As you listen, use the analytical charts in NAWM and listen for the important features of sonata form in the three sonata-form movements above. Specifically, listen for these events: Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation as well as the four main themes within the Exposition (Theme 1, Bridge, Theme 2, & Closing Theme). Listen carefully to hear the differences in character between 1st Theme, Bridge, 2nd Theme, and Closing Theme, and between Exposition and Development. For further info on features of sonata form, click here to see the Classic Sonata Form Listening Guide below.

    Hint: In nearly all sonata-form movements, the Exposition ends at the repeat sign (except in the Stamitz which has no repeat signs—assume m. 74 is the end of the Exposition and the start of the Development). The three NAWM sonata-form symphony movements are:

    • Stamitz, Sinfonia, mvmt. i
    • Haydn, Symphony No. 88, mvmt. i
    • Mozart, Symphony No. 41, mvmt. iv

    C. Late Classic String Quartet, Sonata, & Concerto

    C1) NAWM 121—Franz Joseph Haydn, String Quartet Op. 33 no. 2 (The Joke) (Late Classic String Quartet)

    • mvmt. i: Allegro moderato. Cantabile (sonata form)
    • mvmt. ii: Scherzo. Allegro (scherzo and trio form)
    • mvmt. iii: Largo sostenuto
    • mvmt. iv: Finale. Presto (rondo form)

    C2) NAWM 124—Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Sonata in F Major, K. 332 (Late Classic Sonata)

    • mvmt. i: Allegro (sonata form)

    C3) NAWM 125—Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488 (Late Classic Concerto)

    • mvmt. i: Allegro (double exposition sonata form)

    Study Questions on Group C:

  • Use the first movements of the Haydn String Quartet in B-flat and the Mozart Piano Sonata in F for further practice identifying sections and themes in sonata-form movements. Follow the instructions given in Study Questions on Group B.

    • D. Early Classic Opera

    Opera Buffa & Opera Seria

    D1) NAWM 109—Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, La serva padrona (Intermezzo)

    • Ah, quanto mi sta male/Son imbrogliato io (Simple & accomponaied recitative/da capo aria)

    D2) NAWM 110—Johann Adolf Hasse, Cleofide (Italian opera seria)

    • Act II, scene 9: Digli ch’io son fidele (Da capo aria)

    D3) NAWM 111—Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Le devin du village (French opéra comique)

    • Scene 1: J’ai perdu mon serviteur (Air)

    D4) NAWM 112—John Gay, The Beggar’s Opera (English ballad opera)

    • Air XV: My heart was so free (Air)
    • Air XVI: Were I laid on Greenland’s coast (Air)

    Reform Opera

    D5) NAWM 113—Christoph Willibald Gluck, Orfeo ed Euridice (Reform opera (Opera seria))

    • Act II, scene 1 (excerpt)

    Study Questions on Group D:

    1. What are the important differences between Italian comic opera, Italian opera seria, French opéra comique, and English ballad opera? Consider form, melodic features, ornamentation, subject matter, language, instrumentation, rhythm, texture, and so on.
    2. How does Gluck’s opera differ from the opera seria and comic opera examples in this group? Consider form, melodic features, ornamentation, subject matter, language, instrumentation, rhythm, texture, and so on.

    E. Mozart Opera

    E1) NAWM 127—Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Don Giovanni (Opera—dramma giocoso)

    • Act I, scene 1 (aria & ensemble)
    • Act I, scene 2 (recitative)

    E2) Mozart, Die Zauberflöte DVD—RESERVE VIDEO 792.542 M939, v.18

    • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Die Zauberflöte (Singspiel)
      • Act II, No. 21. Finale (excerpt)
        • “Pa–Pa–Pa” (duet)—DVD 2, chapter 30
        • Alternate Recording: Mozart, The Magic Flute RESERVE DVD—VIDEO 782.1 T846: chapter 22 (on DVD, Papagena at last—1:51:02 to 1:54:24)

    Study Questions on Group E:

    • Don Giovanni: What’s going on in this scene? What’s funny about the Don Giovanni example? (Think words, music, concepts—what’s really going on?) What’s not funny? (Donna Anna and her father are definitely not smiling…) Is it possible to tell if Don Giovanni forced himself on Donna Anna, or if it was consensual, or if he tried and she rejected him? What message is Mozart conveying? How can Mozart fit all of this into the same scene? Could Baroque music depict this?
    • Magic Flute: What’s going on in this scene? What’s funny about this example? How does The Magic Flute differ from dramma giocoso or opera buffa? Which is more (or less) sophisticated? What kind of audience was this written for? Based on this example, what general conclusions can you draw about the Singspiel genre (German-language comic opera) in relation to Italian opera?

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    Classic Sonata Form Listening Guide

    It’s not so hard to follow sonata form when you tune into the feeling of stability vs. instability. Theme statements (1st, 2nd, or closing themes) sound stable, with lots of tonic. dominant, and dominant prep chords. Transitional sections (bridge and development) sound unstable, with frequent modulations and non-scale tones. The following diagrams offer two ways of visualizing a sonata form movement.

    Sonata Form Arch Map


    Sonata Form Tonal Map

    Concerto Double-Exposition Sonata Form Arch Map

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    Sonata Form Features
    —Used as the standard 1st movement form for the vast majority of Classic symphonies, string quartets and solo sonatas
    —Evolved from Baroque rounded binary form
    —Divides into three sections: Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation
    —A dynamic, dramatic form defined primarily by its tonal contour: in the Exposition, tonic and dominant (or relative major) tonal areas separated by a modulation; in the Development, modulations and instability; and in the Recapitulation, stability and a reaffirmation of the tonic key

    Slow Introduction
    —An optional section in a very slow tempo that provides a grand or sometimes an eerie beginning to the movement
    —By contrast to this introduction, Theme 1 sounds even more lively!
    —May be stable or unstable, and it often begins in the parallel minor key!
    —N.B.: This is not part of the Exposition; the Exposition begins at the new, faster tempo marking
     
    Exposition
    Theme 1
    		 A stable theme in the tonic key
    Bridge Unstable section beginning in the tonic key, then modulating and ending on a dominant chord in the new key (either dominant or relative major)
    Theme 2 Stable theme that often contrasts sharply with Theme 1, but in the “wrong” key, the first theme we hear in this new key, often repeated (but watch out for Haydn symphonies that re-use Theme 1 to establish the new key!)
    Closing Theme
    		 Stable, final-sounding section (still in the new key) that uses and often repeats cadential figures

    Development
    “Body” of the Development
    		 Often extremely unstable, characterized by frequent modulations, fragmentation of themes from the Exposition, and recombination of motives from those themes, often in a more polyphonic texture
    Retransition Final passage of the Development hovers around the dominant (or leading tone) chord in the original key, preparing for the Recapitulation’s return to tonic
     
    Recapitulation
    Theme 1
    		 Basically the same as in the Exposition, but may be shortened or reorchestrated for grander effect
    Bridge May be similar to or completely different than the Exposition’s bridge; though it doesn’t need to modulate here, it often pretends to, but then ends on a dominant chord in the original key
    Theme 2
    		 Often literally the same as Theme 2 in the Exposition, but now transposed to the original key
    Closing Theme
    		 Also often literally the same as Theme 2 in the Exposition, but now transposed to the original key; the ending
     
    Coda
    —An optional section designed to end with more finality than the Closing Theme provides
    —Usually emphasizes cadential progressions, but sometimes begins with a section
    —Stable theme in the tonic key
    —N.B.: This is not part of the Recapitulation; it begins after the Closing Theme ends
    —The easiest way to find the measure where the Closing Theme ends and the Coda begins is to compare (measure by measure) the Closing Theme from the Exposition with the Closing Theme from the Recapitulation; most of the time, they are the same length. Anything beyond that is Coda!

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    Extra Credit Listening—

    Buehler Library RESERVE
    • VIDEO 782.1 C388—Haydn, Symphony No. 92 DVD (Harnoncourt)
    • MCD H415/B94g—Haydn, Symphonies Nos. 94, 100, and 104 (Goodman)
    • MCD M939 K543n—Mozart, Symphonies Nos. 39 & 41
    • MCDROM M939 K456w—Mozart, String Quartet in D, K. 465 CD-ROM
    • MCD J93f, v. 3—Mozart & Schubert String Quartets (Juilliard Quartet)
    • MCD M939 K456h—Mozart, Piano Concertos K. 456 & 459 (Levin)
    • MCD M939/K482b—Mozart, Piano Concertos K. 482 & 488 (Barenboim)
    • MCD M939c—Mozart, Piano Concertos K. 467 & 595 (Perahia)
    • VIDEO 780.92 M939—Mozart, Symphonies 40 & 41 DVD (Muti)
    • MCD M939 K527—Mozart, Don Giovanni
    • MCD M939 K620g—Mozart, Die Zauberflöte (Magic Flute)
    • VIDEO 792.542 M939, v.18—Mozart, Die Zauberflöte (Muti, Salzburg)
    • VIDEO 782.1 T846—Mozart, The Magic Flute (Bergman)
    • VIDEO 782.1 N961—Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro (Marriage of Figaro) (Gardiner)
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    Created 1/31/21 by Mark Harbold—last updated 2/08/21