Beethoven, Bach and Bartok: Comparisons

Beethoven, Bach and Bartok: Comparisons

Barouque Composers Still Being Played Frequently

Monteverdi

Lully

Corelli

Pachelbel

Scarlatti

Purcell

Couperin

Albinoni

Vivaldi

Telemann

Rameau

Bach

Handel

Gluck

Baroque and Classical Orchestras - DifferencesBaroque Orchestras Classical Orchestras

String section and basso continuo central to the orchestra. Other instruments are occasional additions. Standard group of four sections: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Different instruments treated individually.

Fairly small; generally 10- 40 players. Larger than baroque; great variation to the numbers of players.

Flexible use of timbres, e.g. Timpani and trumpets used generally just for festive music. Standardised sections. Most sections used regularly.

Tone colour is distinctly secondary to other musical elements. Greater variety of tone colour and more rapid changes of colour.

Timbre is unimportant and therefore a piece written for harpsichord could easily be rearranged for a string section. Each section of the classical orchestra has a special role. And each instrument is used distinctively.

Wind instruments mainly used as solo instruments or as part of the basso continuo. The wind section had become a separate unit capable of contrast and distinct colour.

The harpsichord generally plays an ostinato under the orchestra. Piano not invented. The piano introduces a third colour-tone to be contrasted with the orchestra

Baroque and Classical Concerto Form- DifferencesBaroque Concerto Form Classical Concerto Form

Concerto grosso (use of string orchestra set against a number of solo instruments) is the most popular concerto form of this period. Other forms include The ripieno concerto and the solo concerto. Symphony form develops from baroque concerto forms and becomes the new form.

Shorter movements than classical form. Concerto longer than baroque from.

Fairly strict structure and prerequisites, e.g. Traditional ritornello form, virtuostic displays etc. More freedom and experimentation with traditional form.

First movement has solo passages extending into long sections; alternated between four or five ritornello sections. First movement constructed in a variant of ritornello form with a double exposition.

Violin is preferred concerto solo instrument although the harpsichord becomes more and more popular throughout the century. The newly prominent piano takes over as the most popular solo instrument.

Composers rely heavily on ritornello form. More freedom in the form although a sinfonia proper is later developed.

The melody is made up of long, drawn-out phrases. The melodies are shorter motifs.

Minuet and trio third movement. Minuet and trio is left out of the dramatic symphonic form.

Expansion of Music in the 20th Century There are many elements that led to the expansion of music in the 20th Century. In some ways these elements were all linked to each other and it is difficult to say what events or ideas triggered the huge development of music. For example, World War I and II in the first half of the century lead to the rapid development of technology and communications as well as, eventually, political and social freedom, all aspects which have created changes and growth. The great advances in technology were in part responsible for globalism, although nationalism was also partly a product of the wars. The advent of the Great Wars also produced great emotion.

The father of 20th Century music is often said to be Claude Debussy, although he began composing in 1894. Debussy was an Impressionist composer and to create his impressionistic sounds, Debussy had to let go of the traditional chords and chord patterns of previous centuries. He failed composition at the Paris Conservatory because of his irregular harmonies and different style. One of Debussy's major innovations was his use of the whole-tone scale. This particular type of scale is said to have a surreal quality, and lacks the sound of a specific key. This keyless quality was described as atonal or pantonal meaning respectively, without key or in all keys at once. The exhaustion of tonal music was possibly one of the greatest expansions of music in the 20th Century. It was developed from a state of total disregard for keys to an alternative system that Schoenberg described as "Composition with twelve notes related only to one another." This method is now commonly known as Serialism as the technique has developed further.

Serialism was extended after World War II to include note lengths and dynamics as well as tone. Although this idea was used strictly at first, it is used freely today with less emphasis on complete unpredictability. It was at this time that electronic machines became available that would enable serial music to be created by machines alone, without need for Human sentiment. The first synthesised music was composed in Paris in 1948 by Pierre Henry and Pierre Schaeffer, who recorded onto discs ordinary sounds like dustbins being collected and heartbeats etc. and manipulated the dynamics and tempo of the sounds to create what they called "Concrete Music". When tape recorders and synthesisers became readily available after the 1950s, much more sophisticated music could be created and studios of electronic music were set up all over the world.

In the aftermath of World War II, most of Europe and many other countries found resuming civilised peace-time activity difficult with the lack of resources like records and sheet music and the apparent lost time which the war had taken up. Many musicians were ignorant of 20th century masterpiece like Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring and Bartok's string quartets. Radio broadcasters and International music schools helped to re-educate the generation that had missed out on progressive 20th Century music.

Stravinsky