Discussion Questions

1. What is a “symphony”?

2. Why were there so many revolutions in the second half of the 1700s?

3. What preconceived notions do you have about composers of the Classical era (sex, race, wealth, religion)?

4. Do composers always compose joyous music when they are happy and solemn music when they are sad?

Glossary

Art for Art's Sake: English translation of the phrase l’art pour l’art. An attitude that art does not need to serve a utilitarian or didactic purpose in order to be of value. Retroactively applied to works of the late Classical and early Romantic period, though it was not coined until the 1830s in the works of Théophile Gauthier.

Enlightenment: A philosophical movement of the eighteenth century that led to great scientific, political, religious, and humanistic discovery. Was a catalyst for the American and French revolutions. Figures include Rousseau, Voltaire, Beaumarchais. Embraced knowledge above all else (Kant: "dare to know"), and questioned systems of government and authority.

Heiligenstadt Testament: A letter written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1802 to his brothers in a state of grief over losing his hearing. Named after the village of Heiligenstadt where he was staying at the time. Never sent, and found with Beethoven's documents upon his death.

Sonata Form: A form used throughout the Classical and Romantic eras in various iterations, mostly in instrumental music, and mostly in first (and sometimes last) movements of multi-movement works. Contains three sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. The exposition contains two main themes (thematic sections) and modulates from the major tonic to the dominant, or from the minor tonic to the relative major. The development explores key areas and fragments the material of the exposition before a dominant pedal prepares the return of the tonic and the first thematic section (the double-return). The sonata principle mandates that all material that was heard in a key other than the tonic in the exposition must be restated in the tonic in the recapitulation in order for a movement to be considered “in sonata form.”

String Quartet: A genre of chamber music for two violins, one viola, and one cello. Popularized by Joseph Haydn (the “Father of the String Quartet”). Typically structured comparably to their symphonic contemporaries (e.g. four movements in the time of Haydn and Mozart: sonata form/slow/minuet and trio/finale).

Symphony: A genre of orchestral music, initially in three movements but generally considered to be in four movements. Popularized by Joseph Haydn (the "Father of the Symphony"). Early symphonists composed dozens of symphonies, but as the genre became more of a philosophical statement than background music, many composers did not surpass nine symphonies in their lifetimes.

N.B.: Definitions for Weeks 12-14 derived from Robertson, Sounds of Progress (2024, CCNCSA)