Music in the Classical Age

Music in Time II – Music in the Classical Age 1750-1805

The course provided students with an understanding of how western classical music styles and techniques evolved during the period 1750-1805. We concentrated on the “Classical” era of the sons of Bach, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven and examined the development of new types of composition such as the Symphony, the String Quartet, the Piano Trio and the multi-movement Piano Sonata as well as the further development of existing forms such as Opera, the Mass and the Concerto. The influence of new instruments on composition and the move towards independent composers were also important in this study. The emphasis was on the styles and techniques of the Austro-German tradition although some of the historical background was also covered. I ran this course at Morley College September-December 2008. Timeline Below is the timeline I created for this course timeline revised