Music History - Orchestra and Opera within the Early Classical Period - Essay Example

Music History Name: Lecturer’s name: Student No: Unit of study Code and Unit of study name: Assignment Number/Name: Introduction While the classical Period lasted for some 70 years, it brought significant transformations to the music produced during the period. The forms of music during the period placed emphasis on clarity in respect to the instrumental colour and melodic expressions1. While the vocal music and opera were being produced, the performance of orchestral literature was broader. During the period, orchestra acquired more flexibility and colour. The dominant classical styles included homophony, which comprised a single melodic line2. At the same time, shorter phrases, as well as well-define cadences prevailed. During the period, the melodies were both diatonic and compact. Additionally, harmony became less structured. The main composers during the period included Christoph Willibald Gluck, Franz Joseph Haydn, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Based on this background, this essay examines two items: orchestra within the early Classical period and Opera in the classical period. It is argued that as the classical period advanced, the distinctness of Opera and orchestral music evolved to become more flexible, lighter, and colourful. Orchestra within the early Classical period Orchestra refers to a large instrumental ensemble containing section of percussive, brass, wind and string instruments. The notion of integrating instruments to create ensemble or orchestra began with the Baroque Period (1600-1750) followed by the Classical Period (1750-1820). During the Classical Period, orchestra comprised varied and random collection of instruments, integrated together: violins, double basses, violas, cellos, trumpets, flutes, horns, oboes, clarinets, and timpani3 (See Figure 1). Figure 1: Early arrangement of orchestra4. The late stages of Baroque orchestra marked the early stages of the Classical period in the early years of the Classical Period, culminating into the prominence of G.F. Hendel and J.S. Bach5. When it comes to progression, while the orchestral music from the 1750s to 1760s depended on some feature of the Baroque Period throughout the early Classical Period, these features became obsolete by the end of the 18th century. An apparent difference between the top-line and bass that characterised the Baroque Period was retained into the Classical Era. The retention of the texture was emphasised by holding notes in the horns and woodwind6. The writing of the strings also explored a range of accompanimental textures to offer background to the changing melody instruments on the top-line. Gradually, wind instruments, such as violin gained more prominence. The works of Franz Haydn, Wolfgang Mozart and Ludwig von Beethoven dominated the period. During Mozart and Hayden’s period, the number of strings expanded relative to the number of the increase in the number of performers 7(Figure 2). Figure 2: Photo showing domination of string instruments and increased performers8. In respect to difference or distinctiveness from the Baroque period, the styles of music were marked by formal and balanced structures. Still, it was more dramatic compared to the Baroque Period. At the start of the Classical Era, the orchestra had limited difference to the Baroque Period. However, this changed as times passed by as the brass and woodwind instruments were introduced (See Figure 4). Figure 3: baroque orchestra showing fewer instruments9. Figure 4: Development of classical orchestra showing many additions10. A majority of orchestral music was played to the royalties, aristocrats, as well as in churches during the early stages. According to Rumph11, this also implies that the composers had to write the songs with their patrons in mind. However, later into the classical period during the 1800s, the middle class groups also started to take to orchestra as a form of entertainment. Orchestra began to be played in concert halls for public entertainment. Hence, it can be reasoned that the composers started to become more independent, as they started to make income from performing in public concerts. Unlike the orchestras of the Baroque period, the orchestras of the Classical Period were small in size, mostly composed of between 30 and 40 musicians. The strings were however, treated as the most important section, where the violin led the orchestra. Still, the Classical Era was largely balanced since no group was considered dynamically different (See Figure 3 and Figure 4). The conception of orchestra dramatically changed during the Classical Era. AGMED12 points out that among the changes included the disappearances of keyboard instrument as was seen in the Vienna Opera Orchesta in 1781. Additional changes included the disappearance of the Viol family. In addition, the Brass instruments experiences changes in terms of quantity, quality, and texture (Figure 4). Compared to the music from Baroque Period, music from the Classical Era became less complex and clearer in terms of dynamics, tempo, as well as expressive qualities of the music. Unlike in the Baroque Period, the orchestral music in the Classical Period was performed more in public. Additionally, classical choral chords were more homophonic. However, AGMED13 comments that they still had rhythmic energy and drive despite lacking the weightiness of the Baroque Music. The choral music was also marked by objectivity, rather than emotions that characterised the Baroque period. In terms of dominance, AGMED14 further mentions that the dominant traits during the period included regular metre and constant tempos. The tonality consisted of either Minor or Major. The tonality was also diatonic, where the majority of the notes of a piece belonged to the original key. The texture of the music was mainly homophonic15. Additionally, Symphony existed as the predominant orchestral music. The Symphony Orchestra emerged, by combining Woodwind, Brass, Strings, and Percussion instruments. The full orchestra provided composers with a range of sets of colours to work with16. It provided them to work longer movements with repetitive themes achieved by using different instruments that produced a range of sounds. Indeed, the richness and the quality of full orchestra that combined the instruments became prominent during the Classical Era17. Ultimately, more composers took interest in the newer mode of composition. Example included combining the Bassoon and Flute in the Haydn Clock Symphony during the 3rd movement. Concertos, such as Mozart’s Violin also became popular. Among the composers who marked, this period during the 1800s was Ludwig van Beethoven18. The composers started to transition towards the Romantic Period. Beethoven created larger and more colourful orchestras, where music was mainly intended for the public. Beethoven added new instruments, such as bass drum, cymbals, and triangle19. Opera in the classical period Opera, as Grout et al 20define it, refers to a form of art where the musicians and singers perform a dramatic music where they integrate musical score and text within a theatrical setting. Opera combines a set of aspects of spoken theatre, including dance, scenery, and acting. Opera within the classical era consisted of three separate eras: opera buffa, opera seria and singspiel21. Opera seria was largely continued from the Baroque Period as it used similar librettos showing historical and in some instances mythical events. For instance, the arias were still in da capo form. However, it started to be combined with sonata form. Additionally, it became lengthier and hence fewer. At the same time, recitative was still simple and accompanied three acts22 (See Figure 5). Figure 5: Simple structure of opera seri23. Opera buffa was also a continuation from the Baroque period. However, to a greater extent, they were largely a product of the Classical period. Opera buffa started as a form of ‘intermezzo’, which defines an entertainment consisting of acts of Opera seria24. The characters were essentially contemporary. In addition, they often represented both the lower classes and the upper classes, although the lower classes dominated. Arias persisted for a considerable period in de capo form. However, it gradually transformed into, being more thoroughly composed, although under the influence of augmented ensembles. These did not exist in Opera seria. While the arias persisted for some time within the form of da capo, the ensembles were applied in closing the acts and integrated the crisis in the action, as well as to move the plot 25(See Figure 6). Figure 6: Opera buffa26 Singspel refers to a form of music drama that emerged in the Classical Period to compete against Opera buffa. This type of opera depended on spoken language integrated with musical numbers, such as England’s Ballad Opera. It absorbed and integrated the ensembles, as well as the forward course of Opera buffa while simultaneously integrating musical numbers that stopped the flow of actions purposed of exploring emotions. Additionally, it was based on texts that portrayed country life, although it gradually became political. For instance, Beethoven’s Fidelio represents a form of Singspiel that depicted the French Revolutionary War27. The classical Period (1750s to1820s) was characterised by its highlighting of balance, clarity and formal order. What marked the growth of operas in the Classical Period was the growth of public concert during the period. On critical analysis, two critical developments marked the end of hegemony of opera seria. This included the success of comedies, such as Neapolitan comedy by Pergolesi. These comedies were the opera buffa. The second included the growth of the desire to justify opera within the lines of Enlightenment28. In terms of dominance, the position of opera in the world of entertainment during the Classical Period was promoted significantly by Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714–1787). He made opera more dominant by reforming it to be more varied, expressive, natural, and flexible. Gluck made music to forward the plot and serve the poetry29. At the same time, it combined the Italian and French opera styles. Gluck became one of the greatest figures within the field of opera, especially in Paris. He composed some of the earliest works, such as Orpheus and Eurydice, which dominated the stage during the Classical Period. Singers were supposed to make their written vocal line more elegant in the hope of improving the expression of arias and to show their vocal prowess. Gluck’s choruses, arias, and recitatives fused in large unified scenes. In terms of the differences, compared to Gluck’s opera, Mozart’s opera was less dominant during the Classical Period in terms of an art form. Still, they were appreciated as a form of entertainment. They had set arias, where each one with a da capo and were heralded by a recitative. Since they had a da capo, it meant that they delayed the action on-stage after the singer. Indeed, the entire opera was back to where it had begun during that aria30. Additionally, unlike Gluck’s opera, Mozart’s had no plot and had minimal characterisation. At the same time, the attention the audience paid was uncertain since the rattling of dice boxes was far more audible than the music. In fact, a comparison between Gluck and Mozart’s opera indicates that Gluck made significant reformations to the Opera. Gluck made the genre more serious marking a shift from the initially comic genre31. In comparing the Gluck and Mozart’s operas, it could be reasoned that while they both followed the trend of the period, they differed largely due to the exceptional sense of dramatic and musicianship. The characters that played in the operas were essentially like real people. Additionally, they were unreal, although they were all made to stand on their own feet. The atmosphere that pervaded Mozart’s operas supported the varied characters32. Conclusion As the classical period advanced, the distinctness of Opera and orchestral music evolved to become more flexible, lighter, and colourful. At the start of the Classical Era, the orchestra had limited difference to the Baroque Period. The orchestral music from the 1750s to 1760s depended on some feature of the Baroque Period throughout the early Classical Period, these features became obsolete by the end of the 18th century. In respect to difference or distinctiveness from the Baroque period, the styles of music were marked by formal and balanced structures. Still, it was more dramatic compared to the Baroque Period. Orchestra began to be played in concert halls for public entertainment. This gave room for the growth of opera. Opera within the classical era consisted of three separate eras: opera buffa, opera seria and singspel. Opera in the classical Period was characterised by its highlighting of balance, clarity and formal order. What marked the growth of operas in the Classical Period was the growth of public concert during the period. 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