Music of the 18th Century - Essay Example

Full … Music/English April 28, Music of the 18th Century Introduction At the turn of the 16th – 17th centuries polyphony, which dominated the music of the Renaissance, began to give way to homophony. Unlike polyphony, where all voices or melody lines are equal, homophony defines one voice or instrument, performing the main theme, and the others, who play the role of backing or accompaniment. The concept of church music has also changed. In the 18th century composers seek to reveal the complexity of human emotions. Some pieces of music appear which were composed under the influence of religious texts or stories but not intended for performance in churches only. The main genres of the 17th – 18th centuries’ music are cantata and oratorio. The importance of secular music increased: it sounded at courts, in the salons of the aristocracy, in public theaters (the first such theaters were founded in the 17th century). Opera takes shape as a new kind of musical art.     New genres also emerged in instrumental music. Primarily we can talk about an instrumental concerto. The violin, harpsichord, organ gradually turned into solo instruments. Music, composed for them, made ​​it possible to show not only the composers’ talent but also talent of the performing musicians. Virtuosity was valued most of all. It gradually became an end in itself for many musicians. The composers of the 17th -18th centuries usually composed not only music, but also skillfully played instruments and were involved in teaching activities. Welfare of musicians and composers largely depended on a specific customer. As a rule, every serious musician sought a place at court of a monarch or a wealthy aristocrat (many noblemen had their own orchestras or opera houses) or in a church. And the majority of composers easily combined church services with music-making for their secular patrons. The Habsburg Empire Austria took the leading role in the development of musical culture in the 18th century. European opera, after two centuries of development, finally reached the pinnacle in the work of Viennese composers - Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714 - 1782) and Wolfgang Amedeo Mozart (1756 - 1791). Classical symphonic style and classical chamber music were created by an Austrian composer Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) and genius Mozart. When people talk about classical music (in the sense of a certain movement, along with the Romantic Movement, Impressionism, etc.), they primarily have in mind the Viennese classical school, represented by Gluck, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven in the 19th century. Creative works of Haydn and Mozart, sons of common people, are full of deep democratic spirit and reflect the progressive humanistic ideas of the Enlightenment. Gluck, who started opera and ballet reform in Vienna (opera Orpheus and Eurydice - 1762, Alceste - 1767, Paris and Helen - 1770, the ballet Don Juan - 1761), found no support and had to move to Paris. Haydn, for almost 30 years, worked as a chapel master for the Vienna tycoon Esterhazy and suffered because of his dependent position. He created his best symphonies in Paris and London; in England, under the impression of Handel’s oratorios, he originated his new oratorio style. Music by Haydn is directly connected with folk art: it used melodies, intonations, rhythms of folk songs and dances of various nationalities of the Austrian monarchy. Haydn raised symphony, as well as the most important genres of chamber music (quartets, trios, sonatas) to a higher level of classical art and simultaneously democratized them, made ​​them public. Music by Haydn is characterized by inherent vitality, naturalness, humor, proximity to national life. His oratorio The Seasons (1801) became the apotheosis of peasant labor and anthem to nature. Mozart is a universal musical genius – the author of the best symphonies of the 18th century - G minor and C major (Jupiter), the founder of the contemporary style of the piano concertos, unmatched author of Requiem, quintets, quartets, orchestral music. Mozart, simultaneously, was the biggest musical dramatist. On the basis of comic and fairytale opera, popular at that time, Mozart created some new opera genres - realistic opera (The Marriage of Figaro, 1786), opera - drama (Don Juan, 1787) and philosophical opera – fairy tale - (The Magic Flute, 1791). Germany The development of German music is closely connected with the Reformation. Singing of spiritual hymns had a big role in the worship of the Protestant communities. Due to the growth of the Lutheran church, former simplicity gives way to a more solemn and subtle forms of a church service. The art of solo singing gradually evolves; a church service starts to feel the impact of Italian opera; worship is now accompanied by instrumental, primarily organ, music. All this prepared the way for the creative work of the greatest German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Bach did not find any true connoisseurs among the highest Lutheran clergy, who preferred traditional music by mediocre composers. He lived all his life in a constant conflict with the ecclesiastical authorities, who had no interest in his musical quest and experiments. Bach returns to the monumental choral culture of the democratic Protestant communities. Based on polyphony, i.e. on coordinated performance by many independent voices, Bach’s music develops this principle in the sense of greater flexibility and completeness. His numerous church cantatas (60 chorales, 90 oratorios) are notable for their dramatic and profound philosophical content. In the sphere of instrumental music, Bach’s life was dedicated to the development of the laws of the fugue - a musical piece that transfers the vocal polyphony principle to a keyboard instrument. Bach’s music pieces, composed for the harpsichord, harp and organ, became the classics of musical thinking. Bach is one of the most prominent authors of secular vocal and instrumental music - both for orchestra and chamber performance. His contemporary, George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), did not come from the ancient family of organists, like Bach, and acquired knowledge of music by self-training, against his father’s will. Secular, mainly of opera music, had a decisive influence on Handel and his creativity. After the success of his first operas he went to Italy and later settled in England. He wrote more than 40 operas. The best known is certainly Rodamisto. But his fame rests primarily on the oratorios (Messiah - 1742, Judas Maccabaeus - 1746, etc.). Handel dedicated the last years of his life to this genre, which, thanks to its program, based on the biblical legends, and a musical form that combines the powerful effects of the choir and orchestra with oratorical pathos of individual parts, enjoyed the greatest success among the Puritan English bourgeoisie. Italy The 18th century witnessed a whole galaxy of prominent Italian composers. So, a composer and violinist Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) was the founder of the Roman violin school. His Concerto Grosso contributed to the formation of the classical symphony-concerto music. The famous Italian composer Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725) went down in history as the founder and the biggest representative of the Neapolitan school of opera. In addition to a huge number of operas (more than 125), he is the author of cantatas, oratorios, instrumental pieces. His son - composer Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), was well known by the contemporaries as a virtuoso harpsichordist. He worked in Italy (Naples, Venice and Rome) and outside (Lisbon, Madrid). D. Scarlatti composed operas, sacred and secular vocal music but the main place in his creativity was occupied by the clavier works. In the sphere of the clavier technique Scarlatti was the first to use many of the techniques that became widespread in the 19th century. A special place in the history of music is taken by the great Italian composer and virtuoso violinist Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741). He is considered to be the father of instrumental solo concerts. In his concert The Four Seasons (1725) for the violin, string quintet, organ and harpsichord gave the earliest and the most outstanding example of symphonic programing. He wrote over 40 operas, oratorios, cantatas, instrumental concertos and other musical works. Conclusion The 18th century is the Age of Enlightenment. It totally changed the language of music. Balance, proportionality, order, clarity, simplicity, faith in reason – are the main features of the 18th century music. Melody gets a huge role. New forms and genres appear: symphony and sonata. Instrumental music blossomed, although vocal music was not forgotten. References Morrow, Mary Sue. “Music in European Capitals: The Galant Style 1720-1780.” Notes 60.4 (2004): 958.  Parker, Mary Ann. Eighteenth-Century Music in Theory and Practice. Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1994.  Schönberger, Arno and Halldor Soehner. The Rococo Age: Art and Civilization of the 18th Century. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1960. Sherburn, George and Donald F. Bond. The Restoration and Eighteenth Century (1660-1789). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1967. Read More