How the Musical Canon Came to Being?
The musical canon is controversial in its defining of the line that separates the composers making it into the canon and being excluded from it. The Germanic symphonic music and its most famous composer Beethoven are synonymous with the concept of musical canon that emerged in the 1800s. In fact, many authors consider that the musical canon was one with the dominant classes of Germany and other dominant countries in the world. Whether the composers placed in the canon deserved their place or not was always a matter of controversy. However, the underlying concept for the development of musical canon was closely tied with the German concept of the 1800s, freedom to play music that sounded beautiful. This growing
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The rising popularity of music in Europe, especially Germany was the result of the concept brought about to counteract the effects of the starkly opposite courtly life they were used to. This decision had an unprecedented effect of the entire musical history of Europe that included the greatest western musicians like Beethoven. Additionally, the musical canon played an immense role in the spread of popularity of music and gave employment to many people in the form of performers and composers. However, the method of inclusion into the canon was unknown and caused controversy among scholars to debate about the advantages and disadvantages of the canon. The increasing notion of the long-lasting impact of classical music and the rise in ideas about the autonomy of work and its concept played an important role for the musical cannon. This idea can be summed up as, “Without the notion of aesthetic autonomy the modern concept of fine art is unthinkable; and for music to qualify as a fine art, it had to be reconceived not as an activity but as a body of works” (Goehr 207). Although the pure, non-political and aesthetic nature of the canons were highly popular among the public then and fueled by the news houses in the nineteenth century, the canon is generally criticized in modern …show more content…
This mystery has been generally addressed by the modern scholars who claim that the large number of composers generally involved in the genre hampered the work concept of opera. People believed that opera played a relatively minor part or no part at all in the progress of the music in the nineteenth century. It was considered a major part of music in the seventeenth and eighteenth century when music was not quite widespread as after the introduction of the musical canon. However, the important part played by opera in progressive music then is recognized by modern scholars in the major musical countries like Germany. Beethoven played the major part in including this genre in the musical canon, although through his own contribution and works. Hence opera has been included in the studies of musical canon and highlights its importance. In fact, it has played a major role in establishing the aesthetic ideals of canon that was idealized by the involvement of Beethoven. The inclusion of instrumental music into the musical canon however raises the issue of the association of aesthetic music to its embodiment in the form of actual music. The rise of musical canon can be attributed to the rising materialization of music and scholars often refer to this phenomenon as derogatory to the standards of music in the long term although
Classical music can be best summed by Mr. Dan Romano who said, “Music is the hardest kind of art. It doesn't hang up on a wall and wait to be stared at and enjoyed by passersby. It's communication. Its hours and hours being put into a work of art that may only last, in reality, for a few moments...but if done well and truly appreciated, it lasts in our hearts forever. That's art, speaking with your heart to the hearts of others.” Starting at a young age Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven have done just that with their musical compositions. Both musical composers changed the world of music and captivated the hearts of many. Their love of composing shared many similar traits, though their musical styles were much different.
Starting with the classical era, documentation and musical education became an important topic. The term of musical appreciation started in the Classical period. Patrons from the time wanted to learn more about the music they were listening to. Patrons also started becoming more involved with the music and their composers. Composers became more of a public icon, and people wanted to see the people behind the music.
Beethoven is viewed as a transitional figure between the classical and romantic eras and from 1800 to 1809 he wrote some of the most revolutionary compositions in the history of western music. This essay therefore will aim to discuss the numerous ways in which Ludwig Van Beethoven expanded the formal and expressive content of the classical style he inherited. From the early 1770s to the end of the eighteenth century the concept of the symphonic style and sonata style dominated most of the music composed. These forms, employed countless times by Mozart and Haydn, stayed relatively constant up until the end of the eighteenth century, when Beethoven began to extend this Viennese classical tradition. Many musicologists have put forward the idea of Beethoven music falling into four periods.
Since Beethoven was seen as such an influential composer, many sought to compose music similar to that of Beethoven and the other masters who had set the stage for classical music. Yet they could not be too similar to Beethoven and had to have uniqueness in their compositions. As Burkholder explains, composers that followed the musical canon, “...distinguished from their lesser contemporaries by their level of craftsmanship, by the strength of their musical personality, and by an ineffable quality of ‘inspiration,’ ‘beauty,’ or ‘truth’.(Burkholder 120). The craftsmanship can be interpreted as the way they created their compositions in a great way such as the main inspirers of these young composers did. The craftsmanship had to of course to make it an impact, like pieces in any museum, they have to show skill and express the quality of their design. Their strength in musical personality had to show their uniqueness and style they imposed when composing music, to the point where they could be distinguished through their compositions. This strength in personality had to pop out while still following and showing their inspiration, which was the most important quality, to that of the masters of classical music. The inspiration was a key factor that lead to the rise of the musical
Some of the most well known composers came to be in the in the classical music period. Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the composers, along with other greats of the time like Haydn and Mozart, which helped to create a new type of music. This new music had full rich sounds created by the new construction of the symphony orchestra.
TitleAuthor/ EditorPublisherDate James Galways’ Music in TimeWilliam MannMichael Beazley Publishers1982 The Concise Oxford History of MusicGerald AbrahamOxford University Press1979 Music in Western CivilizationPaul Henry LangW. W. Norton and Company1941 The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Classical MusicRobert AinsleyCarlton Books Limited1995 The Cambridge Music GuideStanley SadieCambridge University Press1985 School text: Western European Orchestral MusicMary AllenHamilton Girls’ High School1999 History of MusicRoy BennettCambridge University Press1982 Classical Music for DummiesDavid PogueIDG Books Worldwide,Inc1997
...he connection between the composer and the music. Since composers generally write about events that had an impact in their lives, this analysis receives support.
Among the many musical types of the period, the classical period is best known for the symphony, a form of a large orchestral ensemble. The symphonic pieces generally had three movements, the sonata, the minuet, and the finale. Building of the achievements of earlier composers, Haydn, and Mozart brought the symphony to it's peak in the last 20 years of the 18th century. Haydn excelled in rhythmic drive and development of theme-based music. Mozart also added to the symphony by contrasting memorable lyric themes in very full sounding orchestral settings.
Mozart, Beethoven and Joseph Haydn are considered the three main composers of this time. The Classical Period took place from 1750-1820. During this time, scientific advances changed the world view. People gained faith in the power of reason and began undermining traditional authority. Music and visual arts stress balance and structure. String, woodwind and some keyboard and brass instruments were used in this era. Classical music shows a contrast in mood, both between and within movements. It also shows flexibility in rhythm, by using multiple rhythmic patterns in a piece. Classical music is mostly homophonic, but with frequent shifts. Classical music also has a tuneful, easy to sing melody. Emotions were expressed in shades of dynamics, which was related to the development of piano. In the Classical era, orchestras grew in size (though they’re still smaller than today’s). Instruments worked in four movements: fast (first), slow (second), dance-related (third), and fast (fourth). Public, ticket buying concerts became common and the rise of the music instrument manufacturing industry began. Vienna became a place where musicians came to study and seek recognition. The most common compositional forms during this time were sonatas, concerti, and
In many respects, and with hindsight, it seems natural that the Romantic composers and writers would take a new direction in their approach to expression, reacting against the classical and neo-classical ideas of reason and order from the previous age. It was a revolt against classicism, and against the pre-prescribed rules that defined it. The main catalyst for this change was the French Revolution in 1789, where the French monarchy and aristocracy was overthrown by a rebellion of the people and France became a republic. This, in a musical sense, had an immediate impact on French opera, with the emphasis of the stories now beginning to be drawn into the present as opposed to the ancient world, and the old hierarchy of the Gods and feudal systems. T...
John Warrack, author of 6 Great Composers, stated, “Any study of a composer, however brief, must have as its only purpose encouragement of the reader to greater enjoyment of the music” (Warrack, p.2). The composers and musicians of the Renaissance period need to be discussed and studied so that listeners, performers, and readers can appreciate and understand the beginnings of music theory and form. The reader can also understand the driving force of the composer, whether sacred or secular, popularity or religious growth. To begin understanding music composition one must begin at the birth, or rebirth of music and the composers who created the great change.
Introduction The world is changing and so is the style of music. Often people who do not have any musical background might think that classical music is boring and only for more mature audiences. In fact, the sales of traditional Western classical music albums are decreasing and many symphony orchestras and operas are struggling to find endowments and audiences. It is considered that classical music today occupies a position similar to that of religion, as a form of art rather than entertainment or just a background noise (Johnson, 2002). Unlike popular music, classical music may be more sophisticated and complex in its form.
Classical eras were powerful, influential, and musically stimulating to the masses, forever engraving themselves in history and time.
The. Burkholder, J. P., Donald J. Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. Eight ed. of the book. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010.
Classical music was established by many great composers, but only one has been known as the “greatest composer”of the Classical time; Ludwig van Beethoven is a legendary figure who for many is considered