Classical Music History: Opera, Sonata, and Symphony

Classical Opera and Its Reformation

We delimit Classicism between the years 1730 and 1820 approximately. During this period, opera underwent a significant change, eliminating the excesses of the Baroque era and bringing plots and characters closer to the new bourgeois audience.

Opera Seria

In Opera Seria, the initiator of this reformation was the German composer Christoph Willibald Gluck, who laid the foundations of the new opera in 1762 with the work Orpheus and Euridice.

Opera Buffa

Opera Buffa became the favorite genre of Classicism. The main composer was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with The Marriage of Figaro (written in Italian) and The Magic Flute (written in German).

The Role of the Orchestra Conductor

The progressive complexity of orchestral compositions created the need for an orchestra conductor, exclusively bound to coordinating the ensemble. Quite often, composers themselves took over the function of the conductor; they did not just have to set the pace, but they also had to indicate the different entrances of voices and all expressive aspects.

The Sonata Scheme and Instrumental Forms

The Sonata, an instrumental form that appeared in the Baroque, became the main composition during Classicism.

Structure of the Sonata

• Exposition: The presentation of two musical themes linked by means of a modulating passage called a bridge.
• Development: The music moves to other keys, combining materials from the two main themes.
• Recapitulation: A return to the exposition but with small modifications.

Key Instrumental Forms

• Sonata: A compound instrumental form created for one or two solo instruments.
• Symphony: A compound instrumental form created for a whole orchestra with the following structure: Allegro, Adagio, Minuet, and Allegro.
• Concerto: A compound instrumental form for orchestra and soloist in three movements: Allegro, Adagio, and Allegro.

Prominent Composers of the Era

The most important instrumental music composers were Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. In Spain, the most prominent repertoire of instrumental music was devoted to the guitar, featuring the composer Fernando Sor.

The Evolution of Ballet and the Minuet

Ballet d'Action

In the 18th century, ballet underwent a major transformation known as ballet d'action. This was achieved with the help of the French dancer and choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre and his treatise, Lettres sur la danse et les ballets. In this work, music could tell a story without having to resort to poetry or singing.

The Minuet

In the late 18th century, the only important dance was the Minuet, which turned into a symbol of aristocratic society. The Minuet is a French step dance with a ternary rhythm and calm movements, following this structure:

• Minuet I: In the main tonality.
• Minuet II: With a modulation to another tonality.
• Minuet III: In the main tonality again.