1st Edition

Music in the Classical World Genre, Culture, and History

By Bertil van Boer Copyright 2019
    342 Pages
    by Routledge

    342 Pages
    by Routledge

    Music in the Classical World: Genre, Culture, and History provides a broad sociocultural and historical perspective of the music of the Classical Period as it relates to the world in which it was created. It establishes a background on the time span—1725 to 1815—offering a context for the music made during one of the more vibrant periods of achievement in history. Outlining how music interacted with society, politics, and the arts of that time, this kaleidescopic approach presents an overview of how the various genres expanded during the period, not just in the major musical centers but around the globe. Contemporaneous treatises and commentary documenting these changes are integrated into the narrative.

    Features include the following:

    • A complete course with musical scores on the companion website, plus links to recordings—and no need to purchase a separate anthology
    • The development of style and genres within a broader historical framework
    • Extensive musical examples from a wide range of composers, considered in context of the genre
    • A thorough collection of illustrations, iconography, and art relevant to the music of the age
    • Source documents translated by the author
    • Valuable student learning aids throughout, including a timeline, a register of people and dates, sidebars of political importance, and a selected reading list arranged by chapter and topic
    • A companion website featuring scores of all music discussed in the text, recordings of most musical examples, and tips for listening

    Music in the Classical World: Genre, Culture, and History tells the story of classical music through eighteenth-century eyes, exposing readers to the wealth of music and musical styles of the time and providing a glimpse into that vibrant and active world of the Classical Period.

    Preface PART I Music and Style in the Classical Period / 1 Defining the Classical Period / 2 The Emergence of the New Styles of Classical Period Music / PART II New Developments, Convergences, and Genres in the Classical Period / 3 The Expansion of the Orchestra and the Development of the Instruments / 4 Genre as the Core of Musical Development: Orchestral Works / 5 Genre as the Core of Musical Development: Chamber Music / PART III  Opera! The Development of Popular, Nationalist, and Exotic Entertainment / 6 The Structure and Meaning of Italian Opera in the Classical Period / 7 Opera in France, Germany, and Elsewhere: Escaping the Past for an Exotic Future / 8 Sacred Music in the Era of Secularism / PART IV Capitals and Centers of Music-Making in the Classical Period / 9 Urban Musical Centers and Their Musical Establishments / 10 Cities and Courts on the Periphery / 11 From Universal Composer to Icon: Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / PART V Music for the People: Music as a Social Phenomenon in the Classical Period / 12 The Folk and Their Music Register of Names / Selected Reading / Glossary / Index 

    Biography

    Bertil van Boer is Professor of Musicology-Theory and former Dean of the College of the Fine and Performing Arts at Western Washington University, USA.