Resources:
Music in the Classic Era: Haydn and Mozart
Read the following excerpts from Jan Swafford’s Language of the Spirit: An Introduction to Classical Music and be prepared to answer some questions.
Swafford, Jan. Language of the Spirit: An Introduction to Classical Music. New York: Basic Books, 2017.
The Classical Period (ca. 1750-1830)
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Wolfgang Amade Mozart (1756-1791)
Sonata-allegro form is a form that was used in the first movement of various pieces of music in the Classic Era. Watch the following video that explains how it works. Don’t worry if things get overly technical–just focus on the main ideas of the explanation.
Assignment Instructions:
Based on your reading of the excerpts on the Music in the Classic Era: Haydn and Mozart page, answer the following questions in paragraph format.
• According to Swafford, what does the Enlightenment have anything to do with Classic Era music?
• What were the important genres of the Classic Era?
• What job opportunities were possible for composers in the Classic Era?
Do not use outside sources, only use the provided resources above.
