Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 - 1. Allegro con brio
Ludwig van Beethoven: Sinfonia nro 5
Wiener Philharmoniker. Simon Rattle, kapellimestari.
EMI Classics 2003.
About the Classical era in general
The elevation of science and reason led to moral philosophy alongside and in some cases instead of religion. Spirituality was no longer confined to the Church. Music came to be studied and analysed theoretically. With the middle class growing wealthier, chamber music developed, as making music at home became a popular pastime. Musical skills were no longer the province only of the upper classes but regarded also among the bourgeoisie as a self-evident mark of education comparable to literacy. The growing audiences knew what they wanted, and what they wanted was new and original compositions.
"All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason." –Immanuel Kant
Music in the Classical era
The clarinet was developed in the early 18th century and quickly became established as a standard member of the woodwind section in orchestras. The pianoforte replaced harpsichords and clavichords. The transverse flute replaced the recorder. String instruments acquired their modern forms.
1700-luvun alussa syntynyt klarinetti yleistyi 1700-luvun lopussa orkesterisoittimeksi. Pianoforte syrjäytti cembalot ja klavikordit. Poikkihuilua alettiin käyttää nokkahuilun sijaan. Jousisoittimet saivat nykyisen muotonsa.
Klarinetti
Pianoforte
Composers of the Classical era
Joseph Haydn, known as Papa Haydn, was one of the leading composers of the Classical era. His extensive output laid the foundation for the symphony genre as we know it today and also contributed to the theory of music. Mozart, the child prodigy, revolutionised the genre of opera by setting librettos in German instead of Italian. Beethoven’s orchestral writing inaugurated an entirely new era in music: he is known as both the last Classical composer and the first Romantic composer.
