Page 129 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

CLASSICAL 1750–1820 127

reassuring melody. Yet even here Chamber groups
the cello behaves unusually,
climbing into the pitch of the first In the 18th century, as
violin. After a fast interlude, the education widened and the
middle class expanded,
quartet ends peacefully. appreciation of music spread
It can safely be beyond the court and church.
suggested that there is Haydn’s legacy The number of amateur
no more original Haydn It is not known how well the musicians with money and
quartet [Op. 54 No. 2], nor quartet was received, and indeed, leisure time rapidly increased,
any that contains more the much less imaginative works and musical friends would
prophetic innovations. of a fellow Austrian, Ignace Joseph get together in a “chamber,”
Hans Keller Pleyel, were more popular in Paris or room, to make music at
at the time. However, less than 20 home. This created a market
years later, when Beethoven for musical compositions
produced his Op. 18 quartets in suited to an intimate setting,
1800, a revival of Haydn’s quartets especially for strings, which
occurred. The style of Haydn’s blended harmoniously and
83 quartets had revolutionized were more affordable and
contrasting trio sections, this all chamber music. Schumann studied widely available, following
improvements in the
changes as a dissonant A-flat note them before embarking on his three manufacture of instruments.
is repeatedly accented on a weak Op. 41 quartets, and all future While string quartets were
beat, sounding like screams of composers of quartets would take the most popular form of
anguish. The conventional repeat inspiration from Haydn. ■ chamber ensemble during
of the minuet plays a critical role the Classical and Romantic
in restoring an optimistic mood. periods, composers also wrote
The finale, however, produces Haydn often visited Vienna as part for quintets, with an extra
of Prince Esterházy’s retinue. In this
the biggest surprise. Instead of the 19th-century painting, he is shown (in viola, cello, or the addition
conventional fast movement, Haydn light blue) directing a quartet from his of a double bass, and
presents an adagio with a calm and preferred second violin position. eventually works featuring
other “fifth” instruments,
such as the clarinet, creating
a richer sound. Work for
woodwind quintets (flute,
oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and
horn) also appeared.
As many middle-class
households acquired a piano
in the late 18th century,
composers produced chamber
music for the piano—the piano
trio (piano, violin, and cello),
quartet (piano trio and viola),
and quintet (string quartet
with piano). The piano duet for
two players at one instrument
also became popular for
domestic and concert
performances, and a number
of composers wrote works for
four hands, including Mozart
and Schubert.

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