Classical Music Essay Example

response to Rodrigo's first baby's miscarriage.

To evaluate the level of classicism in a composition, one must assess various musical elements, such as form or structure, pitch, dynamics, timbre & mood, instrumentation, meter, rhythm, tempo, melody harmony, tonality, articulation, and texture. In the case of Concerto De Aranjuez, it follows the sonata form which comprises an introduction, exposition, development, recapitulation and coda. The opening bars serve as an introduction to the theme with a concert F Major Chord.

In the trombone and bass section, there are marked dynamics of forte and dimuendos that lead into the exposition. The exposition consists of 20 bars and features the principal theme introduced by the solo cornets in the first 10 bars. Following this, the solo flugal part repeats the theme with slight modifications to the rhythm. To introduce the development, bar 22 showcases an ascending C major scale in the solo cornet and a descending A minor scale in the 2nd and 3rd cornet parts. The crescendo serves as a climax and appears to introduce a new idea, but it is revealed in the second bar of the development (24) to be an elaboration of the main theme.

Haydn's Trumpet Concerto is structured in sonata form. The piece begins with a quiet accompaniment marked pp-ppp on the piano and has a 30-bar development section. The Recapitulation follows, in which the main theme is reintroduced by the solo flugal with added tone color. Finally, the piece finishes with the CODA.

The piece follows a structure consisting of five parts: Introduction, Exposition, Development, Recapitulation, and CODA. In the Introduction (1-44), the main 12 bar theme is introduced by the violins and flute, along

with other recurring ideas played by various instruments. The Exposition (45-124) restates the 12 bar theme in the solo Trumpet part, which was first introduced by the violins. The pause at bar 124 signifies the resolution of the exposition and the beginning of the Development (124-180). Here, the theme is elaborated upon, with a canonic flute playing it in a canon with the trumpet part. The melody is played in F major from bar 142 until it returns to its original key in bar 185, where the Bb accidental disappears.

The Recapitulation in the piece summarizes the development so far, with the descending semiquaver runs in the 1st violin marking the end of the development. The Bassoon and solo trumpet continue the main 12 bar theme, and from bars 204-220, a fanfare-like motive is played, which was originally developed from the 1st violin part in the introduction at bar 33.

The solo Trumpet concludes the development with an improvised cadenza. The piece ends with the CODA directly after the cadenza, featuring the theme and a semiquaver motive played by the 1st violin and viola, while the solo trumpet plays quavers. The work closes with a strong ff fanfare by the Trumpets and the French Horn and a final chord of C Minor with a G bass. Sonata form was mainly used towards the end of the Classical period and into the Romantic Period, although it was still used in the classical era. As both pieces are in sonata form, it is difficult to differentiate between them based solely on their form if they are from the classical period. The pitch within Concerto De Aranjuez varies across

the different sections of the piece.

The bass line has a low pitch, and the Eb Soprano Cornet line plays an octave higher than the main motive at the beginning. In his Trumpet Concerto, Haydn aimed to showcase the capabilities of the newly developed keyed trumpet. He composed the piece within the instrument's range and capability of 2 octaves, exploring techniques such as allegro semiquaver runs that lead to double tonguing and octave jumps. Dynamics in both pieces range from ppp to fff, and terraced dynamics are used throughout.

The accompanying instruments in Aranjuez play soft to very soft when the solo instrument is playing the main melody and use crescendos to create climaxes and emotional impact. Crescendos are also utilized to increase the thickness of the texture and reach f-fff. In contrast, Haydn's Trumpet Concerto features terrace dynamics, a prominent feature of the classical period.

The timbre or tone colour of Aranjuez, which uses vibrato on longer notes and the key signature of D Minor, reflects the sad and dark emotions tied to Rodrigo's wife's miscarriage. In contrast, Haydn's Trumpet Concerto produces a rich and bright timbre due to its bright and bouncy melody and articulate instruments, with no use of crescendos and diminuendos.

During the Romantic and Impressionistic Era, the incorporation of emotion through music was more prevalent. This results in Aranjuez not being as classical as Haydn's Trumpet Concerto. The instrumental usage in both pieces contrasts each other significantly. Haydn's Trumpet Concerto utilizes classical instruments like Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, French horn, and Trumpet in E, Timpani, 1st and 2nd Violin, viola, cello and/or double bass alongside the solo Trumpet.

For this version of

Aranjuez, the instrumentation entirely comprises brass instruments for a brass band. The specific instruments used include soprano, solo, repiano, 2nd and 3rd cornet, solo flugelhorn, solo 1st and 2nd Eb horn, 1st and 2nd Bb baritone, 1st, 2nd, and bass trombone, Bb euphonium, Eb and Bb bass, timpani, and kit. The use of metre in each piece is easily identifiable. In Haydn's Trumpet Concerto, the use of metre is simple 2/4; a recognizable metre was a characteristic of the classical period.

The use of a consistent 4/4 metre without changes throughout the piece was also present in Aranjuez. The only variation in the tempo occurs during pauses, where it reverts back to tempo1. In Classical music, a recognizable metre was an important aspect. The rhythm in Aranjuez can be characterized as slow due to the slow tempo of the Adagio, which is played at approximately 60 beats per minute. This results in a perceived slow rhythm despite the presence of rapid semiquaver runs, which are actually played as quavers.

Both the solo Flugal part and the band accompaniment have distinct rhythms. The former has a smooth, evenly-phrased flow, while the latter features block chords played in minims and a syncopated rhythm from the horns. By comparison, the rhythm in Haydn's Trumpet Concerto is much faster, with an Allegro tempo marking of 120b/p that makes note values (semiquavers) move quickly. The result is an angular rhythm that lacks the smooth melody of the classical period. Even so, both pieces maintain regular phrase balances, a hallmark of classical music.

Aranjuez possesses a smooth contour that evokes emotion. In contrast, Haydn's Trumpet Concerto features an angular contour with a

narrower range per part. The structure is both triadic and scalic, with triads apparent in the 12-bar melody and scalar progressions in the accompaniment (e.g., bars 79, 95, and 165).

The solo Flugal part in Aranjuez has a restricted structure and range, gradually ascending to high notes with minimal intervals, resulting in a smooth melody.