History of

Music
2010-2013

Ramith
Hettiarachchi

Kinds of Music
Symphony-

Complex musical composition: a major work for an orchestra, including wind, string, and percussion instruments, usually
composed in four movements, at least one of which is in sonata form
Concerto-
Musical composition for soloist and orchestra: an instrumental work for orchestra that highlights a soloist or group of soloists

Opera-
Musical drama: a dramatic work where music is a dominant part of the performance, with the actors often singing rather
than reciting their lines.

Ballet-
Story performed by dancers: a choreographed presentation of a story or theme performed to music by ballet dancers or the
musical score written for this.

Oratorio-
A religious story set to a orchestral baking : a musical composition for voices and instruments that has a religious theme,
often telling a sacred story but not using costumes, scenery, or dramatic staging.
Handel's Messiah is an example of this genre.
Sonata-
Classical composition for solo instrument: a piece of classical music for a solo instrument or a small ensemble. It consists of
several movements, at least one of which is in sonata form.

Cantata-
Song sung by a choir: a musical composition for voices and instruments, usually on a religious theme,
containing arias, choruses, and recitatives.

Mass-
Christian ceremony: in the Roman Catholic Church and some Protestant churches, the religious ceremony
of Communion.

Requiem-
Roman Catholic service for dead, mass for the dead: a Roman Catholic mass held to offer prayers for
somebody who has died

Overture-
Orchestral introductory piece for opera or oratorio: a single orchestral movement that introduces an
opera, play, ballet, or longer musical work, often including the work's themes.

Prelude-
MUSIC introductory piece of music: piece of music that introduces or precedes another one

Suite-
Set of short musical pieces:
1. The Classical Suite. (Basically Folk Dances- Sarabande, Courante, Allemande,
Gigue.)

2. The modern suite.( Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker suite)


History of Music

1. Baroque Period (1600-1750)
2. Classical Period (1750-1820)
3. Romantic Period(1820-1900)
4. Modern Period (1900-Present)

Baroque Period (1600-1750)
More Choral music could be seen and also secular music.
The main instruments which were used- Harpsichord
Clavichord
Violins and Recorders

Main Characteristics
1. Polyphonic music and a little homophonic music was the texture.
2. One mood goes throughout the entire piece
3. Violas were gradually replaced by the violins.
4. String family was an important section.
5. Main forms came in to use (Binary ternary figure).
6. Many ornaments were used.
7. Many types of music were brought.
8. Modes were gradually replaced by scales. Ex
(Aeolian-Major, Eolian-minor)
Composers
Johann Sebastian Bach
George Fredrick Handel
And also Dominico Scarletti(contemporary composer)




Johann Sebastian Bach- German composer (1685-1750)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), German composer and one of the
worlds greatest musical geniuses. His work marks the culmination of
the baroque style. A man of inexhaustible energy and imagination,
Bach composed in every form known in the baroque era, except the
opera. His enormous output includes works for the organ, violin,
clavichord and harpsichord (predecessors of the piano), chamber
orchestra, and voice.
In 1708 he was the organist and the Musicians to the duke of
Weimar. When his wife Barbara died in 1720 he married Anna Magdelina in 1721 who was a
gifted musician .he played many instruments such as Clavichord, Harpsichord and Organ. He
wrote small pieces called inventions for junior students. Bach had 7 children with his first wife,
and 13 children with his second wife. The Bach family produced more than 50 noted musicians
over several generations. Bach became sight-impaired during the last year of his life. He died in
1750.

His Works
Choral
1. Mass in B minor
2. St Mathews passion
3. St Johns passion
4. Christmas-Oratorio
5. Easter - Oratorio
Secular
1. 48 Preludes and Fuges(The well tempered clavier)
2. 6 Brandenburg-Concerto
3. Italian-concerto
4. Coffee-cantata
5. The note book of Anna Magdalena
6. Goldberg Variation








Ramith Hettiarachchi


George Fredric Handel- German composer(1685-1759)
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), German-born composer, who
worked primarily in England, considered one of the most important
masters of the baroque period (from about 1600 to 1750). Handel
and his German contemporary Johann Sebastian Bach are
considered the greatest composers of the early 18th century. Their
music represents the culmination of musical genres of the baroque
era. He wrote every kinds of music. Whereas Bachs output
consisted chiefly of instrumental and vocal works originally
conceived for Lutheran church services, Handels most important
works are his operas and oratorios, composed for the theater. The most
famous of these is Messiah, which was first performed in 1742. Handel also
made important contributions to instrumental music.


Handels Water Music
In addition to his popular operas and oratorios, German-born composer George
Frideric Handel wrote music in the 1700s for the church and for royal celebrations.
The legend that Handel composed Water Music as early as 1715 to regain the
favor of the Elector of Hannover (later King George I), his former employer,
remains both popular and unsubstantiated. It is known, however, that Water
Music was played for King George during a royal party in 1717. The king enjoyed
the one-hour piece so thoroughly that he ordered it played three times that day.

His Works
Oratorios
1. Messiah
2. Halle luigh chorus
3. An Israel in Egypt
4. Samson
5. Judas
6. The triumph of times and truth
7. Deborah
Other Works
1. Water Music -Orchestral Suite
2. The Royal Fireworks - Orchestral Suite
3. Harmonious Blacksmith-Theme and Variation









Ramith Hettiarachchi

Dominico Scarletti- Italian composer(1685-1757)
Dominico Scarlatti (1685-1757), Italian harpsichordist and composer. Giuseppe
Dominico Scarlatti was born in Naples. He studied first with his father, Alessandro
Scarlatti, and later with the Italian composer Francesco Gasparini. Scarlatti first
attracted attention by his revision (1704) of the opera Irene by the Italian
composer Carlo Francesco Pollarolo. In subsequent years Scarlatti lived in Rome,
Naples, and Lisbon and frequently toured Europe as a traveling virtuoso. In 1729
he was summoned to the Spanish court at Madrid, which remained his residence
for the rest of his life.
Scarlatti was a founder of the modern school of keyboard technique; he was the
first composer to call for such devices in performance as arpeggios, the rapid
repetition of a single note, and the crossing of hands. His keyboard compositions,
entitled sonatas, are all short pieces. About 550 of these have been preserved;
many have a recognizable Spanish flavor. Scarlatti also composed several operas,
religious music, and instrumental works.





















Ramith Hettiarachchi



Classical Period (1750-1820)
Compositions were brought to its highest point in development-The symphony, the
string quartet.
There were Concertos for - wind instruments(Clarinet, Trumpet , Violin Cello & Piano)
Piano forte became very popular and composers wrote sonatas for this.
The composers had to work under a patron. Because of this period was known as the,
Age of patronage.
Opera was very popular-
1. Serious Opera
2. Comic Opera

Main Characteristics
1. Brighter and clearer music than the baroque period.
2. More contrast within a piece. Key rhythm, Expressions, Speed &
Mood.
3. Melodies were shorter than the baroque period.
4. Orchestra was increased in size wood wind coming in front.
5. Harpsichord was replaced by piano.
6. Importance given to instrumental music Ex-Sonatas, Quartets,
Symphonys etc.
7. Sonata form was the important form.
Composers
1. Joseph Haydn
2. W.A. Mozart
3. L.V. Beethoven








Ramith Hettiarachchi

Franz Joseph Haydn- Austrian composer(1732-1809)
When he was 8 years old he became a member of the choir of St Steven
church in Vienna. But was dismissed when he was 17 years old because his
voice broke. Haydn was known as,
Father Of The Symphony
Father Of The String Quartet
Father Of The Instrumental Music



Mozart learnt to compose string quartets from Haydn. He was a deeply Religious man and this
enabled him to write oratorios.





His works
Oratorios
1. Creation
2. Seasons
Symphonies
1. Surprise
2. Farewell
3. Clock
4. Drum roll
5. Oxford
6. Toy
Quartets
1. The emperor
2. The lark
3. The Lander










Ramith Hettiarachchi

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart- Austrian composer(1756-1791)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), Austrian composer, who is considered
one of the most brilliant and versatile composers ever. He worked in all musical
genres of his era, wrote inspired works in each genre, and produced an
extraordinary number of compositions, especially considering his short life. By
the time Mozart died at age 35, he had completed 41 symphonies, 27 piano
concertos, 23 string quartets, 17 piano sonatas, 7 major operas, and numerous
works for voice and other instruments.
As a child prodigy Mozart toured Europe and became widely regarded as a
miracle of nature because of his musical gifts as a performer of piano, harpsichord, and organ and as a
composer of instrumental and vocal music. His mature masterpieces begin with the Piano Concerto No. 9 in
E-flat Major (Jeunehomme, 1777), one of about a dozen outstanding concertos he wrote for piano. Also
successful as an opera composer, Mozart wrote three exceptional Italian operas to texts by Italian librettist
Lorenzo da Ponte: Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro, 1786), Don Giovanni (1787), and Cos fan tutte
(All Women Do So, 1790). They were followed in 1791 by his supreme German opera, Die Zauberflte (The
Magic Flute).

Koechel compiled a catalogue by numbering Mozarts work by the letter Kexample-K.529
The other compositions of other composers were numbered as Op.24(Opus)

There were also two other Symphonies which he wrote
1. Haffner
2. Prague

His Works
Operas
1. The marriage of Figaro
(La-ci-darem)-(duet)
2. Don Giovanni (Cosi-Fan tutte)
3. The magic flute
4. Singspiel-German opera
5. La clemenza ditto-Italian style opera
Other Works
1. Jupiter in C-Symphony
2. The Requiem-His last work





Ramith Hettiarachchi



Ludwig Van Beethoven- German Composer(1770-1867)

Beethoven could be set the bridge between classical and the romantic Period. His
greatest compositions were composed as a romantist he was first known as a
brilliant pianist. But slowly developing deafness caused him to abandoned
performance for compositions.
Beethoven was the first composer in history to live exclusively independent of
the patronage of the church. He was completely deaf at the age of 30. He was
also known as Shakespeare of the music.





His Works
1. Fidelio opera
2. 32 piano sonatas
Pathetigue
Moonlight
Tempest