Some the great unwashed refer to it as the “ Viennese Style . ” Others , the “ Viennese Classical School . ” Whatever you call it , by the previous 1700s , the Austrian capital of Vienna had clearly become the live musical pip in Europe . It was in Vienna that Mozart study with Haydn . It was in Vienna that Mozart was blown aside by the natural endowment of a very young Beethoven . And once word got out that the three foresighted - haired geniuses were chumming around town together , everyone wanted live and exercise in Vienna .
And not just the bigwigs . Less important composer , too . man with names such as Johann Hummel , Johann Stamitz , Muzio Clementi , and Friedrich Kuhlau . Composers I ’ve only heard of because I just Googled : “ Minor Composers ” + “ Classical Period . ”
But the new Viennese audio these man were develop was n’t just about translating stylish rococo fashions into euphony . One of the braggart part make out from something we all take for deed over : the pianoforte . Up until the Classical epoch , the harpsichord had been the primary keyboard legal instrument . But Bach’sGoldberg Variations , which we hear about earlier , remained the pinnacle of manifestation in terms of virtuosity , complexity and volume . No composer could outstrip Bach because he ’d already taken the cembalo to eleven.[1 ]
But that was the sometime baroqueness . fresh classical formula demanded novel engineering science . No matter how hard you thump on a harpsichord key , only one dynamical sounds : average . That ’s because a harpsichord strand is displume , not forge . So both the heaviest and lightest touch produce the same volume . Not so with the piano , as anyone with a small-scale tike be intimate . The harder they mosh their adorable little fists down on the keys , the hard the hammer hits the string . If they do it repeatedly , and long enough , they ’re certain to succeed in clearing the room at any party , necessitating a time - out survive anywhere from five to fifteen minutes , look on who ’s throwing the party.[2 ]
Back in Vienna , a sophisticated consultation was on the rise and the greatest composers of the Classical era found their auricle with sudden , spectacular shifts in dynamics throughout their compositions . The invention of the pianoforte ( orpianoforteas it was then call in Italian ) was absolutely time and well suitable for the job with its power to go from zero to sixty , orpianotoforte , faster than you could say “ smallpox vaccinum ” ( finallyinvented in 1796 ) .
Once , on a trip to Vienna , I take aim a term of enlistment of Beethoven ’s house . What I hark back most vividly about the sojourn is this : Beethoven bath in a bathtub in the middle of the kitchen — either that or he was into preparing enough goulash for the intact townsfolk . And , even more surrealistic , from his pianoforte , appear out the windowpane , I saw some woefully familiar signage , which scan : SUBWAY , eat invigorated . Suddenly I pictured Beethoven , were he still alive , sitting at his piano , quill pen in helping hand , licking his chops thinking : I’vegottafind an conclusion for this sonata so I can go get me one of those delightfully crunchy Veggie Delite sandwich . It ’s like a salad in a sandwich !
In addition to the already discuss rococo influence and invention of the piano and smallpox vaccinum , it ’s out of the question to discourse the Classical era without at least mentioning the Industrial , French and American revolutions .
Okay , there , I mentioned them .
[ 1]AnotherThis is Spinal Tapreference . If you do n’t know the movie by now , do n’t even nark eat up this sentence until you ’ve rented it and watched it at least three times .
[ 2]For parties contrive by close relatives ( i.e. in - laws , cousins , etc . ) less time will answer . For party thrown at my house , the long - time - out - ever should be considered .
[ Be certain to melodic line in next Wednesday for Part 6 of this serial ! ]
