In your exam, you might be asked to identify the period of composition for an extract of Music.  You need to know how to identify the period of composition you are listening to (Baroque, Classical or Romantic).  Here are a few tell tale signs you are listening to a piece from the Classical period.

TOP TIP: If you are asked to identify the period of composition for an extract, the follow up question usually asks you to give reasons for your answer.  The features listed below are ideal answers for this type of question.

Simple Diatonic Harmony

Baroque concertos were not usually musically complicated.  Whilst the part written for the soloist could be technically demanding, the main musical structure of the piece was often quite simple.  A diatonic harmony means it only uses notes and chords from the musical key the piece is written in.

Modulates to related keys

Modulation is the correct musical term for a key change.  Classical concertos would often change key to related keys.  This means the key the music is modulating to has something in common with the key it is modulating from.  E.g. the relative minor of a major key.  Whilst this is a key feature of the Classical period, I would only list this as a feature in the exam if you hear a key change in the extract.

Wide Range of Dynamics

The Classical Period does not use the Harpsichord, meaning the orchestra could now use a wider range of Dynamics (including crescendos and diminuendos) because they were not longer restricted by the limitations of the Harpsichord.

Mainly Strings Instruments

Whilst other instruments were used in the Classical period (see the instrument section below), the Classical orchestra was still heavily string based.  During the Tutti section, the main melody would normally be performed by the first Violin section.

Balanced Phrasing

A phrase in music is like a musical sentence.  It is a melodic idea.  Phrasing in the Classical period was usually done in four or eight bars with question and answer phrases.

Use of Ornamentation

Ornaments are used in music to make a melody sound more fancy than it actually is.  They are often not difficult to perform, by they add an extra element to the melody; they make it sound fancier.  You need to know about three different types of Ornaments for you exam.  Click Here to find out about ornamentation.

Alberti Bass

This is a type of Bass line often used in the Classical period.  An Alberti Bass line uses the three notes of a chord and plays them using a repeated broken chord pattern (an arpeggio).  The picture below shows what this might look like.

You will NEVER be asked to identify the person who composed the extract used in an exam.  But, you will most likely be asked to identify a suitable composer.  For this type of question you can identify any composer, as long as they are from the correct period of composition.

For the Classical period, remember one of the following composers...

• Mozart

• Haydn

If you are asked to identify a suitable composer for the Classical period and you put one of these composers, you will get the mark no matter who composed the extract of music in the exam.

The Classical period introduced a new section, called the Cadenza.

Concertos are normally written in three movements (a movement is like a section of a song) - each movement can be quite long!  There is normally a fast movement, then a slow movement, followed by another fast movement (fast-slow-fast).  In your exam you will never hear an entire movement!  The extract you will listen to will normally be no longer than about 90 seconds.

Each movement of a Classical concerto will normally contain the following sections...

Tutti

This comes from the Italian word meaning 'all together.'  During this part a Concerto, everybody in the orchestra will be performing together.  However, it was not uncommon for the soloist to not play during the Tutti section.  This was so a new layer was added to the performance when the soloist started playing during the Solo section.

Solo

During this section, the spotlight is very much on the soloist (the virtuosso).  It is their opportunity to shine!  During this section, the soloist would play a technically demanding part; the correct way of describing this is saying they are performing virtuosically.  Note:  the orchestra still plays during the solo section; the orchestra accompanies the soloist. 

Cadenza

In this section the orchestra stops playing, leaving the soloist (the virtuoso) to play alone.  This was an opportunity for the soloist to really show off their abilities.  The parts played in the cadenza by the soloist were often very technically demanding and virtuosic.  It is worth noting that large parts of the cadenza would be improvised.

If you are asked to describe a cadenza, the following will usually get you are mark...

• Virtuosic

• Fast runs

• Scalic

• Use of ornamentation

• Wide pitch range

• Uses improvisation

• Use of crescendos and diminuendos.

A Classical concerto will usually have a homophonic texture.  This means it will have a main melody with accompaniment.  This was the main texture used within the Classical period.  Some concertos may have had bits of a polyphonic texture, but this was not as common as it was during the Baroque period.

The YouTube videos below are good examples of Classical concertos.  Can you identify the solo instrument?  Can you hear any of the features we have spoken about above?