Summary of MUSI2081 Music in Western culture I

An incomplete guide on the course MUSI2081 from HKU.

To Readers

This is a summarization of content for the course MUSI2081: Music in Western Culture I.

Please note:

This summary only contain chapters for second half of the semester. Which include:

• Simplicity and sentimentality
• The composer’s voice
• Beethoven
• Musical storytelling

The reason why only half of the semester is covered, is because this article is mainly written for the preperation for the second Listening Quiz.

 - Why this article is written in English? / 为啥写英文啊？

Since there is limited time to maintain a Chinese version for this. The only language we use here at HKU is English, so does the exams. Doing preps in English helps you from getting that translation barricade.

因为主包大学是全英教学的，所以用英文来准备这门课程的复习内容应当也合情合理。

The course has no finals, so this article will focusing on the preperation of the listening quiz.

Hope this article helps!

Simplicity and Sentimentality

The Enlightenment era hated the complexity of the Baroque (like Polyphony / Fugues), and they wanted music to be Natual; simple, melodically clear, and immediately pleasing.

Here we have a look at a particular piece to understand this change.

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi: La serva padrona

This specific Intermezzo is the weapon that started a cultural war.

Opera Seria and Intermezzo

Opera Seria, or serious opera, was about gods and kings, they are very artificial, and used high-voiced signers. The vibe is generally heroic, tragic and formal. It structure is almost entirely made of Da Capo Arias tied together by Recitative.

Intermezzo was created specifically as a reaction against the heaviness of Opera Seria. They were performed in between the acts of an Opera Seria to keep the audience awake and entertained.

This work is famous because it sparked the "War of the Buffoons" in Paris. It represents the Galant Style: simple, natural melodies, and realistic characters rather than stiff mythological heros.

Da Capo Form

Perhaps the most important of this piece, the aria: Son imbrogliato io uses Da Capo Form, aka ABA, but Pergolesi uses it ironically. Usually, Da Capo allows a singer to show off. Here the reprtition represents the character: Uberto's confusion and hesitation.

• Da Capo Form: Italian for "from the head". In music, it is a direction to go back to the beginning. When applied to an aria, it creates a Ternary Form structure, which is ABA we talked before. Here is the breakdown:

1. In A section the main mood and melody are established. It starts and ends in tonic.

2. In the B section it creates a contrast. It usually changes key or modulation, moves faster or slower, or changes mood to show a different emotion.

3. In the last A section the signer repeats the first section.

It is important to know that the signer does not just repeat it exactly, infact they are expected to add ornamentation and improvisation to show off their vocal skill.

Christoph Willibald Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice

First we have to understand what is Recitative and Aria. Think of Opera Seria like a musical sandwich:

Recitative is the bread: dry but it moves the plot forward, like diaglogues.

Aria however is the meat. This part is used to express emotion. The plot literally stops so the character can tell you how they feel about what just happened. The music is melodic, memorable and repetitive.

This caused an issue. In the old Opera Seria, the audience knew exactly when a song ended, and they would clap, and the signer would bow, breaking the spell of the story. Gluck hate this, and what he want is a dramatic countinuity.

So what did he do? He blurred the boundary by making the Recitative sound more like an Aria, and the Aria sound more natural, and less show-offy. These made the drama more seamless. To be exact:

• Remove Recitativo Secco: He removed the "dry" harpsichord-only sections and force the full orchestra to accompany everything.

• Adding smoother transitions: Because the orchestra is playing during the Recitative and the Aria part, you often can't tell exactly when one ends and the other begins.

• Simpler Arias: He stopped the signers from showing off with crazy high notes, but he made the arias simple and syllabic so the words are clear.

Now listen to this excerpt, the orchestra is very active. The music serves the drama, but not the signer. There are no long, virtuosic melismas (many notes for one syllable) just to show off lung capacity. It is largely syllabic (one note per syllable) to make the text clear.

Giovanni Battista Sammartini: Symphony in F Major, No. 32

This is the birth of the Symphony. This work marks the transition from the heavy Baroque sound (Bach) to a light Classical sound, like Mozart.

This is a great example of the Galant style, where the music is easy to listen to, entertaining, and not too "brainy".

Binary Form

The key thing here is to know what a Binary Form is. The music will goes from Home (I) to Away (V) in the first half, and Away (V) back to Home (I) in the second. This structure is the seed that eventually grows into the massive Sonata Form used by Beethoven later.

Also take a listen to the Homophony: a musical texture where one voice carries the primary melody, and all other parts provide a subordinate, chordal accompaniment. For this piece is obvious, and take a listen to the beginning:

• The melody is almost always in the first violins, which is typically made up with short simple symmetrical phrases,

• The accompaniment is provided by the Viola and Basso Continuo, these parts are harmonically subordinate, and they rarely feature complex counterpoints or draw attention away from the melody played by the Violin.

This is a direct reaction against the Polyphony, the style dominated the Baroque era, where we've studied in the last half semester.

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Sonata in A Major

C.P.E. Bach represents the "emo" phase of the 18th century. It is not just Galant (pretty), but it is also intensely emotional.

This piece features a somewhat we call as Empfindsamkeit, or "sensitive style". The goal was not to make a nice tune, but it was to make the listener feel specific,rapidly changing emotions.

Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress)

Sturm und Drang, or Storm and Stress in English, is a later, more dramatic artistic movement that evolved partly from the "sensitive style".This is a proto-Romantic movement that championed raw, intense emotional extremes. Storm and Stress feels more like a violent stage drama that is public and explosive, sensitive style felt more like a private letter.

This piece, infact, many C.P.E. Bach's music was considered "private music written for performers" since it was intended for the composer or skilled amateurs to play for personal, intimate, and emotional reflection or the quiet Clavichord, the instrument ment to be used for this piece.

Johann Christian Bach: Concerto in E-flat Major

J.C. Bach standardized the concerto form that Mozart would later perfect. He moved to London and became a star, and he met the 8-year-old Mozart there. When you listen to this piece, you will hear exactly where Mozart got his style, as the singing melodies and the elegant structure.

Double Exposition Form

The most important stuff we have to know is the Double Exposition Form, also called as "Concerto-Sonata Form". This is a speciallized modification of Sonata Form designed to feature the soloist.

The first exposition will feature the orchestra only. The key will be stayed entirely in the tonic key, and the function of this part is to introduce the themes and sets the mood. It is relatively short and does not modulate.

The second exposition, is featured by the soloist and the orchestra. The key starts in tonic, and then it will modulate to the dominant key. The soloist in this part will take the theme, embellishes them, and performs the required modulation.

Other than that, J.C. Bach wrote music that was designed to be popular, accessible, and immediately enjoyable for a paying public audience. His concertos and symphonies were performed in a large public subscription concert series. The vibe is charming, elegant, and light: pretty much the height of the Galant style.

The Composer's Voice

This is the "meat and potatoes" of the Classical Era. The quiz will almost certainly focus on the Form and the Patronage.

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 88 in G Major, Hob. I:88

Joseph Haydn is the "Father of the Symphony". He did not invent it, but he standardized it.

Haydn spent most of his life working for the Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy at the remote Esterhazy Palace. He was isolated from other composers. He couldn't copy the latest trends in Paris or London, so he had to experiment with his own orchestra, which is why his symphonies are so structured yet full of surprises.

The Hob. I:88 is sthe Hoboken number, a cataloging system used for Haydn's works.

Sonata-Allegro Form

We have a concept Sonata-Allegro Form, is the most important sturctural principle of the Classical era. It is not a fixed template but a flexible harmonic and thematic drama that is almost always used in the first movement or multi-movement works.

It is a large-scale, three-part A-B-A' structure defined by harmonic and thematic organization.

First listen to Exposition(A): this part introduces the themes and the harmonic conflict:

• Theme 1 (P) is presented in the Tonic key, which is G Major.
• Theme 2 (S) is presented in the contrasting Dominant key, in this case D Major.

• You can hear this switch by listening to the music begins in a stable key, and moves through a transition, and settles convincingly in a new key. The Exposition is typically repeated.

Now the Development (B): This part explores the themes and creates maximum harmonic tension.

• This section is harmonically unstable, modulates rapidly through distant keys, and breaks the main themes into smaller fragements, or motives in professional forms, often featuring contrapuntal texture. This is the section of drama and conflict.

In the end is the Recapitulation (A'). This part resolved the thematic and harmonic conflict.

• Both Theme 1 and Theme 2 return, but now they are both stated in the original Tonic key, providing stability and resolution.

Joseph Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33, No. 2 ("The Joke")

In this piece, Haydn turned the string quartet from background music into a serious conversation.

String Quartet and Rondo Form

A String Quartet is a chamber music ensemble, including two violins, viola, and cello. It is the gold standard for Classical chamber music, which Haydn firmly established.

In this piece, Rondo Form is used. It is a structure based on the repeated return of a main theme, or refrain, which alternates with contrasting sections, or episodes. It is commonly used for the final movement of Classical sonata, concerto, or quartet because its structure is light, catchy, and provides a rousing, satisfying conclusion.

The basic pattern of Rondo Form is A B A C A D A or similar, where:

• A is the main theme, we call it Refrain or Rondo Theme. It is memorable, catchy, and always returns in the Tonic key.

• B, C, D are the Episodes. These are the contrasting sections. They introduce new melodic material and are usually in a different key to provide variety.

This piece gets its nickname from the extended use of the Rondo Form structure in the final movement. Haydn plays a famous trick on the audience by using the structure's predictability against the listener. So we can say that Haydn's "joke" is delivered in the final return of the Rondo theme, where he uses long, deliberate silences and fragmented phrases to trick the audience into thinking the movement is over multiple times before its quiet, final cessation. However this is not likely to be tested...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488

Mozart left the stability of Salzburg to become a "Free Agent" in Vienna. He wrote these concertos to perform hisself to make money.

This one also utilize the Double Exposition form. More on that see Johann Christian Bach: Concerto in E-flat Major. Here Mozart takes this form and perfects it, making this first movement dramatically richer.

For instance, he introduces multiple memorable themes in the Orchestral Exposition and reserves some completely new, lyrical themes solely for the Solo Exposition. This gives the soloist more than just ornaments, but they get their own unique identity.

Other than that, listen fot the transition between the two main key areas, the orchestra plays a powerful, complete exposition, establishing the main material and the home key firmly before the soloist even enters.

Cadenza

Cadenza is a brilliant, virtuosic solo passage inserted into a concerto, that is designed to showcase the soloist's techinical skill and expressive power. The Soloists plays completely along, and the orchestra remains silent.

The Cadenza occurs right near the end of the Recapitulation section, just before the orchestra's final return. The orchestra signals the start of the Cadenza by playing a clear, sustained dominant chord, in this case, E Major, right before a strong, dramatic pause. This chord creates maximum tension, which the soloist then releases.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni, opera: Act I

Mozart's Don Giovanni is a pivotal work, often considered a masterpiece for balancing comedy and serious drama.

Lorenzo Da Ponte was the librettist whocollaborated with Mozart on Don Giovanni as well as two other masterpieces: The Marriage of Figaro and Cosi fan tutte.

Da Ponte was known for his witty, sophiscated, and dramatically effective texts. He adapted old stories, but infused them with deep psychological complexity and socialcommentary, elevating the quality of the libretto beyound simple entertainment.

Dramma Giocoso

This is the official classification of Don Giovanni, and it is the key concept for understanding the entire opera.

Dramma Giocoso is the Italian for Jocular Drama, or Drama with Jokes. It is a hybrid genre that perfectly merges the characteristics of serious opera (Opera Seria we mentioned before) with those of comic opera (Opera Buffa).

So where and what are the Dramas and Jokes?

• The Seria or the Drama are represented by the aristocracy and themes of morality, punishment, and honor.

• The Giocoso or Jokes are represented by the lower-class characters, and themes of physical comedy, servant-master dynamics and fast patter singing.

Beethoven

Beethoven is the bridge between the Classical and Romantic eras.

As we all know, the story of Beethoven can be divided into a "Three Periods" framework. So in this part especially, we will utilize this structure.

The Early Period: The Virtuoso

At this time, Beethoven wasn't known as a "composer" first, but he was a virtuoso pianist in Vienna. A improvisation contest between Steibelt vs. Beethoven was mentioned in class. The piece, the Pathétique, reflects that improvisational power. It sounds wild and technical.

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13 (Pathétique)

Dynamic Contrast

Dynamic Contrast refers to the extreme and sudden shifts between loud and soft volume levels in music. It is achieved by using a wide range of volumn markings, from very soft $pp$ to very loud $ff$, often occurring in close succession without gradual transition.

For Beethoven's usage, it continues the legacy of the Sturm und Drang. While earlier Classical composers like Haydn used dynamics, Beethoven took this to a new emotional extreme. In this work Pathétique, he uses sudden $sf$ accents and huge shifts from $f$(loud) to $p$(soft) to convey a new, intense emotion and dramatic shock. This carries foward the explosive emotionality of the earlier Sturm und Drang movement.

Sonata Form and Grave Introduction

Another important concept we have to know is the Sonata Form. As with Haydn's symphonies, the main body of this movement is in Sonata-Allegro Form. Beethoven ingerited this structure from Haydn and Mozart but expanded its scope and drama. The key innovation in this piece is how he treats the Introduction, and we call it the Grave Introduction.

The movement begins with a slow, heavy, intensely dramatic introduction marked the "Grave". This is unusual for a sonata, and it is a pure expression of the "pathetic" mood. Uniquely, Beethoven brings back material from this slow Grave Introduction during the Development section and just before the Coda in the Recapitulation.

By reintroducing the Grave material, Beethoven structurally and emotionally connects the slow introduction to the fast main body, unifying the entire movement in a way earlier composers rarely did.

The Middle Period: The Hero

The turning point for Beethoven is marked by the Heiligenstadt Testament. This was a letter Beethoven wrote in 1802 when he realized he was goind deaf, but he never sent that. He comtemplated suicide but decided he had to live to express the music inside him.

Because of his deafness, his music became about overcoming obstacles, and this is referring to the "Hreoic Style" we always mentioning.

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 (Eroica)

A little information about Beethoven and Napoleon on this piece: Beethoven admired Napolean as a hero of the French Revolution, but when Napoleon declared himself as the Emperor, Beethoven angrily scratched his name off the title page and renamed it as Sinfonia Eroica (Heroic Symphony).

This piece, Eroica, is important simply because it is huge.

The first movement along is nearly as long as an entire Mozart symphony! Its sheer duration signaled to composers and audiences that the symphony was no longer light entertainment but a massive, serious artistic statement.

It also challenged the expectations of the Classical era, demanding sustained attention and conveying the idea that the heroic narrative requires extensive time to unfold.

The first movement of the Eroica is historically important for its monumental length.

Also he revolutionized Sonata Form by writing a massive, intensely dissonant Development section and creating thematic instability with sudden, jarring harmonic shifts, like what he did in the introduction shift to C-sharp.

This piece embodies the Heroic narrative through its scale and dramatic conflict, sybolically representing a hero's struggle and ultimate triumphl it is also famous for the "premature" horn call that disrupts the transition into the Recapitulation.

The Late Period: The Philosopher

By now, Beethoven is totally deaf. He is socially isolated. His music is no longer for the public crowd like the Eroica, instead it is "Introspective" and "Abstract". Prof. Kim say it a "Glimpse into his soul".

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131

The most revolutionary characteristic of Op. 131 is its unique structure. The quartet has seven movements, which is highly unusual, where the standard is four. The movements are played attacca, or without pause. This creates a single, unbroken musical experience that lasts about 40 minutes, linking every moment of the quartet together dramatically.

He became obsessed with old Bach styles, but made them sound modern and weird. He used raw emotional depth instead of strictly academic technique. That's why the quartet begins with a slow, expressive, lyrical Fugue.

He also moved away from big orchestras back to the String Quartet, which we mentioned as "musical diary" for his private thoughts on class.

Be exact:

• First movement features a Fugue. The mood is sad and slow, with no clear melody. It represents the Late Style of Beethoven.

• Second Movement features a bouding, skipping tune. This is a Sonata-Rondo. The melody is described as "Folk-like", which is simple, contrasting with the complex fugue before it. It highlights the continuity of the work, as it flows directly from the first movement without a break.

Musical Storytelling

This is the most "literary" part of the course. We are leaving the abstract world of Beethoven's symphonies and entering the world of Storytelling, where music is linked to poetry, images, and specific narratives.

Absolute Music and Program Music

Absolute Music refers to instrumental music that is not explicitly about anything outside of itself. Its appreciation is based purely on the musical structure, themes, harmony and rhythm. It was the dominant aesthetic of the Classical era (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven's early work).

Program Music, however, is music that is specifically intended to evoke extra-musical ideas, such as a story, poem, scene or idea. The composer provides a program (a descriptive title or text) that tells the listener what the music is trying to depict. The music uses sounds to mimic nature, actions, or emotions associated with the story.

For instance, Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet and more.

Franz Schubert: Winterreise (Winter Journey), "Der Lindenbaum"

Schubert is the master of the Lied, or German Art Song. He lived in the shadow of Beethoven, as he said: "Who can do anything after Beethoven?". While Beethoven dominated the public concert hall, Schubert dominated the Salon Culture.

Salon Culture

Salon Culture refers to the private, intimate social gatherings that became a centra feature of intellectual and artistic life, particularly in German and Austrian cities, during the 19th century.

As the middle class grew, music shifted from being exclusively for the church or the aristocracy's large halls to being performed in smaller, elegant private homes (salons).

Salon Culture was the ideal setting for the Lied and Song Cycle. These works were too intimate and psychologically demanding for a large concert hall but perfectly suited for a small audience of connoisseurs whocould appreciate the nuances of the poetry and the piano accompaniment. For Schubert, he often composed and premiered his Lieder at small gatherings of friends and fellow artists, known as "Schubertiads".

Winterreise is a Song Cycle, which is a collection of songs that tell one continous story. The text is set to poems by Wilhelm Muller, whose focus on the lonely wanderer and themes of alienation in nature perfectly capture the essence of Romantic-era psychology.

Strophic Form and Its Modification

The form of this piece is an adaption of the simple Strophic Form (A-A-A...) that allows for emotional flexibility.

The basic idea of Strophic form is that the same melody (A) is used for every verse of the poem. This creates simplicity and unity. However for Modified Strophic Form, the composer modifies the melody, harmony or rhythm for certain stanzas to reflect a shift in the text's mood or meaning.

In this piece "Der Lindenbaum" we can hear:

• A/A' is the Happy, nostalgic memory
• B is where the music shifts into a minor key and uses more dissonant harmonies to express the present sadness and the "cold wind"
• A'' the melody returns, often slightly changed, to reflext the mixed feeling of the wanderer's journey continuing.

Fusion of Music and Poetry

This is the ultimate aesthetic goal of the Lied, where the plot and the music has equal partnership. This means that the music does not just provide notes for the voice; the piano is essential for telling the story. For instance: in this particular piece "Der Lindenbaum", the piano's high, continous figure is the sound of the wind or the rustling leaves. This is a programmatic element that enhances the poem's imagery.

The piano can convey the character;s subconscious feelings, while the voice sings the literal text. The music elevates the poetry beyond its literal meaning.

Clara Schumann: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 17

We only focusing on the Third movement, Andante here.

The Schumanns (Robert and Clara) were "Literary Musicians". Robert founded a music magazine and wrote criticism, while Clara was a superstar pianist and composer who carried the torch.

In 19th century Clara Schumann faces the societal and psychological barriers, not only her, but also other female composers. Clara was an internationally renowned concert pianist, but she lived in an era when composing was seen as a masculine pursuit, requiring an intellectual "force" or "genius" believed to be absent in women. Her self-criticism was rooted in the prevailing gender bias of the time. Even though the Piano Trio is structurally robust and emotionally deep, she internalized the view that her work could never achieve the heroic, large-scale status of her husband, Robert Schumann, or Beethoven. The trio itself proves her quote wrong, demonstrating remarkable structural integrity and emotional power, making it a crucial work in the repertoire.

But I don't think that will be covered in the quiz tho, only for readers' reference.

Romantic Chamber Music Texture

Clara uses thematic sharing to achieve the ideal Romantic chamber music texture.

We are hearing a Piano Trio, containing a piano, a violin and a cello. Each of them is defined by its collaborative nature. Unlike a concerto, where the soloist dominates, all three parts must contribute equally.

In this movement, the piano first introduces the highly lytical, song-like main theme in a clear and emotional texture. Then the violin immediately echoes or developes this theme, showing a seamless "conversation".

This technique demonstrates balanced interplay, where the musical ideas are passed fluidly between all instruments, establishing a unified, intimate and equal dialogue characteristic of great chamber music.

Oh during listening you can spot that there are dotted rhythms used. This is used to add more emotional depth. This rhythm prevents the music from feeling completely smooth or simple. It introduces a subtle tension underneath the lyrical melodies.

The movement is generally in a Tenary Form(A-B-A), with a lyrical outer section (A) and a contrasting middle section (B) that may shift key and increase rhythmic activity before the main theme returns.

Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique

Finally we reached the end of this listening list!

This Symphonie fantastique is the ultimate example of Program Music. It tells a very specific, drug-induced story about an artist obsessed with a woman. Which actually, is the Berlioz himself.

We have include the explaination about Absolute Music and Program Music before, so go check there right on the toc.

Idée fixe

This is the french for "Fixed idea". It is a recurring melody used in all five movements of the symphony. Crucially, the melody transforms in character and orchestration to reflect the artist's changing perception of his beloved.

Berlioz's Orchestration

Berlioz was a revolutionary master of orchestration, and this symphony is his laboratory for new sounds.

He demanded an large orchestra, nearly 90-100 players, including instruments rarely used in the symphony before. He used these instruments for specific sonic "painting". For instance in this movement V, the E-flat Clarinet plays the shrill, distorted, and grotesque version of the Idée fixe in the "Witches' Sabbath".

Remember where prof. Kim mentioned that Berlioz's orchestration is very loud? It is caused by the extreme use of Dynamics and Dissonance to convey the sheer drama of the opium-fueled visions.

For instance, he uses the full force of his huge orchestra, with sudden, terrifying shifts from soft passages $pp$ to overwhelming bursts of sound in $ff$ or even $fff$. For the movement V we're focusing on, is particularly loud, dissonant, and aggressive. The sound of the dissonant clang of the bells (representing the death knell) in the "Witches' Sabbath" were shocking to contemporary audiences.

This is why we're saying it is a high standard for program music: it depicts ciolence and execution effectively.

The Tail

Now we've reached the end of this semester's content! If this passage really helps consider to chat down below!