Hello all,
I'm doing some brief studies on a popular composer named Beethoven and had a few questions. I'm not too versed in the 'classical' music area - but i was wondering if any of you had answers too:

"Symphony, piano sonata, string quartet, and concerto can all be placed in a single broad category of music, which we could label or describe as..."

- what are the differences of that genre?
- what other important differences might we expect to find between examples of each of the four genres?

If you know more about Beethoven and his relationship with Napolean - please let me know - would love to learn more :)

Some of this might help.. it's basically from the top of my head. It doesn't specifically answer your questions, but if I did that - you wouldn't learn anything :)

Those music styles are the four major styles of classical music. They belonged to the classical period (1750-1820).

A major form is the sonata which influenced the development of all areas of orchestral and chamber music.

It's mostly used in the opening movements of compositions, but it is also found in slow movements and finales.

Consists of three sections: the Exposition, the Development and the Recapitulation and could be compared to a story with a Beginning, Middle and End (respectively).

As for Beethoven, he was born in Bonn, Germany in 1770. Moved permanently to Vienna, Austria in 1792.

He lived through Napoleon's occupation of Vienna and believed passionately in the French revolutionary ideals of 'Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood'.

That's about all my mind can recall at this early hour (2:41am) :)

-Shaun

Originally posted by shaunewing
They belonged to the classical period (1750-1820).

Actually that's interesting and it appears I learnt something today after all. So The period before that would be Baroque, and baroque isn't a part of the 'classical' period itself?

I only mention it as my favorite composer is Tomaso Albinoni and he 'pre-dates' that time period.

Almost on topic I found an interesting factoid about his Adagio recently:

"The "Albinoni Adagio" is based on a fragment of manuscript discovered in the Dresden State Library after the Second World War by Remo Giazotto, a Milanese musicologist who was at that time completing his biography of Albinoni and his listing of Albinoni's music. Only the bass line and six bars of melody had survived, possibly from the slow movement of a Trio Sonata. Giazotto "reconstructed" the now-famous Adagio in about 1945, based on the surviving fragment. To him it suggested a piece that would be played in church, so he added an organ. It is perhaps ironic, that Albinoni's rediscovery by the wider public in our own times was largely based on this ever-popular piece which Albinoni would only barely recognize."

piano sonata -
A composition for piano consisting of 3 or 4 contrasting parts.

symphony -
Is a long and complex sonata for full orchestra consisting usually, like the sonata, of three, four or five movements (examples: allegro, adagio, minuet, scherzo, finale).
There are also "symphonic poems'' composed in freer form
with arguments or programmes to explain their meaning.

- string quartet
Usually has this instrumentation:
2 violins, 1 viola and 1 violoncello
but there are variations (2 violins and 2 violas; 1 violin, 1 viola, 1 violoncello and 1 double-bass).

- concerto
A composition in which one instrument (or two or three) has soloist parts to display its qualities or the performer's skill.