Genres of classical music: history and modernity, description and interesting facts. Genres of classical music: history and modernity, description and interesting facts What is a classical genre

Very often you hear the term “classic” or “classic”. But what is the meaning of this word?

Classic is...

The word "classic" has several meanings. Most explanatory dictionaries offer one of them - works of the classics: literature, music, painting or architecture. This word is also used in relation to some examples of art, for example, “classics of the genre.” However, most often this term is mentioned as an indication of a specific time period in the development of this or that, not forgetting that only a few, the most successful ones, are considered classical authors. In literature, everything that was written in the 18th and 19th centuries is considered a classic. In the 20th century, classics give way to modernity. Many modernist writers sought to destroy the previous tradition and tried to find a new form, themes, and content. Others, on the contrary, used the works of their predecessors for their own purposes. Thus, postmodern works are full of allusions and reminiscences.

Classic is something that will always be in fashion. This is a certain sample that shapes our worldview, which reflects all the characteristic features of a nation of a particular time.

Which writers can be called classics?

As noted above, not every author is included in the ranks of classics, but only those whose work had a significant impact on the development of Russian culture. Perhaps the first classical writers who left a significant mark on the world are Lomonosov and Derzhavin.

Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov

His literary work dates back to the first half of the 18th century. He became the founder of such a movement as classicism, so it is impossible not to classify him as a classic of the time. Lomonosov made a huge contribution not only to literature, but also to linguistics (having identified three styles in his native language), as well as to chemistry, physics and mathematics. His most significant works: “Morning/Evening Reflection on the Majesty of God”, “Ode on the Day of the Accession...”, “Conversation with Anacreon”, “Letter on the Benefits of Glass”. It should be noted that most of Lomonosov’s poetic texts were imitative in nature. In his work, Mikhail Vasilyevich was guided by Horace and other ancient authors.

Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin

Writers of the second half of the 19th century

Among the poets, F.I. Tyutchev and A.A. Fet should be especially highlighted. It was they who marked all the poetry of the second half of the 19th century. Among the prose writers are such bright figures as I. S. Turgenev, F. M. Dostoevsky, L. N. Tolstoy, A. P. Chekhov and others. The works of this period are full of psychological research. Each of the realistic novels opens up to us an extraordinary world, where all the characters are drawn vividly and vitally. It is impossible to read these books and not think about something. Classics are a depth of thought, a flight of fantasy, a role model. No matter how sophisticated the modernists are in saying that art should be kept apart from morality, the works of classical writers teach us the most beautiful things in life.

The concept of “classical music” is a very vague concept in terms of terminology. In the generally accepted understanding, classical music is music that has stood the test of time and remains popular for many years after its creation.

In historical terms, the concept of “classical music” includes the musical tradition of classicism, or more precisely of the 18th and 19th centuries. Another periodical, which we will focus on, limits the period of classical music, when it originated, and the present time, when it still exists.

In the history of classical music, separate periods of development are distinguished.

Renaissance

The longest period in the history of classical music, spanning 1400-1600. I and the rapid development of art, which left in the world musical tradition the works of such composers as Thomas Luis de Victoria, Giovanni da Palestina, Thomas Tallis, and including the musical work of Shakespeare.

Baroque

The Baroque era (1600-1750), following the Renaissance, is characterized by more complex musical forms, the emergence of new genres, a variety of genres, and polyphony. It was during the Baroque era that opera and steel flourished, which are listened to and inherited to this day: Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel.

Classicism

The era of classicism in the development of classical music is limited to the period of the 1750-1830s, with which the names of the Vienna School - Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven - are invariably associated.

Franz Joseph Haydn

Within the era of classicism, a transitional period is distinguished, between the death of Johann Sebastian Bach in 1750 and the mature work of Mozart in the 1770s. This period has its own French name - "Galante".

In general, the music of classicism is characterized by harmony and balance, canonicity of forms, the emergence of sonata form and the development of symphonies, expansion of the orchestra, and greater emotionality of the works.

Romanticism

During the era of romanticism, the forms, genres and ideas of classical music actively developed. The works of this period are characterized by emotional expressiveness and drama. It was at this time that many song genres, in particular ballads, began to develop. Music was especially popular, for example, works by Chopin and Liszt.

Franz Liszt

Among the composers of Romantic music, Beethoven is distinguished, first of all, who is considered rather a predecessor of Romanticism along with Cherubini. Later, the musical traditions they established were inherited by Schubert, Wagner, Tchaikovsky...

Classical music of the 20th century

In the 20th century, classical music is characterized by a penchant for experimentation, which is not limited by anything other than the will and imagination of the composer himself. Concepts such as atonalism (or atonality, that is, rejection of the logic of tonality) and aleatorics (a random sequence of elements in a composition) arose.

Among the composers of the 20th century, the works of Rachmaninoff, Britten, Glass, Stravinsky, and Bernstein are classified as classical music.

Contemporary classical music is often confused with post-classical music. Indeed, the boundaries between musical styles of the 20th century are so blurred that attributing a certain work to a particular style is sometimes very difficult.

Music is one of the most ancient forms of art, which over time not only has not lost its relevance, but has become even more in demand and popular. Of course, it has a huge number of genres, types, directions and schools.

One of the largest movements in this art is classical music. There is a wide variety of types, which have been formed over several hundred years.

Concept

Before we start talking about the genres of classical music, we need to understand what exactly this term means.

Strictly speaking, it has no clearly defined meaning or definition, so it is used in a rather loose form and can have different meanings depending on the context.

Most often it is used as a synonym for "academic". This is a kind of canon from which any musical work should start.

Genres of classical music: history and modernity

Its appearance is associated with the era of European classicism. It was then that this direction in art was formed. It was based on the works of ancient authors and playwrights.

This is where the key principles of classicism emerged, which can be formulated as balance, logic, clarity, harmony and completeness of the work, genre differentiation. As for music, all of them could only be realized in such genres as opera, oratorio and cantata.

Gradually, the musical directions of classical music developed, became more complex, rich and deviated from the primary canons.

Among the most prominent composers who specialized in works in this genre are J. S. Bach, A. Vivaldi, G. Rossini, G. Verdi, W. A. ​​Mozart and L. van Beethoven. The names of these great creators are known all over the world. Most people associate the very concept of “classical music” with the works of these cultural figures.

Today this type of art cannot be called dominant. But classical music is still popular and quite in demand among narrow circles of connoisseurs. Among modern composers who can be safely counted among the talented and recognized masters of their craft, we should highlight Ludovico Einaudi, Philip Glass, Hans Zimmer, Li Ru Ma, etc.

Classical music genres: list

Over the centuries-old history of development, a large number of different genres and subgenres have formed. Many of them are not popular today, but some remain afloat today.

Let's look at what genres there are in classical music:

• Opera.
• Operetta.
• Cantata.
• Oratorio.
• Symphony.
• Sonata.
• Suite.
• Overture, etc.

Of course, there are many more. Only the main ones are listed here. There is no need to talk about the features and distinctive features of each of them within the framework of this article, but it is still worth considering some in more detail.

Features of genres

First of all, it is worth considering the opera. After all, this is one of the first and most popular elements of the classics as such. Opera is a musical and dramatic work that is formed from a textual component, action on stage and musical accompaniment. It differs from a theatrical performance, where music is an auxiliary means, in that in it the melody plays a key role, shaping the entire work.

The suite is one of the key elements of classical music. According to the description, the genre has a distinctive feature, which is its cyclical nature. In other words, it consists of several separate parts, in which the musical sound can vary greatly and even contrast with each other.

An example of a classical genre of music is also a sonata, which is a piece of music for a chamber orchestra. According to the canon, piano is almost always present in it. As a rule, it is composed for solo performance or duet, but there are, of course, exceptions.

Examples of famous works

Over the long period of existence of classical music, a huge number of works have appeared that are known throughout the world.

One can recall Mozart and his famous operas “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Don Giovanni” and “The Magic Flute”, which still sound interesting and relevant today. Everyone also knows Beethoven's 9 symphonies.

No less famous are the organ works of Bach or the operas of Verdi. No one will doubt their talent and genius. These creators are rightfully considered the best of their kind.

However, among modern composers there are also many performers, and the works of some of them are already considered masterpieces. For example, the outstanding contemporary composer Hans Zimmer often works with world-class films, composing soundtracks for them. He worked on music for such films as “The Lion King”, “Spirit: Soul of the Prairie”, “Inception”, “Interstellar”, “Dunkirk” and many others.

What genres there are in classical music were described above, and now some interesting facts.

A 2015 study by Italian scientists proved that listening to Mozart's compositions stimulates the brain to be more active. Some of Beethoven's works have the opposite effect on his activity. The process of increasing brain activity has been called the "Mozart Effect."

Another experiment was conducted in South Africa, the purpose of which was to identify the effect of classical music on plants. As it turned out, from listening to Vivaldi’s melodies they grew a little faster, and their health also improved a little. However, scientists claim that the beneficial effect was achieved thanks to the vibrations emanating from musical instruments, and the melodies and sounds themselves do not have any effect.

Many classical composers were crazy. For example, E. Satie ate only white foods and dishes, and for self-defense he always carried a hammer with him. A. Bruckner was fanatical about things and constantly counted everything; there are cases when he took out the skulls of Schubert and Beethoven from the coffins. Mozart also had very serious behavioral deviations: he loved to behave like a cat, even during rehearsals.

Finally

All the numerous genres of classical music exist and develop to this day. Among modern composers there are practically no zealous conservatives left who strictly follow the canons of this art form. Almost all of them strive to bring something of their own to the genre, make it better, adapt it to their needs and modern realities.

Of course, most people prefer musical styles other than classical music. Therefore, in fact, today it is a kind of elitist art form that is in demand among a relatively small number of people.

Classical music... Everyone understands this phrase in their own way. For some, classical music is the cantatas and oratorios of Bach, while for others it is the airy, light melodies of Mozart. Some people immediately remember the fiery polkas of Chopin, some of the cheerful waltzes of Strauss, and some of the frantic symphonies of Shostakovich. So, what is classical music? Who is right?

The word “classic” comes from the Latin word “classicus”, which means exemplary. If you turn to the music encyclopedia, there are several definitions of classical music:

• a piece of music that was written in a certain historical period;
• musical exemplary works written by outstanding composers of the past and withstood the test of time;
• a musical work that was written according to certain rules and canons in compliance with all proportions, and intended for performance by an ensemble, symphony orchestra or soloists.

Classical music can be divided into genres: sonata, symphony, nocturnes, etudes, fugues, fantasies, ballets, operas and sacred music. Instruments used to perform classical music include keyboards, strings, brass and percussion, namely piano, violin, cello, oboe, flute, timpani, trumpet, drum, dulcimer and organ. And by the way, it is the organ that is the founder of classical music, because one of its origins dates back to the sixteenth century, that is, from the Renaissance, and its heyday is considered to be the Baroque era, that is, the seventeenth century. Since it was at that time that such musical genres as opera and sonata appeared, which are still relevant today. Johann Sebastian Bach, the greatest genius in the history of music, worked in the Baroque era. After all, it was this very talented person who opened up limitless new possibilities for creating musical works. The music of that era was characterized by complexity, elaborate forms, pomp and emotional fullness. At that time, Handel's oratorios, Bach's fugues and Vivaldi's "Seasons" violin concertos were born.

Epochs succeeded each other, times changed, and people changed along with them - the music became different. Pretentiousness and pomp were replaced by light, beautiful, elegant and airy music. And probably everyone has already guessed that these are works by Mozart, a brilliant and inimitable musician. Synonyms for his melodies are harmony and beauty. He, like a swift comet, flew over the era of Classicism, leaving it forever with a bright light.

In conclusion, we can say that classical music is eternal. This is harmonious and beautiful music, the main feature of which is the combination of the depth of conveyed experiences, excitement with a variety of musical techniques.

Classical music... Everyone understands this phrase in their own way. For some, these are the light, airy melodies of Mozart, for others, the cantatas and oratorios of Bach. Some immediately recall the cheerful waltzes of Strauss and fiery polkas of Chopin, and others the frantic symphonies of Shostakovich. So who is right? And everyone is equally right!

The word "classic" comes from the Latin classicus, which means exemplary. If we turn to competent sources, for example, the Encyclopedia of Music, we will find several definitions of classical music there.

In addition to the well-known and somewhat primitive definition of “serious music,” we learn what it is:

• exemplary musical works by outstanding composers of yesteryear that have stood the test of time;
• musical works written during a certain historical period in art (from Baroque to Modernism);
• musical works written according to certain rules and canons in compliance with the necessary proportions and intended for performancesymphony orchestra, ensemble or soloists.

Classical music is diverse in genres: symphonies, suites, sonatas, etudes, nocturnes, fantasies, fugues, operas, ballets, sacred music. The main instruments for performing classical music are strings, keyboards, winds and percussion instruments: violin, cello, piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, timpani, cymbals, drum and, of course, organ. It is this instrument that can be called the founder of classical music, because it takes its origins back to the Renaissance, i.e. in the 16th century! And its heyday is the 17th century - the Baroque era. It was at this time that such musical genres as the sonata and opera arose, which are still relevant today. The greatest genius in the history of music, Johann Sebastian Bach, worked in the Baroque era; it was he who discovered new limitless possibilities for creating musical works. The music of that era was characterized by elaborate forms, complexity, pomp, and emotional fullness. Then Bach's fugues, Handel's oratorios, and Vivaldi's Four Seasons violin concertos were born.

But eras succeeded each other, times changed, people changed - and the music became different! Pretentiousness and pomp were replaced by beautiful, light, airy, elegant music. Have you guessed it yet? Of course, this is Mozart, the brilliant and inimitable Mozart! Beauty and harmony are synonyms of his melodies. He flew over the era of Classicism like a comet, forever illuminating it with bright light.

At the end of the 18th century, another star of classical music rose on the musical horizon- Ludwig van Beethoven. He began to write music in the classical style inherited from Mozart. But real talent always brings with it something new, which is why they say that Beethoven literally “split” the classical style with his music, becoming the founder of a new era - the era of Romanticism. Classical music of this era is more passionate, deep, emotionally expressive and individual. It is directed deep into the human soul, showing the depth and richness of the inner world. During this period, such outstanding composers as F. Chopin, J. Strauss, F. Liszt, P.I. Tchaikovsky and many others.

And the last period in the development of classical music is the period from 1910 to 1960, which went down in history under the name Modernism. Prominent representatives of this direction in music are A. Scriabin, D. Shostakovich and S. Rachmaninov. The music of this period is new and revolutionary. It is aimed at people of the new era and promotes absolute creative freedom of the individual and a call for self-realization.

To sum up all of the above, we can conclude that classical music is eternal. It is beautiful and harmonious, its main feature is the combination of the depth of conveyed experiences with a variety of musical techniques. She has accompanied us for centuries. Its mysterious power lies in the fact that when we listen to it today, we experience the same feelings as the first listeners. The best thing is to go to a concert or listen to a CD of classical music and let everyone decide for themselves what this phrase means to them!