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Instrumental Music of the Classical Era

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Who were Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, and how did their instrumental styles differ and develop?

Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven as the central composers of Area of Study 1, their instrumental output, characteristic styles, and Beethoven's role in extending the Classical style towards Romanticism.
A focused answer to the three composers of OCR A-Level Music Area of Study 1: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Covers their instrumental output and characteristic styles (Haydn's wit and motivic economy, Mozart's lyrical elegance, Beethoven's drama and expansion), and how Beethoven extends the Classical language towards Romanticism, as context for the prescribed work and unfamiliar listening.
15 min answer →

What is sonata form, and what are the other movement structures of Classical instrumental music?

Sonata form (exposition, development, recapitulation) and the other Classical structures, the minuet and trio, scherzo, rondo, sonata-rondo and theme and variations, and the multi-movement plan, as examined in Area of Study 1.
A focused answer to sonata form and the Classical movement structures for OCR A-Level Music Area of Study 1. Covers sonata form in detail (exposition with first and second subjects, development, recapitulation, coda), the minuet and trio, scherzo, rondo, sonata-rondo and theme and variations, and the four-movement plan, with how OCR examines structure by ear.
16 min answer →

What did the Classical orchestra consist of, and what textures and accompaniment figures define the style?

The Classical orchestra (its instrumentation and the rise of the piano) and the characteristic textures of the era (melody-dominated homophony, the Alberti bass, periodic phrasing and orchestral tutti), as examined in Area of Study 1.
A focused answer to the Classical orchestra and texture for OCR A-Level Music Area of Study 1. Covers the make-up of the Classical orchestra (strings, paired woodwind, horns, trumpets and timpani), the rise of the piano, and the characteristic textures (melody-dominated homophony, the Alberti bass, periodic phrasing, tutti and solo contrast), with how OCR examines sonority by ear.
15 min answer →

What defines the Classical style, and what are the main instrumental genres of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven?

The Classical style (c.1750 to c.1820) and its main instrumental genres, the symphony, the solo concerto, the sonata and the string quartet, as the context for Area of Study 1.
A focused answer to the Classical style and its instrumental genres for OCR A-Level Music Area of Study 1. Covers the Classical aesthetic (balance, clarity, periodic phrasing, diatonic harmony), and the symphony, solo concerto, sonata and string quartet of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, the context against which the prescribed work and unfamiliar extracts are examined.
16 min answer →