Classical Musicor it is?

I.

Introduction
A. Begin speech by asking about what the audience already knows about classical music
B. Observe answers, estimate that about 50%/10%/20% of things mentioned are not actually is not
actually Classical music but rather music from the romantic era.
C. Credibility: Ive been playing what the general public considers to be classical music for a long
time, and I also find music history, theory and performance interesting.

II.

Musics Transition to Romanticism

D. What the Romantic era of music was!
a. Lasted from 1825-1900 (Kabule).
b. Focused mostly on individuality, expression and sometimes an appreciation of nature
(Kabule)
c. Famous authors included Charles Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe (Kabule), and there were
many socio-political revolutions happening (Sherrane).
A. The difference between Classical and Romantic
1. One of the most influential things in music was introduced in this time: dynamics, which are
often associated with emotions.
2. Classical music was for the aristocratic people (Kabule)
a. Romantic was still aristocratic, but was used in intimate settings also
i. Classical however was rarely played outside halls.
b. As the piano became more widespread, its prevalence expanded
B. The rise of the pianoor properly, the pianoforte
1

Piano was originally made in 1700, evolved from the harpsicord (Dane).
a. Ask Can anybody guess, (that does not already know) what type of instrument the piano
is?
b. Before 1700s, the piano had no dynamics, which limited what could be done with it

3. Was very expensive, but eventually the price lowered

a. As the piano began to evolve, Ludwig van Beethovens career was also starting.
C. An important bridge to the Romantic era from the Classical era: Ludwig Van Beethoven
1

Many agree he was a brilliant composer, and expressed tons of emotions with his music

a. Frequently he would splinter the hammers of the pianos or snap the strings from his
playing. The pianos in his time were delicate and flimsy, but it was still an amazing feat
(Lane).
4. Something most people also dont know is that Beethoven was not a pleasant person. Lane
mentions a description of his personality: Beethoven was impatient, impulsive, unreasonable
and intolerant; deafness added suspicion and paranoia to these attributes. He would often
misunderstand the meaning of a facial expression and accuse faithful friends of disloyalty or
conspiracy. He would fly into a rage at the slightest provocation, and he would turn on
friends, dismissing them curtly as being unworthy of his friendship. But, likely as not, he
would write a letter the next day or so, telling them how noble and good they were and how
he had misjudged them.
a. This interesting temperament most likely was the reason Beethovens music was so
powerful. By also having an assertive personality, this helped lead in the next era of
music.
5. His legacy and impact can be described with one sentence from The Enjoyment of Music:
As the Romantics well realized, it was not easy to write a symphony after Beethoven.
(Machlis).

D. Pop Quiz:
a. What is romanticism known for?
i. Expressive music
b. What was the instrument that was created in the late 1700s which is now one of the most
popular instruments today?
i. The pianoforte!
c. Who was the slightly crazy composer that brought in the era of Romantic music?
i. Beethoven
E. Now that you have properly answered the questions, I can say you have been informed on the
romantic era of music. Thank you.

Classical Musicor it is?

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Works Cited

"Biography: Beethoven's Life - Ludwig Van Beethoven's Website." Biography: Beethoven's Life Ludwig Van Beethoven's Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.
Dane, Jeffery. "Pianos of Beethoven and Other Famous Composers." Pianos of Beethoven and Other
Famous Composers. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.
Kabule, Martin E. "Piano Studio of Martin E. Kabule." Music History. Kabule Studio, n.d. Web. 13
Sept. 2015.
Lane, William. "Beethoven: The Immortal." Beethoven: The Immortal. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.
Machlis, Joseph. The Enjoyment of Music; an Introduction to Perceptive Listening. New York: W.W.
Norton, 1970. Print.
Miller, Carol B. "All about Classical Music and Its Features." All about Classical Music and Its
Features. Mostlywind, 2002. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.
"The Piano: A Key Note of Music History." Piano Notes. N.p., n.d. Web.
Sherrane, Robert. "Music History 102." Music History 102. Ipl, n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.

Classical Musicor it is?

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