Talk:Classical period (music)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Other languages WikiProject Echo has identified Classical period (music) as a foreign language featured article. You may be able to improve this article with information from the Esperanto or Finnish language Wikipedias.

Contents

[edit] Article title

The title of this page seems stilted and unnatural. I'd like to think of a better one but I can't. UninvitedCompany 17:40, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)

What about "Classical Period (Music)" or some such. It's still not to late to do a move and fix.Stirling Newberry 02:09, 12 Jul 2004 (UTC)
I agree with Uninvited, and think Stirling Newberry's alternative seems reasonable. By Wikipedia formatting rules I believe you're supposed to leave noninitial words lower case where possible (hence "Classical period (music)"). Opus33 21:41, 12 Jul 2004 (UTC)

I've heard "Eighteenth Century Classicism" a lot. Just throwing it out there. -DVM

[edit] Seguing of melodic and accompanying voices

Switched is incorrect, it implies a sharp break. Haydn's innovation is the effect where it is not clear when the moment of transition occurs.Stirling Newberry 17:09, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)//

[edit] Seeming innovations

It's an innovation or it isn't. Stirling Newberry 17:09, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Explanation of recent suggestions

Stirling, I have been concerned to preserve what is good in this article without adding much content of my own. I have therefore edited with a view to clarity, style, correctness of spelling and orthodoxy of punctuation and the like, and set aside my own expertise in the content area. I pass over certain alterations that you have made, not because I think them unexceptionable, but because life is too short. I do comment on these matters, however:

I should also note that if you have substansive material of your own to contribute, that you should. Stirling Newberry 23:14, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

1. More than once I have put "led" in place of your "lead", as the past tense. Please do not restore "lead", since it is plain wrong English.

2. I replaced your comma with a semicolon because a comma is not apt between independent clauses (unless there is also a conjunction). Please leave the semicolon alone.

3. You comment: "it's an innovation or it isn't". Wrong. The very point being made is that though the individual features may appear to be innovations in the work, they are not. Rather, what is striking is the work's collocation of "every part of the Classical style". That's why "seeming innovations" is apt. Would you strike out "alleged" from "alleged thief", because everyone is either a thief or not?

4. You have: "During this decade Mozart would compose his most famous operas, his six late symphonies which would help redefine the genre, and a string of piano concerti which still stand at the pinnacle of these forms." I say that, because of the inelegant wording at the end, it is unclear whether you mean that the piano concerti still stand, or that the operas, symphonies, and the piano concerti still stand. Just possibly a minute weighing of contextual considerations could settle for matter for a reader; but why not say directly what is meant? That's why I put, as a rough approximation to what might be best: "Many in each of these categories are still acknowledged as among the finest of their kind." If you want the text to mean something other than this, alter it! So long as the meaning is unambiguous. The mere fact that one discerning reader cannot work out what you mean shows that restoring the original is not enough.

5. Do you understand my point about the difference between "unclear" and "indeterminate"? If you like I will explain. It would be best if you understood before restoring "unclear". The same applies to my proposed omission of "momentary".

6. I think I understand why you want "segue"; but I still think "switch" is more idiomatic in the context, and that the meaning is easier to grasp if it is used instead of "segue". I leave the point to be examined by any interested others. --Noetica 22:08, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)


"Switch" is misleading, it implies an abruptness which is the opposite of the case, and it does not differentiate between Haydn's practice and previous classical practice.
"Seeming" is likewise, immensely poor use of language. Seeming implies that something is not what it seems. If you must add a qualifier, please find one which is not misleading.
I will also note for the record that I didn't restore the semicolon specifically, I simply reverted the previous round of changes because they were stylistically ugly. I don't share your extremely high opinion of your writing skills.

Stirling Newberry 22:54, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Stirling, I have more edifying things to do, so I'll move on. Others may judge the matters here amply laid out before them. But I would suggest that you restore the semicolon, if, as you claim, you reverted to the comma simply by carelessness. And the same for your incorrect past tense "lead", which should be restored to my correct "led". --Noetica 23:18, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Well you certainly need edification, so I will happily let you move on. Stirling Newberry 04:27, 12 Feb 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Why I don't like this title

Not much of a reason, but classical music era just doesn't ring right in my ears. Maybe because music, a noun, is being used to describe era, which is the proper function of an adjective. It's not a big deal, really, since it's clear and descriptive, and I can't think of anything better -- classical musical era is bad, classical era in music worse. I'm fine with the title until something better comes along though. Tuf-Kat 01:51, Mar 3, 2005 (UTC)

I've just gone through most of my music history books to see what the consensus is--it seems that "classical period" and "classical era" are the two most common ways the era is named (Richard Crocker, in his History of Musical Style, cops out and calls the whole era "The Extension of the Triad" but I hate his book anyway). Since Wikipedia is about more than just music, we seem to have added the extra word to distinguish between the classical era in music and the one referring to Ancient Greece and Rome. How about Classical era (music), or Classical period (music)? I agree with you that Classical music era is dissonant in the ears. Antandrus 02:02, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)
I didn't want to parenthetically disambiguate, but after some reflection, I'd prefer either proposal. I suppose period is probably better than era, since I think of eras being very long , whereas a period can be of any length. Tuf-Kat 23:00, Mar 3, 2005 (UTC)
And I just noticed (maybe I should read the whole talk page once in a while!) that Stirling proposed exactly this, in July 2004. Is anyone else watching this page? How does Classical period (music) sound? Antandrus 23:30, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)
Either option sounds good to me. Mindspillage (spill yours?) 01:50, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC)
I just stumbled on this page: I'd go for "Classical period (music)". I don't think "era" has the right ring - it sounds too long a stretch of time. Myopic Bookworm 16:29, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
Looks like one of those things we discussed but never actually got around to doing. Unless I hear any strong objection in the next day or so, I'll move it. Anyone have an opinion on this? Antandrus (talk) 20:36, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Restoring Haydn

I've put Haydn into the Big Three, partly because it's my impression that this is the common view, and partly based on a quick Google search:

Joseph Haydn 2,510,000
Josef Haydn 1,190,000
Ludwig van Beethoven 2,020,000
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1,850,000
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach 250,000
Muzio Clementi 109,000
Johann Ladislaus Dussek 9,420

Mozart 17,000,000
Beethoven 13,600,000
Haydn 4,350,000

Charles Rosen's book The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, which is probably the most cited general work in this area, might also be taken as support for including Haydn.

Opus33 15:34, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Factual Errors

Czerny was Liszt's teacher, not Hummel. Liszt's father Adam found Hummel's fees way too exhorbitant compared to Czerny's. It is also regrettable that not much is being mentioned about Dussek in this article, who was one of the true creative spirits and neglected geniuses besides Hummel that led directly and provided the 'missing link' from Mozart to Chopin, Liszt or even Schumann - DT. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 218.186.9.2 (talk • contribs) .

You should sign your comments, and if you want to include more material on Dussek - by all means do so. Stirling Newberry 23:01, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Instrumentation of the classical Period

How come this artical has so little on the actual instruments of this time period... someone should add information like that...Is it Steak?<Xiaden's Homepage> 17:38, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../c/l/a/Talk%7EClassical_period_%28music%29_17d7.html"