The classicism period in the history of Western music usually refers to the period from the mid-18th century to the 1920s and 1930s. Three classical masters, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, appeared in Vienna. Their outstanding musical works and musical styles are known as the "classics" of modern European music art. The formation of the classical style went through a complex preparation process in the early classical period.
Europe in the 18th century experienced a broad ideological revolution before the French Revolution - the Enlightenment. It appeared as a cultural movement against the theocracy of the church and feudal autocracy. However, its influence It goes far beyond the cultural field and involves economics, politics, law, philosophy, science and even social systems and social customs. Enlightenment thinkers opposed traditional religion and advocated deism; opposed metaphysics and advocated science and common sense knowledge; opposed autocratic authority and privileges, and advocated the slogans of freedom, equality and universal education. Voltaire, Montesquieu, Diderot, Rousseau and other French encyclopedists tried their best to illuminate the dark and ignorant society with the brilliance of advanced philosophical and cultural knowledge.
Enlightenmentists believe that "reason" is the basis of people's thoughts and behaviors. Boileau emphasized "conscience" or "reason" in his classic literary theory classic "Art of Poetry" and denounced imagination and erratic emotions. He believes that all natural things are always consistent with reason, eternal and real. Writers must love reason and never be separated from nature. The popular literary style during the Enlightenment period was more intellectual prose. The clear, lively, appropriate, symmetrical and beautiful qualities of excellent prose have also become the criteria for judging other arts. In the art of music, generations of masters of classicism have explored large-scale musical conception forms that are full of reason and logic, and ultimately allowed emotions to be appropriately and perfectly expressed in them.
The period of classicism was an era of popularization of knowledge. Philosophy, science, literature, and art began to address the emerging bourgeoisie and public. Novels and plays depict the daily lives of ordinary people. Musicians also walked out of the palace courtyard to conceive and create for the concert audience. As a result, the pleasantness, ease of interpretation, and moving qualities of music became the criteria for musical beauty.
Under the influence of the humanitarian ideas of the Enlightenment, Europe formed a period of rule by enlightened monarchs. At the same time as social reform, culture and art developed. The widespread marriages of European monarchs weakened national boundaries. The development of art, especially music, shows a tendency of European integration. However, this was a dying society after all. The French Revolution sounded the death knell of the old social regime and heralded the beginning of a new musical era.
1. The development of comic opera and Gluck’s opera reform
Comic opera (Opera Baffa) appeared in Italy in the first half of the 18th century. This was under the influence of the Enlightenment trend of thought. , a new opera genre that goes against the "artificiality" of Italian opera and pursues "nature". It is developed on the basis of Italian intermezzo. The characters in the play are often from the middle and lower classes of society, and the scenes are mostly daily life that is very familiar to the public rather than luxurious life in palaces and courtyards. The lyrics are humorous and colloquial, and the music is also very lively.
The Italian Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736) was not only a talented composer of serious operas, but his "The Maid as Madame" is considered to be the first Italian comic opera. . This independent comic opera was originally divided into two parts and was performed between the acts of his own three-act opera "The Proud Prisoner". The plot is simple, with only the master (bass), a maid (soprano) and a mute servant. The work shows the shrewdness and wit of a maid from the civil class.
The "Mild Daughter" by N. Pic-cini (1728-1800), Italy's main comic opera composer in the middle and lower 18th century, incorporates some serious lyricism. "Secret Marriage" by D. Cimarosa (1749-1801) caused a sensation because it vividly showed the changes in people's social class values.
In 1752, an Italian opera troupe brought "The Maid as Madame" to Paris for a performance, sparking the "Comic Opera Controversy" in the French cultural circle.
Some Enlightenment thinkers such as Rousseau enthusiastically praised this popular opera genre. Rousseau also synthesized Italian comic opera and traditional French market drama to create the comic opera "The Village Soothsayer", proving that this new style of opera can be composed in the French language. style of music.
Because Italian formal opera in the 18th century focused too much on bel canto and virtuosity while ignoring dramatic tendencies, it was incompatible with the "natural" principle advocated by the Enlightenment. Some artists considered reforming opera. One of these accomplished composers was Gluck.
Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) was a German who studied in Prague and later completed his studies in Italy. In his early years, he mainly composed Italian operas in the traditional style. He settled in Vienna in the 1850s. Affected by the wave of opera reform, he collaborated with the poet Raniero Calzabigi (1714-1795) to create "Orpheus and Eurydice", "Alchester", etc. Opera, and implemented some of his ideas for opera reform. He believed that unnecessary decorations should be removed from the melody of opera vocal music, and the music must be stated concisely under the control of the drama; the cookie-cutter aria form should not be used if it destroys the coherence of the drama; The tone should be consistent with the tone of the entire drama; simplicity and clarity should be the principles that opera music always pursues.