The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven

This is an older book and my understanding is that they don't always come with the CDs. With that said, the distributor made a good faith effort to try to find the CD. Although they weren't able to, the book itself is brand new and in great condition. I'm looking forward to reading it and using it as reference. highy recommended.

In The Classical Style Charles Rosen does a marvelous job characterizing the music epitomized by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.Of all the formal principles that have defined any period, the elements of classical style are perhaps most amenable to formal analysis. The classical period is principally characterized by sonata form and tonality. We can agree with Sir Donald Tovey that we do violence to compositions by interpreting them as if sonata form constitutes a set of binding rules rather than a post-facto abstraction of what the masters of the classical period actually did. Nonetheless, the principles of tonality may be expressed with an intellectual clarity which is more elusive when characterizing, say, a canon or polyphonic mass.This is a reflection of the ideals of the classical period, whose audiences delighted in elegance and structural economy. Classical composers highlighted the structural contours defining works by emphasizing modulation and calling attention sectional boundaries with an intensified emphasis cadence. Elegance of structure was taken by the classical masters as an end in itself, and their harmonies glide on a framework they trace and enact. That is in itself a large part of the game of classical composition.An understanding of the classical period is not only relatively easy to acquire, but of central importance to understanding nearly all subsequent composition. With the arguable exceptions of minimalism and some wings of the avant garde, nearly every important composition in the Occident since Haydn is either tonal or a reaction against tonality. Tonal harmony is the very foundation of our music theory to this day, and understanding its history and development can open up a deeper understanding of everything from Verdi to Schoenberg to Robert Johnson to Kylie Minogue.Rosen makes all of this remarkably evident and comprehensible in dazzling prose that astonishes the reader with his insight on every page. I'm not a musicologist and browsed through a lot of the close passage analysis that comprises a big chunk of the book, but I still got my money's worth many times over.

This highly-acclaimed book offers penetrating insight into the music of the three classical masters-- Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Rosen's analysis of the operating principles that characterize classical music is incomparable. He dissects musical scores with an enviable ease and an exhaustive concentration, never failing to isolate the purely musical means behind the music's power. Complementing his scientific investigations of musical scores are Rosen's profound examinations into musical metaphysics and the nature of art. Regarding Haydn's symphonies, Rosen states "The pretension of Haydn's symphonies to a simplicity that appears to come from Nature itself is no mask but the true claim of a style whose command over the whole range of technique is so great that it can ingenuously afford to disdain the outward appearance of high art... [Haydn's pastoral style] is the true heroic pastoral that cheerfully lays claim to the sublime, without yielding any of the innocence and simplicity won by art. Oh, what a passage!

I listen to WFMT (Chicago), Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin. Bill McGlaughlin quoted from the book in a program. I was glad to obtain the book and learn more.

For me anyway. I find it really difficult to get through a few pages at a time because there is so much there to reflect on. Sometimes, he is a little redundant so it becomes easier to get the gist. More often, I find myself researching beyond his text and then returning to continue on. One real plus is how the author consistently includes contrasting opinions and often recognizes that, ultimately, he has learned from their insights.I purchased this book as a reference for a class I plan to teach and will find this rich resource my bible. He has written several books on other periods of music history, and I'd look into them without hesitation.

I read this book first from my university library and then decide to buy one for myself.I have to say that I am not a music major but this book is interesting for anyone who can read the score. This book really enhances my understanding in Mozart and Beethoven's music and I would especially recommendRosen’s analysis on Mozart Kv.271 (Piano concerto no.9).

An excellent look at the music of the classical era by focusing on the music of the three most influential composers of the period. A large focus is the combination of Mozart's symphonic and operatic styles: each can be found clearly in the other. An excellent resource for anyone studying music of the Classical period.

i can't think of a writer who does better at writing about Classical music, whether from bringing in pieces of framework that help explain a piece's place in history or discussing, with feeling and affection, the music itself. just terrific.