Did classical composers know theory?
Music theory was everything to classical composers. They even took it a step further than we do today with what is known as partimento. These are bass patterns / phrases that they would improvise upon, they would practice and memorize hundreds of these patterns and build upon them.
Was JS Bach Lutheran?
A member of the Lutheran church, Bach was strongly knowledgeable in theology as well as heavily influenced by the Reformation and Martin Luther. In Bach’s day, the Reformation was nearing two hundred years old and still shaping the music culture.
Did Mozart study music theory?
Mozart has been musically educated by his father Leopold and was influenced by Johann Christian Bach and Joseph Haydn. He was trained in studying counterpoint, harmony, chord theory.
Who created music theory?
The first early examples of written music appeared between 800 BCE and the 1st century CE. Around 600 BCE, the Greek mathematician Pythagoras developed the general idea of octave scales and began to look at the science of music. Then, around 521 BCE, the Greeks developed an early type of musical notation.
Did Mozart like Bach’s music?
Mozart loved Bach’s music. Mozart made stellar references to Bach in his works . In the final movement of the Jupiter Symphony , Mozart writes a fugue a technique which Bach was known for.
How well did Mozart know music theory?
Being a teacher of music theory, Mozart was well versed in formal music theory. And it’s preposterous to suggest otherwise. Without a knowledge of music theory, one can be a passable instrumentalist or, these days, a decent writer of popular music.
Why did Beethoven study Bach’s music?
Bach’s music had never been published in score form, and Mozart spread the various parts out on the floor, constantly saying, “Was ist das! Was ist das!”. It was old fashioned perhaps, but so coherent that it impressed Mozart immensely. In his old age Beethoven studied Bach to stimulate his compositional juices.
Is harmonic analysis a misconception?
What passes today in many textbooks and classrooms as harmonic analysis is the result of a misconception, historically understandable but pedagogically barren. At the root of the misconception lies the confusion—or at least fusion—of thorough—bass practice and harmonic theory.