What is genre?
Genre in classical music refers to the type of composition. A work's genre conveys information about the number, range and role of the instruments playing it, as well as the purpose and role of the work and how the work is structured. Genres are formed through conventions and traditions within composition. Here is a list of some (as there are lots, for now I am putting the ones I am familiar with) of the genres in classical music:
- Chanson
- Opera
- Aria
- Canon
- Concerto
- Fugue
- Hymn
- Sonata
- Chamber music (duet, trio, quartet, quintet, etc.)
- Symphony
- Suite
- Ballet
- Serenade
- Rhapsody
For each genre, I will describe the characteristics and the background of the genre.
Symphony
As of right now, symphonies are one of my favourite genres of classical, for one key reason: they typically involve a full orchestra. Symphonies generally have 3-5 movements (sections) that are independent of each other - while a melody may repeat within a movement, they don't in other movements, and movements are often in different keys. Different movements also have different tempos and moods, and tend to be distinct and contrasting rather than similar. Symphonies can vary in length, but tend to be between 30 and 90 minutes. Usually, at least one movement (traditionally the first) uses sonata form (which I will be covering in my form section).
The term symphony was first used in the late 1500s to describe works we would nowadays describe as an overture (a short piece of music to introduce an opera, ballet or musical), but in the early 1700s, symphonies started to be divided into movements, although they were still much shorter than we would expect. Symphonies were developed into the style we know today by composers such as Sammartini and Stamitz, who established the traditional four movement structure. This was typically composed of a sonata as the first movement, a slow second movement such as an adagio, a faster third movement in 3/4 tempo such as a waltz, minuet or a scherzo, and fast and dramatic final movement such as an allegro, a rondo or a sonata.