Classical music is not actually easily defined, or perhaps it is not often thought of as broadly as it actually is. What is considered classical music can be traced back from the 6th century AD all the way to the modern day from liturgical roots and secular roots. However for this purpose I'm going to talk mainly about the Baroque era, the Classical period and jump a bit into modern day classical music. Mozarts Divertimento in D Major, K. 334 is a great example of classical music composed during the classical period (1779).
So what characterises classical music? Let's take a look into its history and sub genres to get a better idea on what constitutes classical.
History and characteristics:
The Baroque Era is considered to have been from the years 1600 to 1750 and Baroque music is usually comprised of a basso continuo group (which is one or more chord playing instruments like the lute or harpsichord that improvise chords from a figured bass part) and a bass instrument group with instruments like the viol, cello or double bass playing the bassline. This music genre expanded on sheet notation with the 'figured bass' method mentioned above, and also saw the creation of the opera genre with both vocals and instrumentals.This piece from Jean-Henri D'Anglebert (1629~1691), written in 1686 is an excellent example:
Baroque music usually focused on one mood/vibe, contained polyphony (more than one melody at a time) and ofcourse improvised dynamics and articulation. The Classical Period was from 1750 to 1825 and saw the adaption from baroque to classical music. The big change started when the catholic church devised the sheet music notation method that we currently use, making way for a more structured and specific musical style.
This gave way to almost what we know today as classical music: compositions using mainly homophony, specified dynamics, composed slurs and staccatos and a nice bright or light feeling. This specific notation form was also complimented by the popularisation of the piano at the same time, as the instrument largely took the place of the harpsichord in the popular music of the day. This period also gave rise to the nicknamed father of the symphony and the string quartet, though Joseph Haydn did not invent these sub genres, his prolific output of compositional work during its emergence gained him popularity, imitators and admirers. Symphony is a composition written for western orchestra, and contains brass, woodwind, percussion and string instruments for anywhere between 30 and 100 musicians. It started with purely string instruments, and by the 1700's had expanded to include oboe, horns, bassoons, timpani, flutes and clarinets amongst some more.String quartet is a composition written for four musicians (two violins, a viola and a cello). These two genres are still commonplace classical music today, though the symphony has expanded in numbers greatly from its early days.
Production Techniques:
I'm going to be part of a team recording the QWO (Queensland Wind Orchestra) in a few weeks, so I'm going to explore a little production techniques for modern day classical orchestras!
Mark J. Morette - In his article on "Recording the Wind Ensemble Music of David Maslanka" writes that he usually starts with a ORTF or XY centre pair, with some complimentary room mics before placing spot mics on individual instruments or sections.
He goes on to say that a primarily wind orchestra creates an interesting sound field, with woodwind instruments tending to reflect off the floor, while some are very directional like trombones and trumpets, this mixed in with a little percussion that's either directional or omni-directional depending on the instrument, creates a cacophony of sound that can be very difficult to capture well. Our challenge therefore as engineers is to capture this sound field in such a way that we can reproduce it with a pleasing and natural sound that maintains the energy of the orchestra!Because of the way the woodwinds sound propagates Mark suggests floor stands for the microphones instead of hanging mics that might be used for a different orchestra.
We as engineers cannot as successfully composite a recording of a wind ensemble with multiple microphones - We need to rely on proper positioning of instruments, the director to balance the ensemble, and the ensemble to know the music well enough to self-balance. - Mark Morette
A lot of recording a wind orchestra is being smart about room acoustics, and keeping the production simple to create as natural a sound as possible. Many halls are designed for full orchestra performances, meaning that the reflections, reverb, and acoustics are not suited for a wind ensemble. "When recording a wind ensemble, we must often change the acoustics on the stage as well as the hall to flatter the medium" - M. Morette6 to 8 microphones are usually used to record a wind orchestra, with spots on the harp, piano and celeste. Finally, Some key points of recording a wind orchestra I've picked up are:
Get a great recording, try to avoid any "I'll fix it in the mix" mentality.
Pay close attention to the microphone positioning in order to get perfect balance of the ensemble
Experiment! Have fun and try new things with an educated plan.
References:
1. YouTube. (2016). Classical Period Music. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgVzVhnjFiQ [Accessed 30 Oct. 2018].
2. YouTube. (2016). Classical Period Music - Part 2. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIwhMn_0K5A [Accessed 30 Oct. 2018].
3. Morette, M. (2015). Recording the Wind Ensemble Music of David Maslanka. [online] David Maslanka. Available at: http://davidmaslanka.com/recording-the-wind-ensemble-music-of-david-maslanka/ [Accessed 30 Oct. 2018].
4. Columbia.edu. (2018). Columbia University Wind Ensemble. [online] Available at: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/wind/about/faq.html [Accessed 30 Oct. 2018].
5. Baroque.org. (2018). What is Baroque Music? - Music of the Baroque. [online] Available at: https://www.baroque.org/baroque/whatis [Accessed 30 Oct. 2018].
6. Courses.lumenlearning.com. (2018). Overview of the Classical Era of Music | Music Appreciation. [online] Available at: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/musicappreciation_with_theory/chapter/overview-of-the-classical-era/ [Accessed 30 Oct. 2018].
7. Nyphilkids.org. (2018). A Short History of the Symphony Orchestra. [online] Available at: http://www.nyphilkids.org/lockerroom/history_f-r.html [Accessed 30 Oct. 2018].
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