An analysis of the German Sturm und Drang movement and its influence on works by Haydn and Mozart of the 1770s

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the German Sturm und Drang literary movement of the late eighteenth century and its relevance to musical composition of that time period as well as its significance to historical musicology as a factor in the transition from Classicism to Romanticism. Definitions and stylistic characteristics of musical Sturm und Drang and the research of music historians past and present regarding origins and interpretations are investigated, resulting in the presentation of a great diversity of academic views over the last century. An analysis of Sturm und Drang elements found in Haydn's Symphony No. 44 in E Minor and Mozart's Symphony No. 25 in G Minor (K. 183) presents these symphonic works of the 1770s as representative of Sturm und Drang musical expression. The foundation for the research for this thesis is source information derived from music dictionaries and encyclopedias, historical surveys, primary sources, composer biographies, journal articles, dissertations, critical analyses, and scores and recordings, in an attempt to provide an all-encompassing historical perspective of the Sturm und Drang movement and its significance to historical musicology.