Final answer:
Joseph Haydn's musical style is known for its classical forms, not for heavy dissonance or atonality, which are associated with Arnold Schoenberg. Haydn frequently employed counterpoint and made notable use of dynamics, contributing to the expressive quality of his compositions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The musical style of Joseph Haydn, an Austrian composer, is characterized by its clarity, wit, and use of classical forms. Haydn is known for his significant contributions to the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and the symphony. Unlike Arnold Schoenberg, who was an innovator of atonality and the twelve-tone scale, Haydn's music is much more in line with the traditional tonalities that were common during the classical period. Specifically:
- Heavy use of dissonance - This is inaccurate when describing Haydn's work. While dissonance is a musical tool that Haydn, like many composers, occasionally utilized for tension and resolution in his compositions, it was not a prominent feature in his music as it was in Schoenberg's.
- Frequent use of counterpoint - This is correct. Haydn did frequently employ counterpoint in his music, which is a technique involving the interweaving of two or more melodic lines.
- Minimal use of dynamics - This is inaccurate. Haydn's music often features a notable use of dynamics, which contribute to the expressive quality of his compositions.
- Frequent use of atonal melodies - This is incorrect when describing Haydn's style. His melodies were tonal and adhered to the scales and harmonies typical of the classical period in Western music.