ROMANTICISM
-Stressed emotion, imagination, and individualism
-Emotional subjectivity basis of arts
-Favorite artistic topics:
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Fantasy and the supernatural
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Middle Ages concept of chivalry and romance
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Nature as mirror of the human heart
-Period of the Industrial Revolution
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Resulted in social and economic changes
CHARACTERISTICS OF ROMANTIC MUSIC (PART 1)
-Individuality of style
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Composers want uniquely identifiable music
-Expressive aims and subjects
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All approaches were explored: Flamboyance, intimacy,
unpredictability, melancholy, rapture, longing,
-Romantic love still focuses of songs and operas
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Lovers frequently depicted as unhappy and facing
overwhelming obstacles
-Dark topics drew composers
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Nationalism: music with a nation identity
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Exoticism: Intentional implied foreign culture
(Frequently in operas with foreign settings)
ROMANTICISM IN MUSIC
-Many important romantic composers
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Franz Schubert, Antonin Dvorak, Robert Schumann, Peter
Tchaikovsky, Frederic Chopin, Johannes Brahms, Franz
Liszt,
-Continued use of classical form
-Greater range of tone color, dynamics, and pitch than in
classical period
-Expanded harmony, complex chords
CHARACTERISTICS OF ROMANTIC MUSIC (PART 2)
-Program Music
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Associated with story, poem, idea, scene
Understanding the music enhanced through reading programs
or viewing associated work.
-Expressive tone color
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Composers tried to create unique sounds
-Blending of existing instruments
-Addition of new instruments
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Tone color important to emotional content
-Colorful harmony
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Chords built with notes not in traditional keys
Harmonic instability consciously used device
ROMANTIC COMPOSERS AND THEIR PUBLIC
-Demise of the patronage system
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Composers regarded themselves as “free spirits”
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Decline in artistic fortune- napoleonic wars
-New urban classes/ new musical topics
-Public was entranced by virtuosity
-Piano became fixture in most homes
-Composers/audience: same social class
-Few composers financially successful
CHARACTERISTICS OF ROMANTIC MUSIC (PART 3)
-Expanded range of dynamics, pitch, and tempo
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Dynamics,ff, ppexpanded toffffandpppp
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Extremely high and low pitches added
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Changes in mood frequently underlined by (sometimes
subtle) shifts in tempo
-Forms: miniature and monumental
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Some composers went on for hours
Required hundreds of performers
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Others’ music only lasted a few minutes
Written for a single instrument
-Composers wrote symphonies, sonatas, string quartets,
concertos, operas, and many other classically traditional works
THE ART SONG
-Composition for solo voice and piano
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Accompaniment integral part of the song
-Linked to vast amount of poetry in this period
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Composers interpreted poems, translating mood, atmosphere,
and imagery into music
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Music summed up at the end with pianopostlude
-Strophic and through -composed form
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Strophic form repeats music for each verse
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Through composed: New music each verse
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Sometimes modified strophic form used
-The song cycle
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Group of unified in some manner
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Storyline or music idea may link the the songs
CH.6 CLARA WIECK SCHUMANN
-German (1819-1896)
-Leading concert pianist
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One of the fist well known women composers
-Married Robert Schumann
-Stopped composing after his death
ROBERT SCHUMANN MUSIC
-Wrote piano pieces, art songs, and later symphonies
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Piano pieces and art songs frequently in cycles
LISTING: ERLKONIG (THE ERLKING), 1815
By: Franz Schubert
Notes:
-Characters: The father, son, The king of the elves, horse
(represented by the piano.
-One singer sound like several characters (use of different
registers)
-Dramatic ending
FRANZ SCHUBERT
-Born in Vienna (1797-1828)
-Early Romantic composer
-Prodigious output
-When 18 years old wrote 143 song
-At 19 wrote, 179 works (including 2 symphonies, opera, mass)
CH.5 ROBERT SHUMANN
-German, early to mid-Romantic (1810-1856)
-Wanted to be piano virtuoso
-Problem with hand ended his ambition
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Treatments and gadget made problem worse
-Married his piano teacher’s daughter
-Temperamentally unsuited for some of the musical positions he
attempted
-Committed to asylum where he died
SCHUBERT’S MUSIC
-Wrote over 600 songs
-Also Symphonies, string quartets, other chamber music, sontats,
masses, operas, and piano works.
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The unfinished Symphony: 2 movements, not 4
-Schubertiade (private gathering with friends to listen to his
music)
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Focused on performing his works
Pair was friends w/ Johannes Brahma
CLARA SCHUMANN MUSIC
-Stopped composing at age 36
-Considered herself primarily a performer
-Wrote songs, piano pieces, a concerto
CHOPIN”S MUSIC
-Developed personal style at early age
-Evokes a variety of moods
-Captured the spirit of the polish people
CH.7 FREDERIC CHOPIN
-Polish born musician (1810-1849)
-Poet of the piano
-Moved to paris at age 21 - European artistic capital
-Known for his beautiful tone, rhythmic flexibility and
extensive use of piano pedals
-Piano teacher to the daughters of the rich
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Avoided concert halls
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Wrote nocturnes, mazurkas, preludes and waltzes
LISTENING:
Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op.9, no.2
By Chopin (1830-31)
Notes:
-Nocturne: (night piece) slow, lyrical, intimate piece for piano
-Expressive, emotional presentation with subtle shifts in tempo
and dynamics
FRANZ LISZT
-Hungarian born composer (1811-1886)
-Virtuoso pianist
-Touring concert pianist until 36
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Incredible performer and showman - “rock star”
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Retired from touring and become court conductor, and later
took minor holy orders-Abbe Liszt
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Found new ways to exploit the piano
LISZT’S MUSIC
-Extremely controversial
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Bombastic and vulgar, or the ideal music
-Broke away from strict classical forms
-Created symphonic poem (tone poem)
Hector Berlioz
-French composer (1803-1869)
-Mid-Romantic Period
-Wrote unconventional music
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Passionate and unpredictable
Note:
-Controlled emotionalism
-Simple, singing melodies
-Cadenza near the end for soloist
-Solist goes first, then orchestra
(Usually orchestra goes first then soloist)
LISTENING:
Concerto for violin and Orchestra in E Minor, Op.64 (1844) By
Mendelssohn
First movement
CH.9 FELIX MENDELSSOHN
-German composer (1809-1847)
-Early to mid Romantic period
-Developed early
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Wrote symphonies, concertos, sonatas, and other works
before being teenager
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Responsible for revival of Bach’s music
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Died of a stroke while touring
MENDELSSOHN’S MUSIC
-Somewhat more conservative
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Avoid emotional extremes
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Projects both elegance and balance
PROGRAM MUSIC
-Instrumental music associated with a story, poem, idea, or
scene
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Non- program music is called absolute music
-Usually performed with written explanation of the piece- a
program
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For piano or orchestra
-Common types:
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Program symphony- multi movement/ orchestral
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Concert overture- modeled on opera overture
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Symphonic poem (or tone color)- 1 movement, orchestral,
flexible form
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Incidental music- for use before or during play
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BERLIOZ’S MUSIC
-Imaginative, innovative orchestrations
-Required huge resources
-Pioneered concept ofidee fixe
LISTENING
Symphonie Fantastique (Fantastic Symphony, 1830)
By Berlioz
Notes:
-Has five movements, usually 4
-Inspired by Shakespeare (has five acts in his play)
-Fourth movement: March to the Scaffold
Won Prix de Rome (French scholarship for art students)
Worked as music critic for support
One of the first of the greatest conductors
