MUSIC OF THE
ROMANTIC ERA
1830-1900
Melody
Melody receives the
greatest emphasis and
its style is chiefly
"melody with
accompaniment".
Melodies are more
disjunct and have
wider ranges,
particularly in R.
Strauss's music.
Forms
New
Forms
Symphonic
poems
Song cycle
Music drama
New
Genres
Piano character
pieces
Lieder
Song cycle
Programmatic
overtures
Symphonic poems
Many forms
Taken from the Classic
period, but were greatly
expanded.
Sonata form became much
longer with emphasis given
to an expanded
development section and
coda (particularly in
Beethoven and Brahms).
Unity on a large scale:
merging of separate
movements into a single
span (Liszt's Sonata in B
minor)
Rhythms
More complex than in
Classic period and
include use of
compound meters,
changing meters, cross
rhythms (especially in
Chopin and Schumann),
greater syncopation,
and use of rubato in
Chopin and Liszt.
Some composers (e.g.
Chopin, Schumann,
Wagner) fixate on one
rhythmic pattern
extensively
Harmony
Tonality began to break down
because of extreme
chromaticism (especially in Liszt
and Wagner).
Minor keys became more
frequent, and modulations
occur frequently by thirdrelations and to remote keys.
Composers include greater
complexity in use of dissonant
chords - particularly diminished
sevenths, half-diminished
sevenths, augmented triads,
augmented sixth chords, and
Neapolitan chords
Thematicism
Thematicism plays a more
important role in a sonata
movement than tonality.
Thematic metamorphosis: A
programmatic approach to
composition often associated
thematic material with a
character or idea
Changing circumstances or
emotional states were
represented by the
transformation of the thematic
material (as in Faust
Symphony or Symphony
Fantastique),
The Orchestra
Berlioz and Wagner
greatly expanded the
orchestra and
incorporated new
instruments into it.
Program music
became common in
the music of Berlioz,
Liszt, and R. Strauss.
•The revival of
polyphony and
Baroque forms
under the
influence of JS
Bach Greter
intrest in mdal
scales.
Medieval Modes
Bach
Older Elements Revisted!
•Greater interest
in modal scales
Folk-Heritage
Study of the folkheritage in music and
imitation of folk-like
melodic simplicity.
Chopin's more than 50
mazurkas represent one
of the earliest examples
of overt nationalistic
sentiments in music
Chopin, Tchaikovsky, the
Russians
Dynamics
Extremes of dynamic
contrasts and levels
occur from pppp to
ffff
Expression markings
become increasingly
more numerous and
detailed