Matthew Johnston
10/26/14
Mus-110
Romanticism Discussion Answers:
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Darwin’s theory of evolution was published in 1859 and the entirety of the research for the
theory of evolution was done during the early 19th century. The time and place he lived gave
Darwin a much better environment than his predecessors to make his discoveries. With the
collapse of many powerful empires, Great Britain expanded naval influence much farther over
the world this led to the need for surveying of the massive coasts Britain was colonizing.
Darwin’s beginnings into his famous research took place on one of these surveying ships.
Romanticism was born from the clash of new ideas and old established order many that stood
for thousands of years. The heliocentric universe and the germ theory of disease were
discovered in this period and are further examples of new ideas challenging old beliefs. The
earth is the center of the universe, diseases are a punishment from gods, life sprang into
existence because (insert bizarre creation story here) are all beliefs that seriously influenced the
minds of countless generations before and in the 19th century new powerful ideas started
tarring them down. Also Darwin inherited the scientific principles made during the
Enlightenment of the 18th century.
Today every genre of music has artist that rage against the machine. Rock and Roll and the
various offspring it has created has mostly been the medium for the antiestablishment,
challenge the order mentality, blues, rap, hip-hop, and go-go also inhabit this territory.
Musicians used the new instruments and new industrial manufacturing to create more precise
instruments and equipment to produce better sounds. The musicians developed work based on
local folklore and native dances to produce nationalism in their audiences.
The term romanticism came from the reaction against the reasoned classical style. Focused on
passionate expressions with more allowance of fanciful, whimsical and local styles more
accessible the non-aristocratic ear than the classical era. This term expresses a desire for society
were emotion and love are freely expressed and celebrated rather than suppressed. Today
romanticism is similar but much stronger due to the less restrictions on language. Artists use
music to express all manner of emotions. The emotion is not exactly the same yearning it was in
the 19th century but that’s mostly due to the higher quality of living we experience.
The public attitude toward musicians became far more welcoming that in the 18th. The loss of
the patronage system and the end of musician’s glorified servitude opened music to the masses
and musician became a respected profession as entertainers and teachers. The musician of this
time were recognized as talented people and the better of them Schumann, the Mendelsohn’s
and Chopin receive marked fame throughout Europe. Due to the far greater ease of
communication today artists can spread there music to a world audience, this increased
viewership and the amount of music available have led to a similar environment to the 19th
century but in macrocosm. A well known artist can now be world famous with there name and
face known to people in places with no similarities to the place the music was made. This world
village has treated musician with the same kind of respect and awe today as Europe treated its
musicians.
The two revolutions were the centerpieces for the turmoil that made “the age revolution”.
These events swept a desire for improvement through the world. Old system treated on the
rights of many for the few and revolution showed that the systems supporting inequality could
be changed. These victories for the common man opened the arts to brand new areas of
Matthew Johnston
10/26/14
Mus-110
expression, no longer restricted by the aristocrat they were forced to appeal to. Also the despair
of the unrealized ideals the revolution pushed game the art of the time both positive and
negative emotion to draw on. America has had a special kind pride that revolves around our
revolution. Beating the world’s greatest military power and starting the first large scale
democracy in a thousand years has given Americans this feeling of base superiority. That
American is simply better for our democracy. But the sentiments behind those revolutions,
equality, and fair balanced government are always present and that shows in the music. Today
music is a bubbling caldron of possibility. Influenced though faster communication by music
from any place. None but the barest restriction on content or subject. Music has never had so
much at its disposal. This freedom and our desire to use it are direct results of the environment
created by the American Revolution.
6. The reason of the classical thinkers brought out a preference for themes related to Greek and
Roman styles. The works used ancient art as models to emulate with grant, fanciful expressions.
Romantics focused more on local myth, dances, and writings as subjects as well as purely
personal themes. The 21st century arts is more center on personal expression rather than ideal
emulation but the subjects and themes of the pieces can now be more ever numerous.