1820-1900
The romantic period showed a direct shift against some of the restraints of the
Classical period. The Romantic period brought about an emphasis on emotion.
Artists expressed themselves freely and had a great desire to express emotion
in their work. Romantic composers sought inspiration from nature. Artists
embraced the human experience of nature, the different moods and seasons
of nature, and found inspiration in the picturesque landscapes. They also found
inspiration from literature especially medieval and Shakespeare. They also had
a fascination with the afterlife and the supernatural.
Tone Colour
The romantic orchestra was larger then the Classical orchestra, this meant that
composers could create a richer more expressive tone colour in their pieces.
Composers created new sounds for their audiences, by writing instruments to
play in the extremes of their instrumental ranges.
Melody
In the Romantic period melodies were longer and more lyrical, often with
irregular phrases. The use of Chromatics is also notable during this period.
Harmony
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The romantic period saw many new chords emerge. This was because the
composers wanted to create more intense sounds in their songs. In particular
the use of chromatic harmony emerged to create emotion and to move away
from the standard major minor scales used in the Classical Period. Dissonant
and unstable chords were more widely used, in particular the diminished 7 th
chord.
Dynamics
In the Romantic period there was a wider range of dynamics then in the
Classical period. Composers sought more extreme emotion often using rapid
changes between dynamics and frequent crescendo and decrescendos to
create more expression.
Pitch
In the Romantic period there was a wider range of pitch then in the Classical
period. Composer’s experiments with the extremes of different instrument
ranges to create new sounds, and to achieve greater emotional intensity.
Tempo
In the Romantic period there was a wider range of tempos then in the Classical
period. Composers used more changes in tempo in their pieces to create
different moods, and emotion.
Program Music
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Program Music is instrumental music that tells a story. It became extremely
prominent during the Romantic Period because music had a closer relationship
with literature.
The Virtuoso
The career of a musician took a new shape during the Romantic Period. In
previous times musician’s served in churches and in courts. However with the
growing popularity of public performance and playing music at home, musicians
were now mainly freelance workers. Because of this they were no longer
required to play several instruments and could now specialize in just one, and
treat audiences with perfect technique. These musicians were known as
virtuoso’s.
World Events
The French Revolution (1789-1799) had a huge influence on the world both
socially and politically. Therefore it played a part in the shaping of the Romantic
period. The French Revolution brought changes both socially and politically.
People embraced new freedoms, equality, citizenship and their whole outlook
on life changed. They were no longer constricted by a society run by aristocrats
and religion. At the same time French military and political leaders was growing
in power, and there was a strong sense of Nationalism.
The Industrial Revolution resulted in massive changes to the economy and
more people moving into city areas. This meant that the middle class grew and
music became more accessible to them with public concert’s being put on more
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regularly. It also saw music instruments such as the piano become more
affordable due to mass production.
In previous times most music was composed for the church or the courts.
However the Romantic Era signaled a change to this. Music for public
performance, and home life was in great demand.
Significant Romantic Composers
Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Felix
Mendelsohn, Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky, Giacomo Puccini, Richard Wagener.
Felix Mendelssohn
Full Name: Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Born: 3rd February 1809
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Died: 4th November 1847
Nationality: German
Career: Composer, Pianist, Conductor, Writer,
Painter, and Teacher.
Felix Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg Germany. He came from a wealthy
Jewish family although he and his siblings were raised in the Protestant faith.
Mendelssohn was a child prodigy though his parents were very careful not to
capitalize on his talents. He wrote many songs including concertos and sonatas
by the time he was thirteen, and one of his most famous works Overture to a
Midsummer Nights dream was composed when he was only seventeen.
He was described as having ‘handsome, delicate features, expressive black
eyes and curly black hair, with a Roman nose and pronounced sideburns, and
standing approximately five feet, six inches in height.’ (The Library of Congress,
2009, para 2).
Mendelssohn found early success in Germany conducting the Singakademie
performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, the first performance since the
composer's death. The performance was extremely successful, and many say
that through that performance Mendelssohn single handedly revived Bach’s
music.
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Mendelssohn was well received everywhere he visited. Particularly Britain
where most of his major works premiered. Later he took the position as
conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig the city he also established
the Leipzig Conservatory, and the city he died in.
Mendelssohn music itself is graceful. He encompasses all of the romantic
notions of the period with varying moods, rapid movements, and beautiful use
of instruments without reaching for extremes of emotion.
Famous Works:
o Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1826),
o
Italian Symphony (1833),
o
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64,
o Hebrides Overture,
o
The Scottish Symphony (1842),
o Oratorio Elijah (1846),
Interesting Facts
o At age thirty-three Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatory.
o Mendelssohn spoke four different languages
o Mendelssohn used to visit Queen Victoria and would accompany her on
the piano whilst she sang his pieces.
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o Mendelssohn married Cécile Charlotte Sophie Jeanrenaud in 1837 and
they had five children together: Carl, Marie, Paul, Lilli and Felix.
o William Makepeace Thackeray described Mendelssohn as having "the
most beautiful face I ever saw, like what I imagine our Savior's to have
been." (The Library of Congress (2013).
o Mendelssohn was fine artist, and enjoyed painting watercolours.
The Concerto
The word
comes
concerto
from
Italian
worth
concerto
meaning
concert.
terms
In
a
is a piece
one
the
basic
concerto
in
which
player
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plays the melody and the rest of the orchestra accompanies. The romantic
period saw the rise of the virtuoso hence the concerto was extremely popular
because the virtuosos were so popular. Audiences treated them as ‘heroes’
‘celebrities’ and worshipped their playing.
Concertos’ are commonly composed in three parts or movements. These
movements generally follow a speed of fast, slow fast. Concertos also
commonly go for around thirty minutes.
At the end of every movement the composer leaves a section for the soloist to
show off their skills, this is known as a cadenza. A cadenza is an improvised
passage or prepared passage played only by the soloists in their own time. In
a concerto the whole orchestra stops playing so that the soloist can play the
cadenza and then normally the orchestra returns once the cadenza is finished
to complete the movement.
Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64
Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64 has three movements:
Allegro molto appassionato, Andante, and Allegro molto vivace. The
movements are played without a pause in-between.
Allegro molto appassionato
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Instruments: Solo violin, 2 Flutes, 2 oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French
Horns, 2 Trumpets, Timpani, 1st Violins, 2nd Violins, Violas, Cellos, Double
basses.
Key: E minor
Time Signature: 2/2 Cut Common
Form: The First movement Allegro molto appassionato is written in Sonata
Form. Sonata form has a structure of three sections: exposition, development
and recapitulation.
The Exposition commences in E minor with the main melody entering in bar 2
played by the solo violin. This is important as traditionally the orchestra, not the
soloist plays the opening melody in the first movement of a concerto. The
melody is long, flowing, and very lyrical. It has irregular phrases, some only 2
beats long whilst others five beats long. The melody is written in the higher
register accompanied by beautiful flowing quavers in the strings.
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Later in the exposition the 1st Violins introduce the bridge theme, which is
repeated by the solo violin in a higher register. Bridge passages serve
to change the key or mood, which is exactly what this bridge theme does. It
moves between E minor and G Major before settling into a happier G Major.
Interestingly after the bridge theme is played the woodwinds at bar 131 play
the calm theme or second theme. The solo violin accompanies them with a
sustained G for 8 bars. Followed by the solo violin echoing the theme at bar
139. The calm theme is in G major. Like the first theme this theme is long and
flowing with small elegant leaps. It uses dotted rhythms, as does the first theme
but has more regular phrases , mostly one bar in length.
The Development commences with the bridge theme before the solo violin
brings back an altered main theme. The melody slowly winds down as the
orchestra crescendos into the cadenza.
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An unaccompanied solo violin plays the Cadenza, which was written out by
Mendelsohn in entirety. The violin plays a combination of broken chords and
variations of the main melody for around a minute and a half until the orchestra
re-joins in the recapitulation.
The Recapitulation sees the orchestra commencing with the main theme
whilst the solo violin continues to play the broken chords heard in the
cadenza. We then here the bridge theme return in the orchestra echoed by
the solo violinist who plays descending passages until the piece returns into
the second theme, this time in E major. Once more the solo violin
accompanies the woodwinds playing the second theme with a sustained note,
before going into dramatic running passages, and the whole orchestra
climax’s into the main theme.
The coda sees a return of the bridge theme, the tempo gains speed, and is
marked ‘Piu presto’ meaning ‘more very fast’. The whole orchestra then
crescendos, with running passages creating a feeling of anxiousness, and
dramatic ending on an E minor Chord.
I listened to The University of Chicago Orchestra recording of Mendelsohn’s
Violin concerto Op.64 Movement One, performed on the 4th December 2010
at Mandel Hall. I personally thoroughly enjoyed the piece. I found it easy to
listen to, and it maintained my interest throughout. I found following the score
however in sections challenging to follow, especially during the solo violins
runs. The themes are easy to identify which helps when analysing the piece.
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Although the piece is predominantly in the minor I found it to be quite uplifting
and triumphant.
Potential teaching approaches:
I feel that Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto Op.64 Movement One: Allegro molto
appassionato has been included on the set works list because its easy to listen
to and full of excitement. The themes are catchy and memorable. The piece
epitomises the Romantic Concerto, as well as the true meaning of virtuoso in
the Romantic Period. The piece opens up teaching of orchestra, sonata form,
and instrumental techniques. Most importantly to is that you cannot teach the
Romantic Period well without at least listening to a Mendelssohn piece. His
works are vital to the period, and an understanding of history at that time. I have
come up with five approaches I would use to teach this work.
1. Background of the Period, and its Characteristics: In this lesson I
would teach them a little about life during the Romantic period, the
events that led up to it, and tits characteristics. I would then give them a
checklist of those characteristics, and have them tick off the ones they
can identify in the song, and then have a discussion about which
characteristics they identified.
Learning Type: 1,2,4
2. The Composer and his works: In this lesson I would teach them about
Mendelsohn himself, then I would do a listening comparison between his
works to see if they could hear similarities in his style, his choice of
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instrument etc. Then tie that information back with the characteristics of
the Romantic Period from the first lesson through discussion.
Learning Type: 1,2,3
3. The Virtuoso and the Orchestra: In this lesson we would talk about
what a virtuoso is, and watch some examples on YouTube current
virtuosos. Then I would have a look at the orchestra in Mendelssohn’s
violin concerto op.64. Talk about how they would sit, and give each
student an instrument so that they can rearrange themselves into
orchestra positions. The go though reading how to read the score.
Learning Type: 2,3,4
4. Composing a piece in Sonata Form: In this lesson I would teach what
a concerto is, and what sonata form is. I would review the different
themes in the song then give student’s a handout with all the different
parts in the wrong order and have them cut them out and place them in
the right order whilst listening to the piece, then discuss the answers.
Then set them a composition task, to composer their own piece in
Sonata Form using characteristic’s from the Romantic period.
Learning Type: 1,2,3,4
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References
Burkholder, J, P. (2010). A History of Western Music. New York, USA: Norton
and Company Inc.
Kamien, R. (1971). Music: an appreciation. New York, USA: McGraw Hill.
The Library of Congress, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, 1809-1847
[biography] retrieved 2013 from
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200156439/default.html
Lowe, G, Romanticism, Edith Cowan University, Bradford St, Mt Lawley. 2013
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Daily Kos. (2012), Thursday Classical Music Opus 74: Mendelssohn’s Violin
Concerto in E minor. Retrieved from
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/29/1078971/-Thursday-ClassicalMusic-OPUS-74-Mendelssohn-s-Violin-Concerto-in-E-minor (2013)
David, P & Speck, S. (1997), Understanding Concertos in Classical Music.
Retrieved from http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/understandingconcertos-in-classical-music.html (2013)
The University of Chicago Orchestra. (2010)Recording of Mendelsohn’s Violin
concerto po.64 Movement Retrieved from
http://imslp.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto,_Op.64_(Mendelssohn,_Felix) (2013).
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Title of the Assignment
Student’s Name, Group, Campus and ID Number
Unit Title and Number
Date of submission of the assignment
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