Music in the Romantic
Era
1820-1900
– French Revolution Ideals: Liberté, Egalité,
Fraternité
– Individuality, Emotion, Imagination
Nationalism and the Spread
of Democracy
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One of the most meaningful and definitive
forces in the 19th century
Throughout Europe people began to
promote their own national identities and
resist outside authority. This push for
national identity created new countries
(unification of Italy, formation of German
empire, United States).
The principles and practices of democracy
were on the rise.
Social and Political
Influences
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Industrialism
– Occurred first in Britain
– Power shifted from aristocratic landowners to
middle class city dwellers
– Populations moved from an agrarian
center
to an urban center
The Arts in the Romantic
Period
– Stressed Individualism and Emotion
– Breaking away from rules and
convention
– Glorification of Nature
– Nostalgia
– The Macabre and the supernatural
– Exotic Influences
– Realism
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Victor Hugo (1802-1885)
– French poet, playwright, novelist, essayist,
visual artist, statesman, human rights activist
– Explored the Romantic theme of conflict
between the individual and society
– Les Miserables, 1862
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Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
– English novelist and social campaigner
– Novels are works of social commentary
– Fierce critic of poverty and social stratification
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Karl Marx (1818-1883)
German philosopher and economist
 The ideas of Marx, while most influential in the 20th century , said
that the history of society is one of struggle between the ruling class
(capitalists) and the working class (proletariat) who are being
exploited.
 He predicted a revolution.
 He believed in a society in which all people give according to their
means and take according to their needs.”
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 Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
– In On the Origin of Species, Darwin argued that all species of
life on earth, whether human, animal or plant, were the result of
what he called “natural selection”.
– He coined the phrase “survival of the fittest”
– He believed that man was simply the end of a long chain of
organisms that stretched back to the first forms of life.
– This theory challenged not only religion but also had social
repercussions.
Art Song and Song Cycle
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Lieder, chansons, art songs
Compositions for solo voice and piano
Poetry and music are intimately fused
Typical forms used: strophic and
through-composed
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Progressives
– Tended to extend the boundaries of
traditional sound and scope in their
compositions. They utilized new instrumental
techniques and color. They used increasingly
more chromaticism.
– Composer Examples: Wagner, Liszt, Berlioz
and Verdi
– Importance of nature. Romantics
idealized nature in both visual art and
music for its power, beauty and
unpredictability
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Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)
The Burghers of Calais
The Thinker
Painting
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Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863)
– Leader of the Romantic movement,
represented social concerns
Liberty Leading the People, 1831
Impressionists
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Provided transition to the 20th century
Impression Sunrise, 1872
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Rouen Cathedral, 1894
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Edouard Manet (1832-1883)
Dejeuner sur l’herbe, 1863
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Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
Le Moulin de la Galette, 1897
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Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Starry Night, 1889
Music
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Musical Milieu
– Public and Subscription Concerts
– Founding of Conservatories
Composer
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Composers gradually left the patronage system and
became free agents of their own works.
This meant that the composer, their music and their
livelihood depended on the public’s approval.
Romantics saw themselves as outsiders, isolated
from mainstream society, struggling to express
their creative ideas.
In general, composers held higher social status
than in the Classical period.
Performer
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Rise of virtuosic performers
the public was captured by virtuosity and
showmanship
Niccolo Paganini
Franz Liszt
Conductor
Resulted from the orchestras growth in numbers and
complexity
Became necessary to have one person to lead and control the
orchestra
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Musical Elements
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Melody
– Age of lyricism – unending melody
– Melodies appealed to the emotions
– Phrases tended to be longer and irregular
in length
– Themes were more complex and utilized
chromaticism
Harmony
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By end of the 19th century
chromaticism (movement by half
steps) stretched tonality to the
breaking point
Chromaticism resulted in greater
dissonance and tension
Rhythm
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Rhythmic effects were used for “color” –
rubato
A new vocabulary of music terms arose that
indicated how to achieve the composer’s
desired sound – cantabile, dolce, con
amore, allegro agitato. These designations
produced a more emotional sound and
response.
Timbre/Instrumentation
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This period saw a full exploration of the
instrumental families.
Instruments were used for both their individual and
collective color potential.
Instrumental timbre was used to convey mood and
atmosphere.
The orchestra became much larger – from 70
players to more than 100 (resulting in the necessity
of a conductor).
Instruments could play louder and carry farther.
Instruments were capable of major changes in
dynamics.
Dynamics
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Gradual
Much wider range – extremes of
dynamic variation
Used extensively throughout the
compositions
Form
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Stretching of the classical forms:
sonata-allegro
rondo
theme and variation
minuet and trio
Strings
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String sections increased in
size and were given more
difficult accompaniment parts
(scales, arpeggios)
Woodwinds
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Development of new instruments
– saxophone (baritone and tuba) were
invented by Adolf Sax
– piccolo, bass clarinet and English horn
were added.
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Important improvements in wind
instruments
– “Boehm system” of fingering for flutes
and clarinets achieved better facility and
intonation for the performer and greater
musical range
Brass
•Addition of valves and improvement to valves on brass
instruments allowed the playing of a full chromatic
compass for the first time and to more easily play quick
runs of notes
•Tubas and Trombones were added
Percussion
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Expanded to include bass drum, snare
drum, cymbals and other exotic
percussion instruments (gong, castanets)
Ludwig Von Beethoven
1770-1827
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Crucial figure in the transition from Classical to Romantic
His music reflects intellectual depth, innovations and
their intense, highly personal expression. For example,
the String Quartet, Opus 131 has seven linked
movements, and the Ninth Symphony adds choral forces
to the orchestra in the last movement
Clara Wieck Schumann (18191896)
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German composer and pianist
Married Robert Schumann and
premiered many of his piano
compositions
Composed a piano concerto, piano
trio, solo piano pieces and songs
Liebst du um Schönheit, 1841
Poem by Friedrich Rückert
Modified strophic form
Frédéric Chopin (18101849)
Polish composer and pianist
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Lived in Paris for most of his life
Associated with George Sand (Aurore
Dudevant)
The only major composer to have
completely oriented his creative life
around the piano.
Piano compositions are generally
dances or free-form works (preludes,
etudes, nocturnes and impromptus).
Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2,
1830-1831
Night piece
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
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Hungarian composer and virtuosic pianist
Showman
Daughter married Wagner
Innovative composer both harmonically
and formally.
Used complex and unusual chords
Created the symphonic poem and utilized
thematic transformation (influenced
Wagner)
Composed two symphonies, symphonic
poems, piano music, orchestral and
operatic transcriptions
Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor,
1851
Vocal Genres
Opera
 Music Drama
 Mass and Requiem
 Art Song
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Giuseppe Verdi (18131901)
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Italian composer of 15 operas,
a Requiem, a string quartet
His music became a symbol of
the Italian liberation
movement (struggle against
Austrian domination)
Giacomo Puccini (18581924)
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Italian opera composer
Unlike Verdi and Wagner – did
not involve himself in politics
Known for his beautiful lyricism
(critics often cite a “popular”
less-crafted style of
composition)
La Bohème
Richard Wagner (18131883)
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German composer for the stage – music
dramas
Rejecting Italian opera, Wagner worked out
a theory about combining poetry, music,
philosophy and drama into one “complete
art work” – music drama.
He had complete control of every aspect of
these music dramas – music, libretto,
staging, costumes
Incorporated German folktales and legends
Used “leitmotifs” – thematic transformation
Extreme use of chromaticism
Instrumental Music
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Absolute music tended to reflect the Classical heritage of Mozart and
Haydn; it tended to be more traditional in compositional style and
instrumentation
Symphony, concerto, sonata, string quartet
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Program music was compositionally guided by a story, poem, idea or
scene; it tended to be more progressive in compositional style and
instrumentation
Program symphony, Tone poem, Symphonic poem
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Character Pieces
In contrast to the large instrumental genres, these were
smaller pieces typically for piano called character pieces
Composers
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Traditionalists
– Tended to compose in the style of their
teachers (classical era). While extending
the elements of music, they rarely went
outside of the norms.
– Composer Examples: Brahms,
Tchaikovsky Schumann, Mendelssohn,
Franck, Schubert, Chopin, Mussorgsky,
Rimsky-Korsakov, Puccini, Fanny
Mendelssohn Hensel, Clara Schumann
Johannes Brahms (18331897)
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German composer – 4 symphonies, violin
concerto, string quartets, 200 lieder,
German Requiem
Befriended by the Schumann family
Classicist in the Romantic period – often
criticized for being “out of step” with the
music of his time.
Preferred to say new things within
traditional forms
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Hector Berlioz (18031869)
French composer of programmatic
works.
Most of his works call for huge
instrumental and vocal forces
Very influential in his techniques and
writing about orchestration
Symphonie fantastique, 1830
Program symphony in five movements
Uses idée fixe – thematic transformation