General Characteristics
of Romantic Music
• Dynamics extended, changes more frequently, less
predictable
• Range of tempos extended, more frequent, more
adjectives
• Melodies are longer, “yearning” quality, rubato
• Harmony explores further, modulations, chromatic
• Forms blur
Franz Schubert
Song, Die Forelle (The Trout)
• What is the form/structure of this piece?
• What is the relationship between the melody and the
accompaniment? Is one more important than the
other?
• What is the atmosphere of this song? How does
Schubert create it?
• How does Schubert create the effect of water?
Fryderyk Chopin
Prelude in E minor for Piano
• On what other piece of music is this Prelude
modelled?
• What is the form of this piece?
• What is the relationship between the melody and the
accompaniment? What shape or direction do they
move?
Schumann, Traumerei from
Kinderscenen
• What is the relationship between the melody and the
accompaniment?
• What is the form?
• What makes this a “character piece”?
• What is the atmosphere? How does Schumann
achieve this?
• Describe the characteristics of the melody?
Giuseppe Verdi, Otello
• What is the source of the story? How accurately
does it reflect the original?
• Describe the nature of the melody? In what ways is
it easy to sing? In what ways is it difficult?
• How realistic is this opera? What drives the story?
• What are reference motives?
• This opera is associated with Italian nationalism.
How so?
Johannes Brahms
Fourth Movement from Symphony No. 4
in E minor
• What is a passacaglia? What is its significance to this
piece?
• How does Brahms achieve harmonic and melodic
variation?
• Describe the length of variations and their
relationship to each other.
• How does B Section relate to the A sections?
Pucinni, Madame Butterfuly, “Un bel di”
• Describe the nature of the melody
• How does Pucinni reinforce the importance of the
melody?
• Describe the relationship between recitatives and
arias
• What is a da capo aria? How is it used here?
• How does the music reflect the drama of the story?
Mahler, Symphony No. 2, Fourth
Movement
• In what way is this symphony programmatic?
• What is the overall form or structure to this
symphony?
• How does this compare to a symphony by a Classical
composer like Haydn or Mozart?
• How does this symphony relate to Beethoven’s 5th
and 9th Symphonies?
Richard Wagner
Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
• What are leitmotives?
• What is the relationship between this piece and
Hitler’s facism of the 1930/40’s?
Bedrich Smetana
Symphonic Poem, The Moldau
• What is a tone poem
• Is this music programmatic? How so?
• What is orchestral colour? Does this piece have
broad or narrow palette of orchestral colour?
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
• How does this piece relate to the Impressionism
movement in art?
• The Symbolist poet Mallarmé wrote the text on which
this music is based. What is the poem and how does
the music reflect it?
• Explain the significance of the opening melody. What
are its important musical characteristics?