The Romantic Period
Section 1- read pages C18-C21 and copy the following notes:
chamber music – music for a small group of players meant to be performed in people’s homes
and other small performance spaces
Composers:
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) - German composer, pianist, organist & conductor
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)- pianist & composer, older sister of Felix
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)- German pianist, composer and music critic, married Clara
Wieck
Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896)-extraordinary pianist who made her debut at age 9, also a
composer, married Robert Schumann
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) – German composer & pianist, one of the leading musicians of
the Romantic period
Section 2 – read pages C22-C23, copy the following AND fill in the blanks:
1. Opera is a theatrical production combining drama, vocal, and orchestral music, costumes,
scenery, and sometimes dance.
2. One of the most famous composers of opera was Richard Wagner.
3. During his early days, Wagner combined Shakespearian plays with his music. Later he
created large scale “music dramas” based on European myths.
4. One of his operas was based on the story of Lohengrin, the Swan Knight.
This opera has a (choose one) [HAPPY/SAD ] ending.
5. A libretto is the text of an opera or oratorio; from the Italian word meaning “little book.”
6. Wagner’s longest and best known work was The Ring of the Nibelung, a cycle of four operas
based on the story of the mythic hero Siegfried.
7. Siegfried must return the cursed treasure of the Nibelung dwarves, a ring of gold.
8. He encounters Valkyries, mythical immortal women who take the souls of brave men killed
in battle to Valhalla, the great hall of the god Odin.
9. Wagner wanted all kinds of special effects. To accomplish this, he drew designs for a large
theater in Bayreuth, Germany which is still used today.
Modern Period - Twentieth Century Music
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
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A Russian composer who liked to use Russian folk tales and folk songs in his music.
He is well known for his works for ballet, orchestra, and chamber groups.
His mother and father were both musicians, and were friends with many famous
composers who frequented their home.
He studied piano from a young age, but studied law in college before deciding on a
career in music
The Firebird - a ballet by Stravinsky about a bird with magical powers that helps a prince rescue
a princess from an evil man
The Rite of Spring - a ballet by Stravinsky that caused riots at its premiere. It was about
sacrifice, and the dancing and music were raw, primal, and shocking to audiences of the time
(1913).
Choreographer - a person who designs the movements for a dance
Stravinsky decided to write in the neoclassical style after The Rite of Spring
Neoclassical - literally means "new classical", a composer uses styles and forms based on the
Classical period but uses 20th century instrumental tone colors and harmony
The Nightingale - an opera by Stravinsky based on a story by Hans Christian Anderson. In it, a
Chinese Emperor has a real bird whose song has healing powers. When he is given a
mechanical bird, he sends the real one away, but when the emperor becomes ill he begs the
real nightingale to return.
West Side Story
Music by Leonard Bernstein, opened on Broadway in 1957. Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and
Juliet.
Romance – Tragedy – Conflict – Resolution
Characters:
Tony – A former Jet who loves Maria
Maria – Bernardo’s sister, she loves Tony
Riff – leader of the Jets, like a brother to Tony
Bernardo – leader of the Sharks, Maria’s brother
Chino – Shark who wants to date Maria
Anita – Bernardo’s girlfriend, like a sister to Maria
Ice – Jet who steps up after Riff dies
Songs:
“When You’re a Jet” – Jets
“Something’s Coming” – Tony
“Maria” - Tony
“Tonight” – Tony & Maria
“America” – Anita, Sharks & Shark Girls
“Cool” – Ice & Jets
“One Hand, One Heart” – Tony & Maria
“I Feel Pretty” – Maria & Shark Girls
“Somewhere” – Tony & Maria
“Officer Krupke” – Jets
“A Boy Like That/ I Have a Love” – Anita & Maria
Marches Through History
Early marches: fife & drum bands marched into battle in the late 1700’s (American
Revolutionary War) through the early 1800’s (French Revolution & Napoleonic Wars)
Mid – Late 1800’s (Civil War), marching bands played concerts and parades – no longer on
battlefield
Each branch of the US military has its own march theme
Late 1800’s – Early 1900’s were the “golden age” of town bands
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) the “March King” – conducted Marine bands, composed many
marches, popularized marches in both the US and around the world. The Sousaphone (a
marching band kind of tuba) is named after Sousa