The Romantic Period

1825- 1900
"Romanticism" was brought about by the
social and political stresses following the
French Revolution, and the resulting
nationalistic trends.

It was a period of dramatic thought and action,
also involving contradictions between capitalism
and socialism, freedom and oppression, logic and
emotion, science and faith. This resulted in a
change in the thinking of people, especially
creative artists.

There was a general impatience with the
rules and restraints of Classicism, and
music "revolted" against the practices of
Mozart and Haydn.


The goal was to be different and individualistic. The
ideal for the Romantic composer was to reflect his own
feelings and emotions in his compositions in order to
instill in the listener certain preconceived moods. The
expression of emotion and the "sparking" of the
imagination were a primary goal.


The center of musical
activity shifted from
Vienna to Paris, and
musicians were no longer
attached to patrons.
However, while
composers during this
time did not write for the
lower classes, their music
was addressed to the
masses to a far greater
degree than before in the
history of music.
Music became more and
more disassociated from real
life, while expressing the
splendor and pride of the
human spirit. In the effort to
capture audiences, a
dynamic and colorful
personality became an
important asset. The concert
manager, or "impresario" as
he was often called, was
also an important figure in
the business of music.
Another important person
behind the scenes of music
was the music critic.
The Romantic era is known for its intense energy
and passion. The rigid forms of classical music gave
way to greater expression, and music grew closer to
art, literature and theatre.
Beethoven pioneered Romanticism and expanded
previously strict formulas for symphonies and sonatas,
and introduced a whole new approach to music, giving
his works references to other aspects of life - for
example, his 'Pastoral' Symphony No. 6 describes
countryside scenes.
As well as symphonies, the tone poem and
descriptive overture were popular as pieces of
stand-alone orchestral music that evoked anything
from a painting or poem to a feeling of nationalistic
fervour
The classical symphony follows form and structure
very meticulously, where as the romantic
symphony does not. Often, romantic symphonies
have larger orchestrations and a larger variety of
instrumentation. Sometimes, it could be said that
romantic period symphonies are larger than life;
they are much more expressive in terms of
harmonization, rhythmic patterns, and dynamics.
Whats the difference between the
Classical and Romantic symphony?

Romanticism still served a sophisticated and
aristocratic society, as had been the case with
Classical music. Aristocratic patronage was
smaller, but the intimacy of the exclusive
salon was still the ideal setting for
performances.
Function of Music
in the Romantic Period

Performance, however, was
no longer by mere amateurs,
for Romantic music was
usually too technically
demanding for unskilled
performers. Standing outside
the circle of the exclusive
salon was a large concert-
going public which loved
music.
Romantic composers were constantly striving to gain
recognition of this large audience and, in an effort to win
acceptance, they were very sensitive to the likes and dislikes of
these music-lovers. Performers, as well as composers, had the
urge to be acceptable and to dazzle audiences. Composers were
often fine performers as well, such as Liszt and Chopin, who
wrote a large number of virtuoso pieces to thrill the public with
technical display.
The Romantic composer expressed his own feelings
and convictions, writing music to express himself in
personal "documents of art". The church was no longer
considered a patron of music, with very little music
written for liturgical purposes. The teaching of music,
however, became an established profession. Many fine
conservatories and schools of music were founded for
the education of the performing and creative musician.
Research in music history and theory was introduced
into programs of many universities by the end of the
1800's. Many prominent composers and performers
such as Liszt, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Schumann
achieved wide recognition as teachers. Thus, to meet
pressing needs for pedagogical (instructional) material,
such composers wrote etudes (studies) and other short
pieces for teaching.

Prominent Musical
Characteristics

Basically, there are six chief
musical characteristics in
Romanticism:

Subjectivity
Emotionalism
Nationalism
Programmatic Compositions
Thick Timbre
Chromaticism

Prominent Musical
Characteristics

Subjectivity: Music was not objective (outside of
human emotions) as in the Classical period, but
had to be joined with extramusical ideas. In this
respect, some of Beethoven's later music was held
to be the model to be emulated. Because music
could not convey pictures or ideas, some
composers resorted to "objective" devices which
imitated natural sounds. Much of the music
during the nineteenth century has a sentimental
quality.

Prominent Musical
Characteristics

Emotionalism: All music has some degree of
emotionalism. However, the Romantic composer
sought to intensify this aspect of his music. By
the use of chromaticism (progression by half
steps) in melodies and chords, and modulations
(changing keys) and by exploiting tension in the
music (by not resolving dissonances
immediately), the composer was to keep the
listener in a state of suspense for long periods of
time.

Prominent Musical
Characteristics

Nationalism: Composers were greatly influenced
by the intense nationalistic feelings that
developed after the Napoleonic wars. Some
composers were political outcasts (Chopin and
Wagner), while others promoted a love for their
country (Russian Five). The main areas of
nationalistic music during the nineteenth century
were Germany, Italy, France, Central Europe and
Russia.

Prominent Musical
Characteristics

Programmatic Compositions: The development
and use of descriptive music became an important
part of the Romantic movement. The trend from
the subjectivity of the composer to the
emotionalism in the listener was natural. As
mentioned previously, composers resorted to
"objective" devices in their music. The devices
included descriptive titles, melodic formulas,
harmonic cliches and instrumental effects.

Prominent Musical
Characteristics

Thick Timbre: The availability of improved
musical instruments allowed composers to
experiment with novel orchestral effects. The
timbre and texture of the orchestral color became
more evocative as the nineteenth century
progressed. The use of chromaticism and
dissonance led to a very complex orchestral
timbre by the end of the century:

Prominent Musical
Characteristics

Thick Timbre: The use of chromaticism and
dissonance led to a very complex orchestral
timbre by the end of the century:
1. At the beginning of the century, the woodwind
parts often doubled those of the strings. Brass
instruments were mainly used to "fill in" louder
passages.


Prominent Musical
Characteristics

Thick Timbre: The use of chromaticism and
dissonance led to a very complex orchestral
timbre by the end of the century:
2. About the middle of the century, the woodwinds
were combined with the strings in all registers. The
brass instruments were generally used to double
other parts and to play for louder passages.


Prominent Musical
Characteristics

Thick Timbre: The use of chromaticism and
dissonance led to a very complex orchestral
timbre by the end of the century:
3. In the second half of the century, complete
instrumentation was employed in each section of
the orchestra. Each section tended to be treated on a
more equal footing.


Prominent Musical
Characteristics

Chromaticism: The harmonic system established by
Rameau in 1722 began breaking down during the
Classical period. The Romantic composers exploited
the use of altered chords and modulation to such a
degree that the feeling for a central tonality often
became obscure. This is especially true of music
written after about 1850. The increased use of
dissonance and half step movements in all the voices,
and the avoidance of a "too-well-defined" tonality,
paved the way for the Impressionistic and
Expressionistic movements of the twentieth century.

Music Forms/ Styles

Program music - An instrumental music which
relays ideas or narrates a story.

Character pieces - A short piece for the piano
that depicts a single emotion, often in ABA form.

The Piano
During the Romantic period, the piano
(pianoforte) became the most popular
single instrument. It became a musical
symbol of Romanticism, and was
enlarged to give it a wider range and
more tonal power. The piano reached
such heights of popularity that it
became the favorite household
instrument with every family that could
afford it. The orchestra grew to be the
favorite large instrument of the century.
Added were the English horn, the
clarinet, more brass and percussion.
Opera was also a major medium of
expression.
Ballet Music
Ballet is defined by dance, naturally, but it's also the gateway
to some of the greatest music in the classical canon.


What's the deal with ballet music? Well, it depends on the
ballet. When ballet was coming into its own as a dance medium,
throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the music was very much a
background element. It took a long time for the music to be
considered anything close to equal to the dance on stage, but it didn't
stop some of history's favourite composers ploughing their best
material into the medium.




Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake was a game-changer for ballet
music. It was the first time an exclusively symphonic
composer had composed a score for ballet, and that wasn't
until 1876. Tchaikovsky's fingerprints are all over the work
and, notably, Swan Lake is perfectly digestible if you listen
with or without dance. It's packed with tunes, from the
gentle Dance of the Little Swans to the clattering finale
(which you might recognise from old Frankenstein and
Dracula movies from the '30s, as well as Billy Elliot).

Ballet Music




But that's just an entry point. Before that, composers had to be
specialists when it came to ballet, and were often seen as far less
important or artful than their more symphonic peers. The focus
was strictly on dance, and the composer's job was simply to
accompany. Early examples to look at would be Jean-Phillipe
Rameau's Les Indes Galantes from 1735 (which is actually more
of an opera-ballet - listen to an extract below), and perhaps Jean
Baptiste Lully's Psych ou la puissance de l'amour from 1656.
They show the art form in its infancy, when composers were still
working out how best to write music for dance.

Ballet Music




Does it work outside the theatre?
Ballet is, by its very definition, a visual art form as much as a
musical one. Performances of Tchaikovsky's work in particular,
from the festive fun of The Nutcracker to the lush drama
of Swan Lake , are extremely visual and are still exceptionally
popular with audiences. But the fashion for turning ballet music
into straight orchestral works (usually called 'Ballet Suites' or
something similar) has meant that much of this music is just as
enjoyable without all the tights and prancing.

Ballet Music


The Composers
of the Romantic Era





1833
Johannes Brahms



Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was a German composer
and pianist and is considered a leading composer in the
romantic period. His best known pieces include
his Academic Festival Overture and German Requiem.




1840
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky



Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was a Russian
composer whose works included symphonies,
concertos, operas, ballets, and chamber music.




1849
Frederic Chopin



Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) was a Polish composer
and virtuoso pianist of French-Polish parentage. He is
considered one of the great masters of Romantic music.




1851
Giuseppe Verdi



Giuseppe Verdi (18131901) was one of the few composers
whose genius was recognised while he was alive. Verdi's
reputation as the greatest of all Italian opera composers is
beyond dispute.






Robert Schumann (18101856) was a German romantic
composer and influential music critic. Although Schumann
was no child prodigy, he went on to become one of the most
important composers of the 19th century and is recognised
as such 200 years after his birth.



1856
Robert Schumann






Giacomo Puccini (18581924) was an Italian composer
whose operas, including La Bohme, Tosca, Madama
Butterfly, and Turandot are among the most frequently
performed.




1858
Giacomo Puccini






Gustav Mahler (18601911) was an Austrian composer and
a master of the symphony, who thought "The symphony must
be like the world; it must embrace everything".





1860
Gustav Mahler






Claude Debussy (18621918) was a 20th-century French
composer and one of the most prominent figures working
within the field of impressionist music.






1862
Claude Debussy





Jean Sibelius 1865 1957 Few composers of Sibelius's
stature have divided the critics so sharply. Many feel
that it was Sibelius rather than Mahler who was the last
master in the grand Beethoven symphonic tradition.






1865
Jean Sibelius





Sergei Rachmaninov (18731943) was a Russian
composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninov, it
seemed, could do nothing right by most of his
contemporary critics' and composers' standards. As a
person, he appeared somewhat cold and aloof - Stravinsky
once called him "a six-and-a-half foot tall scowl".






1873
Sergei Rachmaninov




Richard Wagner (18131883) was a German
composer, conductor and theatre director who was
primarily known for his operas. Sometimes called the
greatest musical visionary of the 19th century. Some say
he is an insatiable megalomaniac who didn't know when
to stop







1883
Richard Wagner





Franz Liszt (18111886) was one of the most
important composers of the Romantic period. His
compositions inspired a whole generation of keyboard
virtuosi.







1886
Franz Liszt