Music in the Romantic Era

1. Music in the Romantic Era 1820-1900

2. French Revolution Ideals: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité • Individuality, Emotion, Imagination

3. Nationalism and the Spread of Democracy • 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.

4. Social and Political Influences • 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Charles Dickens (1812-1870) • English novelist and social campaigner • Novels are works of social commentary • Fierce critic of poverty and social stratification

8. 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.”

9. 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.

10. Art Song and Song Cycle • Lieder, chansons, art songs • Compositions for solo voice and piano • Poetry and music are intimately fused • Typical forms used: strophic and through-composed

11. 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

12. Importance of nature. Romantics idealized nature in both visual art and music for its power, beauty and unpredictability

13. The Burghers of Calais • Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) The Thinker

14. Painting • Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863) • Leader of the Romantic movement, represented social concerns Liberty Leading the People, 1831

15. Impressionists • Provided transition to the 20th century Impression Sunrise, 1872 Claude Monet (1840-1926) Rouen Cathedral, 1894

16. Edouard Manet (1832-1883) Dejeuner sur l’herbe, 1863

17. Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) Le Moulin de la Galette, 1897

18. Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) Starry Night, 1889

19. Music • Musical Milieu • Public and Subscription Concerts • Founding of Conservatories

20. Composer • 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.

21. Performer • Rise of virtuosic performers • the public was captured by virtuosity and showmanship Niccolo Paganini Franz Liszt

22. Conductor • Resulted from the orchestras growth in numbers and complexity • Became necessary to have one person to lead and control the orchestra

23. Musical Elements • 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

24. Harmony • By end of the 19th century chromaticism (movement by half steps) stretched tonality to the breaking point • Chromaticismresulted in greater dissonance and tension

25. Rhythm • 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.

26. Timbre/Instrumentation • 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.

27. Dynamics • Gradual • Much wider range – extremes of dynamic variation • Used extensively throughout the compositions

28. Form • Stretching of the classical forms: sonata-allegro rondo theme and variation minuet and trio

29. Strings • String sections increased in size and were given more difficult accompaniment parts (scales, arpeggios)

30. Woodwinds • Development of new instruments • saxophone (baritone and tuba) were invented by Adolf Sax • piccolo, bass clarinet and English horn were added. • 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

31. 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

32. Percussion • Expanded to include bass drum, snare drum, cymbals and other exotic percussion instruments (gong, castanets)

33. Ludwig Von Beethoven1770-1827 • 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

34. Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896) • 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

35. Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) • Polish composer and pianist • 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

36. Franz Liszt (1811-1886) • 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

37. Vocal Genres • Opera • Music Drama • Mass and Requiem • Art Song

38. Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) • Italian composer of 15 operas, a Requiem, a string quartet • His music became a symbol of the Italian liberation movement (struggle against Austrian domination)

39. Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) • Italianopera 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

40. Richard Wagner (1813-1883) • 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

41. Instrumental Music • 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 • 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 • Character Pieces In contrast to the large instrumental genres, these were smaller pieces typically for piano called character pieces

42. Composers • 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

43. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) • 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

44. Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) • 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 • Symphoniefantastique, 1830 • Program symphony in five movements • Uses idée fixe – thematic transformation