MAPEH: The Romantic Period

THE ROMANTIC PERIOD

·         From 1815 to 1910 (musicological) or from 1789 to 1910 (historically)

·         A revolution against the aristocratic socio-political norms of the Enlightenment

·         Emphasis on subjectivity, emotion, imagination, and individualism; a counter-reaction to this is the logical deduction of the Enlightenment

·         Stress on the freedom of expression

1. Major Events of the Period

·         The Industrial Revolutions (1760 to 1914)

·         The French Revolution (1789 to 1799)

·         Napoleon’s Rise to Power (1799 to 1804)

·         Unification of Germany under Bismarck (1815 to 1871?)

·         Napoleon’s Defeat at Waterloo (1815)

·         The British Empire’s Dominance of the Seas (1815 to ?)

·         The Victorian Era (1837 to 1901)

·         Publication of the Communist Manifesto (1848)

·         Spanish-American War (1898)

2. Characteristics of Romantic Music

·         Emphasis of self-expression and freedom of form

·         Emphasis on lyrical, song-like melodies

·         New intensity on the classical forms

·         Intensified popularity of program music

·         Harmonic instability

·         Introduction of new chords and new uses of fam… chords

·         Prominence of chromatic harmony

·         Wider use of dissonant or unstable chords

3. Vocal Forms

·         Art Song

o   A composition for solo voice and piano

o   Expressive and closely adaptive melodic lines

o   Voice for interpretation of text and piano accompaniment for the projection of mood and melody

o   Intimate fusion of poetry and music

·         Strophic Form – same music for each stanza

·         Through-composed Form – different music per stanza

·         Song cycle – collection of poems in one poet set in a… unified thru a story line and musical ideas

4. Keyboard Forms

·         Etudes – a study that showed off the performer’s technical ability using apreggios, octaves, scales, and chords

·         Character Pieces – a short programmatic work that had descriptive titles, such as nocturne, ballad, rhapsody, and wordless songs

·         Variations – a virtuoso piece that states the theme and then modifies it through changes of rhythm, meter, and structure

·         Stylized Dances – popular dance forms such as the waltz, mazurka, polka…

5. Orchestral Forms

·         Symphonies – differs from classical symphonies due to free form of internal structure, movement variation, creativity, and inclusion of solo and choral sounds

·         Concerto – extravagant showpiece for  a virtuoso soloist in orchestra; usually played with violins and pianos

·         Concert Overture – a single movement and is usually found in sonata-allegro form

·         Symphonic Suite – programmatic works in… several movements which do not follow the symphonic form

6. Program Music (flourished during the close association of music and literature)

·         Program music – instrumental music associated with a poem, idea or scene

·         Program – a non-musical element that is specified by explanatory comments

·         Absolute Music (opposite of program music) – self-standing music; music intended to be appreciated without any reference to the outside world

·         Examples: Beethoven’s “Pastoral” and Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet”

7. Musicians

·         Franz Schubert

o   January 31, 1797 – November 19, 1828

o   Born in Vienna, Austria

o   Father of the German Liede

o   Never held an official musical position and was neither a conductor nor a virtuoso

o   Well-known works: German Dance in B flat, Salve Regina (D.27)

·         Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

o   February 3, 1809 – November 4, 1847

o   Born in Hamburg, Germany

o   A German and Jewish conductor, composer, pianist, and organist

o   Grandson of philosopher Moses Mendelssohn

o   Greatest musical child prodigy after Mozart

o   Well-known works: Wedding March for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Die Hochzeit des Camacho

·         Frederic François Chopin

o   March 1, 1810 – October 17, 1849

o   Born in Zelazowa Wola, Poland

o   A Polish composer and virtuoso pianist

o   Second Mozart of Poland

o   Well-known works: Opus 53:Polonaise in A flat major, “Heroic”, Opp. 11 and 21, Etude no. 3

·         Franz Ritter von Liszt

o   October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886

o   Born in Raiding, Austria (formerly Doborjan, Hungary)

o   A Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist and teacher

o   Surrounded with music in early childhood

o   Well-known works: Les Preludes, Piano Concerto in Eb, Piano Concerto in A, the Hungarian Rhapsodies (1-19)

8. Songs and Composers

·         Giuseppe Verdi

o   La Donna E Mobile

o   La Traviata

·         Johann Strauss II

o   Blue Danube

o   Champagne Polka

·         Franz Schubert – Symphony no. 5 in B flat major

·         Johannes Brahms – Hungarian Dance no. 5

·         Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky

o   Trepak

o   Waltz of the Flowers

o   Romeo and Juliet Overture

·         Hector Berlioz – The Damnation of Faust

·         Clara Schumann – Piano Trio in G minor

·         Frederic Chopin – Raindrops

·         Bedrich Smetana – Vitava