ROMANTIC ERA 1820-1900 Journal Entry #1 Music history focuses on composers, rather than performers. Has that changed, or will history remember the song writers of today? Why/why not?

Literature Victor Hugo – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) Charles Dickens – Oliver Twist (1844) Alexander Dumas – The Three Musketeers (1844) Edgar Allen Poe – The Raven (1845) Mark Twain – The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)

Art Claude Monet – Impressionism, Water Lilies

Poppies Blooming

Paul Cezanne – Still Life with Apples

Van Gogh – Starry Night (1889)

History Monroe Doctrine (1823) Marx and Engels: The Communist Manifesto (1848) Darwin – Origin of Species American Civil War: 1861-1865 Alexander Graham Bell invents the TELEPHONE: 1876 Spanish-American: 1898

Chapter 1. Romanticism in Music 1820-1900

ROMANTICISM Cultural mvmt: emotion, imagniation, individuality A rebellion against the age of reason The totality of the human experience International mvmt, influenced all arts Romantics drawn to fantasy: unconscious, irrational, world of dreams Nature inspired art The physical world was seen as a source of consolation, a mirror of the human heart

Romantic Large amount of composers during this time testifies to the richness and variety of romantic music and to its continuing impact on today’s concert and operatic repertoire Forms from classical period Greater ranges of tone color, dynamics, and pitch.

Romantic More emphasis on colorful, unstable chords Close link to the other arts- particularly literature New forms developed that showed greater tension and less emphasis on balance and resolution. This period cannot be overly generalized—many traditional vs. radical composers.

Characteristics of Romantic Music Individuality of style Unprecedented emphasis on self-expression and individuality of style Unique and often reflected their personalities Expressive aims and subjects Exploration into feeling--flamboyance and intimacy, unpredictability and melancholy, rapture and longing Songs, operas glorify romantic love; lovers are often unhappy and face overwhelming obstacles

Characteristics of Romantic Music Nationalism- political movement that influenced 19th c. music. Musical Nationalism- romantic composers deliberately created music with a specific national identity Using the folk songs, dances, legends, and history of their homeland Exoticism- fascination with national identity leading composers to draw on colorful materials from foreign lands

Characteristics of Romantic Music Program Music- instrumental music associated with a story, poem, idea, or scene. Expressive Tone Color - Timbre is more important than ever before Larger orchestras, more varied in tone color (up to 100 musicians) Brass, Woodwinds, Percussion took on more active roles

Characteristics of Romantic Music New tone colors in woodwinds: contrabassoon, bass clarinet, English horn, piccolo (became regulars in the orchestra) Piano was improved during the 1820’s and 30’s A cast-iron frame was introduced to hold strings under greater tension, hammers were covered with felt, range was extended, use of damper pedal

Characteristics of Romantic Music Colorful Harmony Explored new chords and new ways of using familiar chords Rich, colorful, complex harmonies Chromatic harmony: use of chords containing tone not found in the prevailing major or minor scale- use of chromatic scale tones Unstable, dissonant chords used more Use of wide variety of keys and modulations

Characteristics of Romantic Music Expanded Range of Dynamics, Pitch, and Tempo Wider dynamics, extremes- ffff, pppp Extreme high and low pitches for increased brilliance and depth Use of accelerandos, ritardandos, and subtle variations of pace Rubato: slight holding back or pressing forward of tempo

Characteristics of Romantic Music Form: Miniature and Monumental Very much and age of contradictions Short songs and piano pieces, gigantic works- long, large number of performers Typical romantic symphony may last 45 minutes

New techniques used to unify long works such as thematic transformation- a melody returning in a later movement or section its character may be transformed by changes in dynamics, orchestration, or rhythm

Chapter 2. Romantic Composers and Their Public

More freelancing than previous eras Outside aristocratic or church patronage Inspired by Beethoven Composed to fill an “inner need” rather than fulfill a commission

Partly due to economics French Revolution, Napoleonic wars left aristocrats unable to afford to maintain private music endeavors Merging of many tiny states into fewer, larger ones, left many musicians unemployed without courts

Industrial Revolution – enlarged middle class Composers wrote even more for them Romantic Era a time of many public subscription-based concerts opening London Philharmonic Society (1813) New York Philharmonic (1842) Many conservatories opened in Europe and United States

Public captivated more than ever by virtuosity Best known Romantic virtuosos: Pianist Franz Liszt Violinist Niccolò Paganini

Private music making more popular than ever – nearly every home had a piano High demand for solo piano repertoire Even operas and orchestral works arranged for piano

Few Romantic composers were able to support themselves through composition alone Other income: lessons - especially to the wealthy, who could be overcharged (Chopin taught wealthy young women); music criticism; conducting