1. Romantic Period

2. Stylistic Characteristics
Focus on self expression, passion, feeling, and liberty
Reflection of human imagination and wonders of nature
Melodies are more broad, flexible, singable, and irregular in shape with more powerful climaxes.
Use of chromatic harmonies creating richer harmonies
Use of longer dissonance before resolution conveying more emotion.  Searching, longing, anxiety… love.
Rubato is introduced and frees the performer's use of rigid tempos
Expansion of the Symphony orchestra.  Adding more instruments like piccolo, english horn, trombone, and French horn, as well as increasing the number of players in general.

3. Hector Berlioz
Impact on Period: Use of new instruments and mass amounts of performers to recreate in sound events and emotions drawn from literature, history, or legend--resulting in Program Music.
Composition #1: Symphonie Fantastic (1830)
Composition #2: Roman Carnival Overture (1844)

4. Ludwig Van Beethoven
Impact on Period: Foreshadowed the movement of Romanticism. Using classical form he pushed the boundaries with pounding rhythms, strong dynamic contrasts, startling orchestral effects, and intense lyrical expression.
Year range for important compositions in this period:
Composition #1: Eroica Symphony No. 3 in Eb Major (1803)
Composition #2: Symphony No. 9 in D minor (1824)

5. Giuseppe Verdi
Impact on period: Wrote 26 operas that are favorites to this day.  Created new style of recitative accompagnato resulting in more seamless and new intensity of opera movement. Year range for important compositions in this period:
Composition #1: La Traviata (1853)
Composition #2: Falstaff (1893)