Overview of Romantic Music

Overview of Romantic Music

• Romantic music bridged the gap between Classical and Romantic periods.
• Ludwig van Beethoven was a pioneer of Romanticism in music.

Characteristics of Romantic Music

• Romantic music was written for a wider audience beyond just the nobility and aristocracy.
• Performing Romantic music required higher skills and was not intended for amateur musicians.
• Men dominated the music scene in the Romantic period but women composers, like Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn, also made their mark.
• Music became a major industry in the Romantic period. Composers, publishers, and concert managers needed to sell their work to gain patrons.
• Romantic music focused on exploring and expressing human emotions.
• Opera, ballet, symphonic poem, and piano music were popular genres in this period.
• Experimental music was explored. Social dances, like the waltz, contributed to the popularity of composers like the Strauss family.
• Church music was less prominent as composers focused on audience preferences for income.

Key Elements of Romantic Music

• Rhythm: irregular and complex
• Melody: full of emotion, telling a story or painting a picture
• Harmony: tonal, homophonic
• Texture: heavy, featuring a combination of vocal and instrumental music
• Instrumentation and Tone Color: prominent use of piano, orchestra
• Musical Forms: Lieder (art song), Opera

Composers of Instrumental Music

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

• Began piano lessons at the age two and performed publicly at age ten.
• Studied organ and composition at the Paris Conservatory by the age of thirteen.
• Became a renowned pianist and composer in his twenties, receiving support from famous musicians.
• Saint-Saëns produced some of his most notable works after the death of his two sons.
• He is known for works such as Danse Macabre, Samson and Delilah, Carnival of the Animals (including the popular The Swan), other operas, symphonies, and concertos.

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)

• Learned flute and guitar at a young age.
• Studied medicine before pursuing music.
• Known for composing programmatic symphonies, including his famous Symphonie Fantastique, which features a narrative about his life and love.
• Other notable works include: The Trojans, The Damnation of Faust (choral work), and overtures like Le Carnaval Romain.

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

• Came from a prominent German family and enjoyed a privileged upbringing.
• Received music education from a renowned teacher and became a virtuoso pianist.
• Made his public debut at age nine and wrote operas, symphonies, sonatas, and fugues by age twelve.
• Actively conducted, including a performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion which gained him recognition.
• One of his most famous works is the Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream (1826).

Robert and Clara Schumann

• A gifted musical couple who have left a significant mark on Western music.
• Robert studied music under Friedrich Wieck, Clara's father.
• Their relationship faced opposition from Clara's father but they ultimately married and had six children.
• Robert composed while Clara performed.
• Robert's famous works include Symphonic Studies, Carnival, and Fantasie in C.
• Clara Schumann was a renowned pianist and was the first to publicly perform the works of Johannes Brahms.
• Robert died young at forty-six, while Clara lived to seventy-six and became a respected member of society.

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

• Learned piano, theory, and composition from his father.
• Started as a pianist before becoming a composer.
• Was introduced to important musicians like Liszt and Schumann through his work as an accompanist.
• Known for his mastery of symphonic and sonata styles.
• Some of his famous works include the Academic Festival Overture and Hungarian Dances.

Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840)

• Known as “The Devil’s Violinist” for his incredible violin skills.
• His performances were so impressive that some believed he had made a pact with the devil.
• Learned to play the mandolin at age five and the violin at age seven.
• Showed remarkable talent at a young age, becoming an accomplished violinist by thirteen and a composer by nineteen.
• Considered the greatest violinist of all time.
• Famous works: 24 Caprices for Solo Violin and Witches’ Dance (Le Streghe).
• Developed unique violin techniques, including impossible fingerings, scordatura (tuning the strings of an instrument differently), double, triple, and quadruple stops, ricochet bowing, intricate harmonics, double-stop harmonics, multiple trills, double-stop octave runs, and right and left-hand pizzicato.