Romantic Period Music Quiz (1815-1910)

Romantic Period (1815-1910)

• Classical composers like Beethoven inspired Romantic composers to express their emotions and ideas through music.
• Romantic composers explored nature and their country's music and history.
• They experimented with new and rich harmonies.
• The Romantic period started in the early 19th century, coinciding with Europe's age of exploration, scientific discovery, industrial revolution, and colonial expansion.

Composers of the Romantic Period

• Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840): A highly skilled Italian violinist known for technically challenging and imaginative violin solos, influencing later Romantic composers.
• Louis Spohr (1784-1859): A German composer and violinist, whose work combined Classical forms with rich, expressive harmonies. Spohr was one of the first conductors to use a baton.
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): An important figure who provided inspiration for Romantic composers
• Franz Schubert (1797-1828): A prolific composer who moved away from the Classical style towards a more emotional and imaginative Romantic style, composing a vast amount of lieders ("art songs") and other orchestral music. He died young, at age 31.
• Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826): A German composer whose opera, Der Freischütz, marked the beginning of German Romantic opera. His operas used folk tales and tunes.

Instruments and Orchestral Developments

• The piano became a popular home instrument in the 19th century, due to its tone and expanded range.
• Improvements in brass instruments, with the addition of valves, allowed for a wider range of melodies.
• The overall variety of instruments and their improved playing capabilities gave composers more sound choices.

Romantic Opera

• Weber's Der Freischütz was pivotal in introducing how opera could be based on a country's folk tales and tunes.
• Romantic opera began to develop with an emphasis on national folk tales and tunes.

Romantic Art

• Romantic artists were inspired by their country's landscapes.
• Paintings of landscapes and other scenes were popular during the romantic period.