The Romantic Period (1820-1900): Expressive Music

• The Romantic period (1820-1900) was defined by expressive and emotional music.
• Beethoven marked the transition from the Classical to the Romantic era.
• Composers wrote for skilled performers, rather than amateurs.
• Music became industrialized, motivating composers, publishers, and concert managers financially.
• Key composers included Liszt, Berlioz, Wagner, Clara Schumann, and Fanny Mendelssohn.

Purpose of Romantic Music

• Romantic composers explored human emotions through music.
• Romantic music was experimental, expressive, and personal.
• New forms like opera, ballets, symphonic poems, and piano music emerged.
• Dance music became very popular through social dancing.

Characteristics of Romantic Music

• Rhythm was irregular and complex
• Melody was full of emotion and told a story
• Harmony was tonal, often chromatic
• The texture was predominantly homophonic, featuring rich instrumental/vocal combinations
• Instrumentation included an expanded orchestra and the dominance of piano and opera

Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921, France)

• Saint-Saëns was a child prodigy that performed publicly at age 10.
• He was known for compositions that combined technical mastery and emotion.
• Notable works include: Danse Macabre, Samson and Delilah, Carnival of the Animals, and The Swan

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869, France)

• Berlioz abandoned medicine to pursue music.
• He pioneered program symphony (music that tells a story).
• Notable works include: Symphonie Fantastique, The Trojans, The Damnation of Faust, and Le Carnaval Romain.

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847, Germany)

• Mendelssohn was a prodigy from a privileged family that composed at age 12.
• He was famous for programmatic overtures and symphonies.
• Notable works include: A Midsummer Night's Dream Overture, Italian Symphony, Herbrides Overture, and Songs Without Words.

Program Music and Composers

• Franz Liszt (1811-1886, Hungary) developed symphonic poems and promoted program music.
• He was known for brilliant technical passages and sentimental melodies.
• Notable works include: Hungarian Rhapsodies, Mephisto Waltz, Dante Symphony, and Faust Symphony.
• Frederic Chopin (1810-1849, Poland) wrote exclusively for piano to explore its expressive potential.
• His compositions were highly melodic and emotionally deep.
• Notable works include: Revolutionary Etude, Nocturnes, Polonaises, Mazurkas, and Funeral March.
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893, Russia) created ballet music that became as important as the dance itself.
• He blended Russian folk melodies with Western orchestral forms.
• Notable works include: Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet Overture, and Piano Concerto No. 1.

Ballet and Romantic Opera

• Ballet evolved into an independent musical form, not just a dance accompaniment.
• Russian ballet became dominant with Marius Petipa and Tchaikovsky.
• Tchaikovsky’s ballet compositions were highly expressive and intricate.
• Notable ballets: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker.
• Romantic operas focused on strong emotional narratives with drama, music, and stunning visuals.
• Notable operatic composers: Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi, and Georges Bizet.

Key Terminology

• Program Music tells a story.
• Absolute Music is purely instrumental without an associated story.
• Symphonic Poem is a single-movement orchestral work that evokes an idea.
• Ballet Music accompanies ballet performances.
• Nocturne is a lyrical and expressive night piece.
• Etude is a technical piece for musical training, often performed in concerts.
• Polonaise is a stately Polish dance in triple meter.
• Virtuoso is a highly skilled performer.
• Concerto is a composition for a solo instrument with orchestra.
• Opera combines singing, acting, and orchestration.

Crucial Notes

• Romantic music is characterized by deep emotion and individualism.
• Composers expanded the orchestra and used new instruments to enhance timbre.
• Chopin revolutionized piano music, making it more expressive and virtuosic.
• Liszt pioneered the symphonic poem, linking literature and music.
• Tchaikovsky transformed ballet music into a significant orchestral form.
• Opera in the Romantic period became more dramatic and grand in scale.
• Verdi and Wagner were influential opera composers.
• Romantic music was less structured than Classical, favoring free forms.
• Ballet music gained importance.