Romantic Era 1825-1900• 1828-1900 A.D.

• “Romantic” – subjectivity, the expression of personal feelings, sentimentality, the occupation with nature, the interest in magic or fairy tale, intrigue into the supernatural, and a desire for freedom from limitations of conventional formal patterns and harmonic rules.

• The Romantic period is basically characterized by its disregard of limitations and expansion of the Classical time period and forms

• Duality – something having two parts• Romantic Dualities – the ability to have

opposites in a song– Words and Music• Equal partnership of words and music• Composers as the authors• Inclusion of vocal music in instrumental works• Program music

– Composer and Audience• Composed for specific performer(s) both commissioned

and uncommissioned

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Composed for performances before a circle of friends• Composed for unknown performers, unknown future

audiences• Composed for personal expression without regard for

audience

– Individual and Crowd• Virtuoso composer-performer with or without

orchestra, accompaniment• Single performer in a solo recital• Conductor directing with baton, and standing between

audience and performers• Composers not recognized as performers

Romantic Era 1825-1900

– Professional and Amateur• Composer showing concern for amateur music making

in the home, community, in addition to writing works for own use

– Sacred and Secular• Inclusion of religious texts in secular works• Settings of religious texts not suitable for church service

– Urban and Rural• Composers living in urban centers, writing for urban

audiences, preoccupied with nature, composing program music of landscapes, seascapes, etc.

Romantic Era 1825-1900

– National and International• Inclusion of folk songs and folk dance elements of own

country and that of other countries• Expressions of patriotism, national senitment• Interest in Eastern exoticism

• Time Line– 1860: Unification of Italy – 1861-1865: American Civil War– 1861: Russia abolishes serfdom– 1870’s: Russo-Turkish War – weakens Ottoman

empire and Russia expands into Central Asia

Romantic Era 1825-1900

– 1870: Franco-Prussian War – unification of Prussia (Germany) under Kaiser Wilhelm I and Otto von Bismark

• Rise of nationalism – patriotism to one’s country

• Rise of imperialism – the expansion and conquest of major powers to colonize the Americas, Africa, and Far East

• Rise of socialism - the state controls economy for the needs of society

Romantic Era 1825-1900

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Technology– 1877: Thomas Edison invents the phonograph– 1887: Gramophone invented– 1895: The first radio transmissions by the Marconi

Company

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Johannes Brahms– 1833-1897– German composer, pianist– Composed music for piano, chamber music,

symphonies, overtures, concertos, choral works– Moved to Vienna, composed music and

concertized it to make a living– Most famous piece: Lullaby

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Richard Wagner– 1813-1883– German composer– Mainly composed operas and dramas; also

composed orchestral pieces, chamber music, and choral songs

– Built his own ideal theater, meaning that he designed and built a theater to fit the needs of his operas

– Designed his own instrument for this songs, called the Wagner Tuba

Romantic Era 1825-1900

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Guiseppe Verdi– 1813-1901– Italian composer– Composed operas, choral works, instrumental

pieces– Meticulous composer, he would check word for

word in any libretto that he would set music to and then change if he felt it was necessary

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Franz Liszt– 1811-1886– Hungarian composer– Virtuoso pianist, composer, conductor, author, and

teacher– Liszt began playing piano a very young age, and

traveled while performing– He became tired of performing and wanted to be a

priest, but when his father died, he decided to stay with music

– Liszt traveled around Germany, to Paris, London, and parts of Italy performing and composing

Romantic Era 1825-1900

– When Liszt married, his wife convinced him to stop performing and to focus on composing

– Liszt met Berlioz Wagner, and Chopin, who influenced his composing by introducing more Romantic elements into his songs

– Liszt divorced, took kids and travelled – ended up in Rome to work on religious studies, to teacher, and some conducting

– Died of pneumonia

Romantic Era 1825-1900

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Modest Musorsky– 1839-1881– Russian composer, singer, and pianist– One of the big five Russian composers, the most

talented and most nationalistic– Known for his nationalistic compositions

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Antonin Dvorak– 1841-1904– Czechoslovakian composer, pianist, violinist,

conductor– Well known for spreading the music of bohemian

composers to other countries– Known for the “New World” symphony

• Pyotr Tchaikovsky– 1840-1893– Russian composer, pianist, and writer– Composed 10 operas, 3 ballets, 6 symphonies,

overtures, string quartets, piano trios, vocal works, and piano solos

– Known for: “The Nutcracker” and the “1812 Overture”

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Sergev Rakhmaninov– 1873-1943– Russian composer, pianist, and conductor– Known for “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini”

• Hugo Wolf– 1860-1903– German composer, pianist, and violinist– Known for composing some of the best German

songs set to poetry

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Gustav Mahler– 1860-1911– Austrian composer, conductor, and pianist– Conductor of the NY Metropolitan Opera, and NY

Philharmonic– Composed nine symphonies and many German

songs

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Richard Strauss– 1864-1949– German composer, pianist, conductor

• Camille Saint-Saens– 1835-1921– French composer, pianist, conductor

• Gabriel Faure– 1845-1924– French composer, pianist, conductor

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Claude Debussy– 1862-1918– Leading French composer, pianist, conductor

• Maurice Ravel– 1875-1937– Leading French composer after Debussy’s death

• James Paine– 1839-1906– American composer

Romantic Era 1825-1900

• Edward Macdowell– 1860-1908– American composer

• Amy Cheney Beach– 1867-1944– American pianist, composer– First female American composer to be recognized

• Charles Ives– 1874-1954– American composer

Romantic Era 1825-1900