The Romantic Era

1825-1900

Generally, “Romanticism” refers to groups of artists, poets, writers, musicians, and political, philosophical and social thinkers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Romanticism exalted individualism, subjectivism, irrationalism, imagination, emotions and nature - emotion over reason and senses over intellect.

“Romanticism”

The increasing role of science in defining a worldview The skepticism resulting from by a clearer

understanding of the world and humanity's place in it changed the way people thought of themselves and society. Charles Darwin's (1809-1882) The Origin of the Species is one example of the new attitude.

A growing autonomy for the arts More and more, art was removed from

functional roles and came to be appreciated for its aesthetic worth. The art of the past became increasingly revered, and our modern notions of the "artist" and of the "fine arts" were born.

Painters William Blake

“The Dragon”

Francisco de Goya “Saturn eating

Cronus”

Eugène Delacroix “Liberty

Leading

The

People”

William Turner “The Fighting Temeraire”

Musical Developments

Increased interest in nature and the supernatural

The rise of program music Nationalism and exoticism Changing status of musicians

Increased Interest in Nature and the Supernatural Romantic artists saw nature in a less idealized

way than the artists of the Classical period had. The natural world was considered less a model

of perfection and more a source of mysterious powers.

Romantic composers gravitated toward supernatural texts and stories. Schubert's Erlking and Berlioz' Symphonie fantastique

are two good examples.

Musical Style Dynamic range is wider, and there is a larger range

of sound. There is a greater variety of instruments, including

improved or newly-invented wind instruments. Melodies are longer, more dramatic and emotional. Tempos are more extreme, and tempo rubato is

often called for. Harmonies are fuller, often more dissonant. Formal structures are expanded. These are often

determined by the programmatic content of the piece.

The Virtuoso

The Romantic Era saw the rise of the “Virtuoso” (meaning: skill, manliness, excellence) – A highly capable performer whose abilities were such that they “dazzled the public”.

Notable Composers

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) Felix Mendelssohn (1809-

1847) Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) Robert Schumann (1810-

1856) Franz Liszt (1811-1886) Richard Wagner (1813-

1883) Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Georges Bizet (1838-1875) Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky

(1840-1893) Antonin Dvorák (1841-1904) Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) Claude Debussy (1862-

1918) Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

Beethoven – The Crossover Composer Beethoven was born in the classical era, and

his early music was typical of this time. As he grew older, his music started to exhibit

characteristics that were not typically “classical”.

Beethoven's use of tonal architecture in such a way as to allow significant expansion of musical forms and structures was immediately recognised as bringing a new dimension to music.

Beethoven – The three periods Early – Emulates the style of great

predecessors (Haydn, Mozart) Middle – Brought on by his struggles with

hearing loss. Characterized by large-scale works expressing heroism and struggle.

Late – 1816 until his death in 1827. Intellectual depth, personal expression and experimentation with form.