Romantic

During the romantic era (early to mid-1800s), music took a turn for the highly emotional and poetically personal. Structure, though still important, was second to expressing oneself freely. A beautiful sunset or a lovely member of the opposite sex would inspire this men to run for there greatest desires.

• Berlioz
• Chopin
• Brahms
• Liszt
• Strauss

These are just some of the romantic greats.

While music and art from the Classical period was based on

• reason
• order
• rules

• emotion
• adventure
• imagination.

The Romantic period was a time of political revolution and new ways of looking at the world. Instead of working for wealthy bosses, composers were for the first time able to work for themselves. They composed music to express what they were thinking and feeling.

Many individual styles of Romantic music existed and were often dependent on where the composers called their home. Opera was very popular, as were technically difficult pieces that allowed performers to excite their audiences by showing off their performing abilities. The continued growth of the orchestra was also a trademark of the Romantic period.

Themes

• The increasing importance of science in defining a worldview
• The rise of European nationalism
• A growing autonomy for the arts

Musical Context

• Increased interest in nature and the supernatural
• The rise of program music
• Nationalism and exoticism
• Changing status of musicians

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.