5. ROMANTICISM
Siemiradzki - Chopin concert (1887)
1. INTRODUCTION
Romanticism is the artistic period that runs almost all the 19th century (from the première of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 Eroica in 1805 to the publication of Debussy's symphonic poem La Mer in 1905).
Romanticism emerged as a reaction against the Age of Enlightenment. It was a time of rebellion, passion and intuition over rationalism, order and logic. Composers were admired as a geniuses and were no longer considered servants.
​Characteristics​
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Composers searched for expressive freedom, intense emotions and individual imagination.
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Rhythm: irregular and complex, with polyrhythms and syncopation.
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Melody: main element to express emotions, often using chromaticism.
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Harmony: richer and more chromatic, derived from the chromatic scale.
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Texture: generally thick, with multiple layers of sound.
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Timbre: solo instruments (piano, violin) as well as gigantic orchestras.
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Form: freedom in form, from small intimate pieces to huge orchestral works.
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Composers​
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Germany: Wagner, Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Mahler.
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ltaly: Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini.
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France: Bizet, Chopin, Franck, Berlioz, Dukas.
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Spain: Albéniz, Granados, Falla, Turina, Barbieri, Chueca.
Fanny Mendelssohn
Clara Schumann
2. VOCAL MUSIC
Large vocal forms
Mass / oratorio: religious vocal music maintains these forms, but they are both in decadence.
Opera: it is still popular but with significant changes depending on each country.
Italy:
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Bel canto: style of opera with demanding passages designed to show off the singers' vocal abilities. E.g. Rossini (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Donizetti (L'elisir d'amore) and Bellini (Norma).
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Verismo: style of opera with more realistic plots, featuring scenes from everyday life such as poverty, misery, etc. E.g. Leoncavallo (Pagliacci) and Puccini (La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly).
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Verdi (Rigoletto, Il trovatore, La traviata) is the peak of the Italian opera. His operas are related with Italy's nationalism and he became an icon of the patriotic movement.
Germany:
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Carl Maria von Weber (Der Freischütz) is the initiator.
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Wagner (Tristan und Isolde, Der Ring des Nibelungen) is the peak of the German opera. He considers opera as a "total work of art", a fusion of music, poetry, dance, etc. He created an "endless melody" blurring the aria-recitative distinction, and the leitmotivs or recurring themes associated with characters and concepts.
France:
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Meyerbeer (Les Huguenots) is the creator of the "grand opera", with large set designs and ballets.
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Offenbach (Orphée aux enfers) is the main representative of the "operetta", with humor and dialog.
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Bizet (Carmen) replaces the "grand opera" by the "opera comique", more realistic with popular themes.
Verdi - Il trovatore. Coro di zingari
(Italian opera)
Wagner - Die Walküre. The Ride of the Valkyries (German opera)
Bizet - Carmen. Habanera
(French opera)
Small vocal forms
Lied (pl. lieder): short vocal form written for solo voice and piano upon a poem, in which the piano accompaniment illustrates the text. "Lied" means song in German.
The main lieder composers were Schubert and Schumann.
The most common forms are:
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Strophic lied: A A' A''
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Binary lied: |: A :||: B :|
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Ternary lied: ABA
Schubert - Das Wandern
(Strophic lied)
Brahms - Wiegenlied
(Strophic lied)
3. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Instrumental music, as an undetermined and free language, is considered the perfect vehicle for the Romantic expression. This is the age of grand orchestras, but also of solo instruments. The Romantic orchestra multiplies the number of performers increasing wind and percussion families.
Large instrumental forms
Symphony / concerto: these classical forms are still cultivated by developing the timbric richness of the orchestra. Symphonies reach their moment of maximum splendour with Beethoven. Audiences appreciate solo concertos of virtuoso performers such as Liszt (pianist) or Paganini (violinist).
Program music is a composition based on an external source (poem, image, nature) that is described with music without words.
The main forms of program music are:
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Program symphony: programmatic instrumental form in several movements created by Berlioz with his Symphonie fantastique.
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Symphonic poem: programmatic instrumental form in one movement created by Liszt with Les Preludes. Another famous example is The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas.
Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice
(symphonic poem)
Small instrumental forms
Character piece (nocturne, prelude, ballad, rhapsody, fantasia, study, waltz, polonaise, mazurka...): short instrumental form written for piano that often includes many technical difficulties.
The piano reaches its ultimate technical perfection in this era and it becomes the "king of instruments" capable of expressing a wide range of sounds and feelings.
Main piano music composers were Chopin, Schumann and Liszt.
Chopin - Nocturne Op. 9 n. 2
Clara Schumann - Nocturne Op. 6 n. 2
Instruments
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String: piano (1).
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Wind: harmonium (2), accordion (3), piccolo (4), double bassoon (5), saxophone (6), trombone (7), tuba (8).
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Percussion: bass drum (9), snare drum (10).
4. MUSICAL NATIONALISM
Nationalism appeared in the mid-19th century, because this was a time of territorial aspirations and wars. Musical nationalism breaks with the influence of Italian, German and French music, as it begins to value its own traditions. They reflect their national identity using folk songs, dances, legends, etc. They use folklore in two different ways: by literally copying the sources or by imitating its characteristic musical features.
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Composers​
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Russia: Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov.
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Finland: Sibelius.
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Norway: Grieg.
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Czechoslovakia: Smetana, DvoÅ™ák.
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Hungary: Bartók, Kodály.
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Poland: Chopin.
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United States: Gershwin.
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South America: Villalobos.
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Spain: Albéniz, Granados, Pedrell.
Gershwin - Rhapsody in blue
Albéniz - Asturias
5. LISTENING EXAMPLES
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PROFANE VOCAL MUSIC
Verdi - La donna è mobile (from the opera Rigoletto)
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Rhythm: triple time signature (3/8).
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Texture: accompanied melody.
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Timbre: tenor and orchestra.
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Form: aria of opera, strophic form with an orchestral ritornello.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Smetana - Vltava / Moldau
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Rhythm: duple compound time signature (6/8), flexible beat.
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Texture: complex textures with frequent changes in keys and new dissonances.
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Timbre: orchestra.
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Form: symphonic poem, free form.
This piece describes the course of the river Moldau, starting from two small springs, Cold Moldau and Warm Moldau. Both brooks converge into one stream which passes through a hunt in the woods, a country wedding and the dance of the nymphs in the moonlight.
The river swirls into the St John's rapids. Then it flows wide towards Prague, it passes the Vyšehrad castle and it finally merges with the river Elbe.
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