2. Characteristics of Romantic music
• Emotional expression – this became more important than formal structural considerations as composers rebelled
against the formal restraint of the classical period.
• Big expansion in size of orchestra and in types of instrument.
• New structures/forms – rhapsody, nocturne, song cycle
• Increasingly elaborate harmonic progressions
• Longer melodies than classical period
• Bigger range of dynamics
• Larger range in pitch (could be very easily expressed on the piano).
• Nationalism in music – some composers sought to use their compositions to celebrate their countries e.g.
Sibelius Finlandia
• IEDER
• Lied is the German word for “song”.
Lieder (plural for “lied”) were very popular in Europe during the Romantic period.
• Schubert is the most famous composer of lieder (he composed over 500 of them!!).
