The document discusses the Romantic period in classical music during the 19th century. It describes attributes like emotion, imagination, and nationalism. Composers had to promote themselves more due to changes in musical patronage. Romantic music was often programmatic, depicting moods, images, and stories. Major composers of the period included Chopin, Brahms, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, and Wagner. Romantic music featured lyrical melodies, complex rhythms, and bigger orchestras. Forms included symphonic poems, character pieces, songs, and operas.

1. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
The World of Music
7th
Connect edition
Part 4
Listening to Western
Classical Music
Chapter 12: Music of the
Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)

2. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Attributes of the Romantic Period
 Revolution
 Capitalism
 Emotion
 Imagination
 A Desire to be
Different
 Nationalism

3. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Changes in Musical Life
 Patronage System in Decline
 Composers must Promote Themselves
 Creates need for:
 Concert Managers (Impresarios)
 Music Publishers
 Music Critics
 Virtuosi Become Celebrities
 Much Music too Difficult for Amateurs
 Creates need for Teachers

4. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Absolute and Program Music
 Absolute
 Classical
 Music for its own sake
 No intended imagery
 Characteristic of:
 Sonata
 Symphony
 Concerto
 Program
 Depicts:
 Moods
 Images
 Stories
 Characters
 Reflects interest in
poetry

5. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Characteristics of Romantic Music
 Programmatic
 Lyrical Melodies
 Chromaticism
 Dissonance
 Emotional
 Complex Rhythms
 Syncopated
 Irregular
 Bigger (and more Varied) Orchestras

6. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Forms of the Romantic Period
 Sonata Common, but less Strict
 Symphonic Poem
 Stage Forms
 Overture
 Prelude
 Suite
 Incidental Music
 Many Different Chamber Groups

7. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Opera in the Romantic Period
 Composers
 Verdi
 Wagner
 Rossini
 Puccini
 Richard Strauss
 Great Variety in Size and Subjects
 Romantic Operas Still Performed Today

8. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Ballet
 Originally Part of
Opera
 Features Dancing
 Solo
 Ensemble
 Famous Tchaikovsky
Ballets
 Sleeping Beauty
 Swan Lake
 The Nutcracker

9. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Keyboard Music
 New Miniature Forms
 Character Pieces
 Solo (Voice) Song with
Piano
 Expressive
 Lyrical and Dramatic
 Technically
Demanding
 Chopin Miniature
Forms
 Impromptu
 Nocturne
 Mazurka
 Polonaise
 Prelude
 Waltz
 Étude

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Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Songs
 Solo Voice with Piano
 Usually Short
 Schubert
 Wrote over 600 Songs
 Frequently used words of German Poets
 Highly Expressive
 Often Strophic

11. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
 German
 Traditionalist
 Traits of his Music
 Passionate
 Introspective
 Rich/Dark
 Lyrical
 Complex Rhythms
 Intricate Polyphony
 Mostly Absolute
 Output
 4 Symphonies
 1 Violin Concerto
 2 Piano Concertos
 Much Chamber Music
 Sonatas
 Piano
 Cello
 Violin
 Clarinet

12. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
 Polish
 Pianist
 Unique Compositional
Style
 Elaborate Decorative
Melodies
 Colorful, Dissonant
Harmonies
 Extreme Rubato
 Output
 Many Miniatures
 3 Piano Sonatas
 2 Piano Concertos

13. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
 German
 Wealthy Family
 Widely Traveled
 Traditional (Classical)
Style
 Well-Known Pieces
 “Scotch” Symphony
 “Italian” Symphony
 Elijah Oratorio
 Violin Concerto in E
Minor
 Hebrides Overture
 Midsummer Night’s
Dream Incidental Music

14. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
 Prolific Song
Composer
 Struggled with poverty
and illness
 Style
 Great variety
 Lyrical melodies
 Colorful harmonies
 Great sensitivity to
poetic texts
 Output
 600 + Lieder
 2 Song Cycles
 9 Symphonies
 22 Piano Sonatas
 Miniatures
 Chamber Pieces
 Choral Works

15. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Pyotr I’yich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
 Russian
 Influences
 Russian Folk Songs
 Italian Opera
 French Ballet
 German
Symphonies/Songs
 Style
 Tuneful
 Accessible
 Emotional
 Output
 6 Symphonies
 Concertos
 Violin
 Piano
 Ballets
 Swan Lake
 Sleeping Beauty
 The Nutcracker

16. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)
 Italian
 Known for Opera
 Unhappy
 Tragic Endings
 Invited to open Carnegie
Hall
 Style
 Conventional Harmonies
 Predictable Rhythms
 Superb Melodies
 Theatrical
 Representative Works
 Opera
 Rigoletto
 La Traviata
 Il Trovatore
 Aida
 Choral
 Te Deum
 Requiem

17. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Richard Wagner (1813–1883)
 German
 Revolutionary
 His Music Drama had
equal portions of:
 Music
 Drama
 Poetry
 Stagecraft
 Style
 Symphonic
 Strong Brass
 Leitmotiv
 Colorful
 Wrote own Libretti
 Music Dramas
 The Ring of the
Nibelung
 Tristan and Isolde

18. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Other Romantic Composers
 Hector Berlioz
 Antonin Dvořák
 Edvard Grieg
 Franz Liszt
 Gustav Mahler
 Giacomo Puccini
 Sergei Rachmaninoff
 Nicolay Rimsky-
Korsakov
 Gioachino Rossini
 Robert Schumann
 Bedřich Smetana
 Richard Strauss

19. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
Chapter Summary
 Why do you think Romantic Period music is so
much more popular than modern classical music?
 What can you learn by listening to a piece
multiple times?
 Do you think the emotional language of Western
music is universally human or culturally learned?
Would a Brahms symphony communicate the
same emotions to a rural Chinese farmer that it
does to you?

20. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 12: Music of the Romantic Period
(Nineteenth Century)
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