The Romantic Period – Unit 5 Complete PDF

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The Romantic Period – Unit 5 MUS102 Prof. Podgurski

The early 19th century brought a flowering of romanticism, a cultural movement that stressed emotion, imagination, and individuality. It could be seen as a rebellion against the neoclassicism of the 18 th century and the age of reason. Romantic writers focused on freedom of expression. Painters used bolder, more vibrant colors and preferred motion to balanced poses (portraiture). Romanticism is very diverse so cannot be explained simply by one set of characterizations. Romanticism aimed to encompass the totality of human existence. Authors projected their personality into their works. Romantics were drawn to fantasy – the unconscious, the irrational, the world of demons. Romantic fiction includes tales of horror and the supernatural (Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley). The romantic fascination with fantasy was paired with enthusiasm for the Middle Ages and that time of chivalry and romance. Neoclassicalists thought of the Middle Ages as the “Dark Ages; but Romantics cherished it (novels set in the Middle Ages included The Hunchback of Notre Dame).

1.Romanticism in Music (1820 – 1900) The Romantic period in music took place over the course of approximately 80 years. The most notable composers of this time period were Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Clara Wieck Schumann, Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, Hector Berlioz, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Bedrich Smetana, Antonin Dvorák, Johannes Brahms, Georges Bizet, Giuseppi Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, and Richard Wagner. These are not the only notable musicians/composers, but the size of this list alone demonstrates how rich, broad, and varied this musical time period was. Composers continued to use the Classical forms and as we have seen and heard, emotional intensity was already quite present in the work of Mozart and Beethoven. Beethoven had a great influence and impact on composers who came after his time. The romantic preference for expressive, songlike melody came directly out of the classical style. There are many differences between romantic and classical music. Romantic works have greater ranges of tone color, dynamics, and pitch. The romantic vocabulary is broader, with more emphasis on colorful, unstable chords. Romantic music is linked more closely to the arts, in particular to literature. New forms developed, and in all forms there was greater tension and less emphasis on balance and resolution. Romantic music is diverse that generalizations are often misleading. Some composers like Mendelssohn and Brahms created works that were deeply rooted in classical tradition while other composers like Berlioz, Liszt, and Wagner were quite revolutionary. Characteristics of Romantic Music: Individuality of Style Romantic music puts the greatest emphasis (up until this point in music history) on self-expression and individuality of style. To some like Chopin this age was considered a “new world of music” with many romantics creating unique music and sounds that reflected their individual personalities. Schumann once

observed, “Chopin will soon be unable to write anything without people crying out at the seventh or eighth bar.” Today with some experience, a music lover can usually tell within a few minutes or even a few seconds of listening, which romantic composer wrote a particular piece. Expressive Aims and Subjects Romantics explored a universe of feeling that included flamboyance and intimacy, unpredictability and melancholy, rapture and longing, and many other emotions and states of being. Many songs and operas of this era glorify love and many times the lovers depicted are facing some overwhelming obstacles. Some composers had a fascination with the supernatural, the fantastic, and the diabolical, and all aspects of nature attracted musicians of this time. Nationalism and Exoticism Nationalism was an important political movement that influenced 19th-century music. Musical nationalism was expressed when composers deliberately created music with a specific national identity, using folksongs, dances, legends, and history of their homeland. This idea contrasted with the more universal character of music in the classical period. Fascination with national identity also led composers to draw on colorful materials from foreign lands, a trend known as exoticism. Some composers might write something in an Asian style or use instruments associated with specific countries or faraway lands. The romantics were attracted to things that were remote, picturesque, and mysterious. Program Music The 19th century was the great age of program music, instrumental music associated with a story, poem, idea, or scene. A programmatic instrumental piece could represent emotions, characters, and events of a particular story, or it can evoke the sounds and motion of nature. Program music has actually existed for centuries, but it became particularly popular during this time period. Expressive Tone Color Romantic composers loved rich and sensuous sound, using tone color to obtain a variety of moods and atmosphere. In both symphonic and operatic works, the romantic orchestra was larger and more varied in tone color than the classical orchestra. By the end of the romantic period the orchestra has reached nearly 100 members in size. The change in orchestra size reflects the demands of the composers as well as the increase in size of concert halls and opera houses. A greater variety of instruments were added to the orchestra. Improvements in the construction of woodwind instruments allowed wind players to play more flexibly and accurately. The addition of valves on brass instruments made it easier for horns and trumpets to play intricate melodies. Orchestral sounds became more brilliant with the increased use of cymbals, triangle, and harp. New sounds were drawn from nearly every instrument in the orchestra – flutes played in the low, breathy register, violinists were asked to strike the strings with the wood on their bow (battuto) and such demands compelled performers to attain a higher level of technical virtuosity. Composers sought new ways of blending and combining tone colors to achieve the most specific and intense sounds. The piano was vastly improved between the 1820s and 1830s. A cast-iron frame was introduced to hold the strings under greater tension, and the hammers were covered with felt. The piano developed a more “singing” tone (cantabile). The piano’s range was extended (to 88

keys). With a stronger instrument it was possible to get a bigger sound. The damper pedal allowed a sonorous blend of tones form all registers of the piano. Colorful Harmony Romantics explored new chords and novel ways of using familiar chords. Composers emphasized rich, colorful, and complex harmonies to achieve greater emotional intensity in their works. There was a great us of chromatic harmony, which uses chords containing tones not found in the prevailing major or minor scale. This added color and motion to romantic music. Dissonant (unstable) chords were used more freely than in the previous time period. This created feelings of tension, yearning, and mystery. Sometimes the tonic/home key may be cloudy as gravity toward the home key is generally less strong than in the previous time periods. The soundscape is more exploratory and always evolving. By the end of the romantic period, even more emphasis was given to harmonic instability and less to stability and resolution. Expanded Range of Dynamics, Pitch, and Tempo Romantic music calls for a wider range in dynamics. There are more frequent crescendos, diminuendos and sudden dynamic changes. Pitch range was expanded too, and many composers called for extremely high or low sounds. Changes in mood are often underlined by accelerandos (speeding up), ritardandos (slowing down), and subtle variations of pace. There are many more fluctuations in tempo than there were in the previous era. To intensify the expression of the music, romantic performers made us of rubato, the slight holding back or pressing forward of tempo. (Rubato comes from the Italian word meaning “to rob” or “to take”). Form: Miniature and Monumental The 19th century was very much the age of contradictions. Composers characteristically expressed themselves both in musical miniatures and in monumental compositions. There are piano pieces of Chopin and Schubert that last only a few minutes – these pieces are meant to be heard in an intimate setting, in the intimate surroundings of a home. These met the needs of the growing number of people who owned pianos. The romantic genius for creating an intense mood through a melody, a few chords, or an unusual tone color found a perfect outlet in these miniatures. There are also gigantic works by composers such as Berlioz and Wagner – ones that call for a huge number of performers, last for several hours, and were designed for large opera houses or concert halls. Romantic composers continued to write symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, concerts, operas, and choral works, but their individual movements tended to be longer that Haydn’s or Mozart’s. A typical 19 th century symphony might last 45 minutes as opposed to 25 minutes in the 18 th century. Compositions became even more extended, more richly orchestrated, and more complex in harmony by the end of the 19th century. Taking a cue from Beethoven, composers unified longer works by using a theme or themes throughout multiple movements of the same work (as in a symphony). When a melody returns in a later movement or section of a romantic work, its character may be transformed by changes in dynamics, orchestration, or rhythm – a technique known as thematic transformation. We will see a spectacular example of this when we study Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique (in which a lyrical melody from the opening becomes a grotesque dance tune in the finale). Different movements of the same work may also be linked through

transitional passages – one movement of a symphony or concerto may lead directly into the next (we saw this earlier in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony). 19th century operas are unified by melodic ideas that reappear in different acts of scenes. In dealing with an age that so prized individuality, generalizations are especially difficult. The great diversity found in romantic music can best be appreciated by approaching each piece as its composer did – with an open mind and open heart.

2. Romantic Composers and Their Public The composer’s role in society changed greatly during Beethoven’s lifetime (1770 – 1827). Beethoven was one of the first great composers to work as a freelance musician outside the system of aristocratic or church patronage. Beethoven therefore inspired romantic period musicians, who generally composed to meet an inner need rather than to fulfill a commission. In became common practice for composers to write extended compositions with no prospect for performance (the performance would eventually take place but the piece wasn’t being written under any set of circumstances or within a specific deadline approaching). Because of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars (1789 – 1814) many aristocrats could no longer afford to maintain private opera houses, orchestras, and “composers in residence.” Many musicians with patrons lost their jobs during this time. Romantic composers wrote for a mostly middle class audience whose size and wealth had increased due to the industrial revolution. During the 19th century cities expanded dramatically and many people wanted to hear and play music. The needs of the urban middle class led to the formation of many orchestras and opera groups. Public concerts developed during the 18th century, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that subscription concerts became common. The following orchestra societies were founded during this time:    

The London Philharmonic Society – 1813 The Paris Société des Concerts du Conservatoire – 1828 Vienna Philhamonic – 1842 New York Philharmonic – 1842

The first half of the 19th century saw the founding of music schools/conservatories throughout Europe. In the United States conservatories were founded in Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, Oberlin (Ohio), and Philadelphia during the 1860s. More young men and women than ever before started studying to become professional musicians. At first students were only accepted to study performance, but by the late 1800s they could study musical composition as well. The 19th century public was fascinated by virtuosity. The musical heroes (virtuous) of the 1830s included the pianist/composer Franz Liszt, and the violinist Niccolò Paganini (1782 – 1840) who toured Europe and dazzled audiences with their amazing musical feats. Crowds of thousands used to follow Liszt in a torch-lit procession to his home after his performances. They were truly the “rock stars” of the music world at that time. Romantic composers came from the social class that was their audience. Musicians were born to nonmusician parents more often now. Composers worked as writers, teachers and touring artists to earn a

living – freelance musicians as they are called today. Music criticism was a source of income too, and composers like Berlioz and Schumann earned a wage by writing for a publication dedicated to music reviews. Some of the finest conductors of the day were the composers Mendelssohn and Mahler. Only very few composers such as Tchaikovsky and Wagner had wealthy patrons to support them while they dedicated their lives solely to composing.

3. The Art Song One of the most distinctive forms in romantic music is the art song. It is a composition for voice and piano. The accompaniment (piano part) is an integral part of the composer’s concept and it serves as an interpretative partner to the voice. Today these art songs are performed in concert halls, but back at this time they were written to be sung and enjoyed at home. Poetry and music were intimately fused in the art song. The finest song composers were Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms. Composers favored the poets Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832) and Heinrich Heine (1797 – 1856) and used their poetry in their songs. The German word lied (song) is commonly used for a song with German text. The plural of songs is Lieder (pronounced “leader”). Songs were generally about lost love, nature, a legend, or other time and places. These ideas haunted the imaginations of romantic poets. Art songs are filled with the despair of unrequited love; the beauty of flowers, trees and brooks; and the supernatural happenings of folktales. There are songs as well demonstrating joy, wit, and humor. Generally speaking, romantic song was a reaching out of the soul. Songs are often set up with a piano introduction and/or ended with a short piano solo postlude section. Song Forms There are two different forms that composers used to compose art songs. The first type is called strophic form and it is most common and easy to remember because the same music is used for every stanza. The second type is through-composed form and this is a more “stream of consciousness” form where new music is written for every stanza and little if any music is repeated. Through-composed form allows the music to reflect the poem’s changing moods. Songs do not have to follow either of these forms however, and we may touch upon some of those examples later in the unit. The Song Cycle Romantic art songs are sometimes grouped into a set and that set is called a song cycle. A song cycle will usually follow a specific timeline or story, and there may be musical ideas linking the different songs to create a sense of continuity beyond the storyline. Two of the most famous songs cycles are Winterreise (Winter’s Journey, 1827) by Franz Schubert, and Dichterliebe (Poet’s Love, 1840) by Robert Schumann.

4. Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)

Schubert is the earliest master of the romantic art song. His style is somewhat classical (period) in sound at times and he lived during both the classical and romantic periods. He never held an official position as a conductor or virtuoso and his sole income came from composing. He is quoted saying, “I have come into this world for no other purpose than to compose.” He was the son of a schoolmaster and was expected to follow in his father’s career, but he only taught school for three years. He spent the rest of his life composing and by the time of his death at the age of 31, he had composed more than 600 songs, symphonies, string quartets, chamber music for piano and strings, short pieces for piano two and fourhands, masses, and operatic compositions.  Listening: Erlkönig (The Erlking, 1815) This song is one of the earliest and finest examples of musical romanticism. It is a musical setting of a narrative ballad of the supernatural by the poet Goethe. Schubert set this poem in a through-composed form. The story tells of a father riding on horseback through a storm with his sick child in his arms, as the delirious boy has visions of the legendary Erlking (the king of the elves), who symbolizes death. The piano part with its rapid octaves and menacing bass figure represent the wild ride on horseback. The singer will make his voice change in tone to represent four different characters in the story: the narrator, father, boy, and the Erlking.  Listening: Hillary Hahn playing transcription of Erlkönig for solo violin (youtube) This example demonstrates the common practice of transcribing music for virtuoso soloists to perform. Composers and soloists during the started making transcriptions during the romantic period and this practice continues into the present day.

5. Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856) Schumann in many ways embodied musical romanticism. His works are intensely autobiographical and usually have descriptive titles, texts, or programs. He expresses his lyrical nature in very original piano pieces and songs. He was also a well-known writer and critic, and made many composers of his day famous through his publications. Schumann was born in Zweickau, Germany and studied law at Leipzig University. He rarely attended his lectures and instead spent most of his time devoted to literature and music. At 20 he decided to become a piano virtuoso, but this career was short-lived after suffering an injury to his right hand (which he caused by using his invention to strengthen his fingers, which he called the chiroplast). He turned to composition and musical criticism for the remainder of his days once he no longer could perform in public. During this time he founded and edited the influential Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik (The New Journal of Music). Which contained his appreciative reviews of “radical” young composers such as Chopin and Berlioz. While studying piano, Schumann met his teacher’s daughter and prize pupil, Clara Wieck. Schumann was 18 and Clara was a nine-year-old prodigy. When Clara was 17 the two were engaged (only after Schumann took Clara’s father to court for the permission to marry her). They had a happy marriage. Clara was also a composer. She toured as one of the first female concert pianists, and she also edited the piano works of her husband as well as their close family friend Johannes Brahms. Clara was the ideal interpreter of her husband’s works (especially since he could no longer perform himself). During

Schumann’s later years, due to syphilis, were spent in a mental asylum and at one point he tried to commit suicide by drowning. He died in the asylum a few years later. Schumann’s Music During the first ten years of his creative life, Schumann published only piano pieces. His musical style seemed to grow out piano improvisation. His short pieces (miniatures) often express a single mood through a sensitive melody; dance rhythms, syncopations, and dotted rhythms are also important. In 1840. The year of his marriage, Schumann composed many art songs, which show his great gift for melody. Both the songs and short piano pieces are usually organized into sets or cycles, whose titles – Carnivale (Carnival), Kinderscenen (Scenes of Childhood), Nachtstücke (Night Pieces), Dichterliebe (Peot’s Love), Fantasiestücke (Fantasy Pieces) – provide insight into his imagination. Schumann thought of mu...