History of Music

Baroque Period 1600-1750

Classical Period 1750-1827

Romantic Period 1827-1910

Modern Period 1900 onwards
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910

The word Romanticism was first used to describe the stirring of

new ideas in painting and literature towards the end of the 18th
Century.
The word was later taken up by the musicians to describe the
changes in musical styles .
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910

Special Features

Greater freedom of form and designs

More powerful and intense expression of emotion
Inspired by the paintings and literature
Composed music with composers national identity
using the folk songs, dances, legends, and history of
their homeland
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Texture

Homophonic Style

freedom in composing
Strong importance on expressing an emotion and
imagination (Love, dreams, moonlight, river, lakes,
forests, nature, legends and fairy tales, mystery, magic)
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Harmony

Use of more innovative treatments of harmony

Diminished chords
Chromatic harmonies
Augmented chords
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Melody

More freedom and emphasis on lyrical song like

melodies
implied interpretive freedom (rubato) and harmonic
color
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Dynamics

Much wider range extremes of dynamic variations

PP P MP MF F FF
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Rhythm

Contrast & Frequent changes in both tempo and

time signatures

Keyboard instrument

Pianoforte
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Music for piano

Felt covered hammers

Inside frame was made of metal
Strings were longer and thicker
All this gave the piano
a rounder
richer sound
wide range of pitch
more volume and tone
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Music for piano
Dances

Waltz - folk dance in triple time

Mazurka - Polishfolk danceintriple time
Polonaise
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Music for piano
Character Pieces

song without words - series of short lyrical pieces by

Mendelssohn
prelude - an introductory piece of music
nocturne - music which inspiring night
etude - a piece which has one particular technical
aspect throughout the piece

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Polish Composer

Chopin gave his first piano concert at age

6
Published his first composition at age 9

Known as Poet of the Piano

Died at 39
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

27 etudes revolutionary
etudes, Black Key
etude, Butterflys
wings etude

25 preludes Rain drop preludes

19 nocturnes
52 Mazurkas
13 polonaises

Franz Liszt ( 1811-1886)

Hungarian Composer
He gave his first piano recital at age 9

He retired as concert pianist at 50 and

spend rest of his life as composer and
conductor.
Franz Liszt ( 1811-1886)

Music for Piano Legends, Hungarian

Rhapsody, Studies,
Liebestraum
Orchestral Faust Symphony
Le prelude

Felix Mendelssohn ( 1809-1847)

German Composer

He started to play piano at age 9.

When he was 18 he composed

symphonies, songs and piano pieces.
Felix Mendelssohn ( 1809-1847)

German Composer 48 song without

words
Orchestral - He brides,
Overture mid summer nights
dream
Orchestral Scotch, Italian
-Symphony
Oratorio St. Paul
Elijah

 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Orchestra
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Orchestra

Enlarged orchestra with more instruments.

Classical orchestra 20-60 / Romantic Orchestra 100
Brass - Use Valves for brass wind instruments
Added trombone and tuba
Woodwind- Added auxiliary instruments (piccolo, cor anglais,
bass clarinet and double bassoon)
Percussion- became more varied and colorful
String - Increase the number to maintain the balance

 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Genres

Vocal Opera
Oratorio
Art Song

Instrumental Concerto
Symphony
Chamber Music
Sonata
Programme Music (Program
Symphony ,Overture, Symphonic Poem)
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Genres - Opera

Main three opera composers

Richard Wagner
Giuseppe Verdi
Giacomo Puccini
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Genres - Opera
Richard Wagner (13 operas) Tannhauser
The master singer of Nuremburg
Rienzie
Aida Lohengrin
Verdi ( 21) La traviata
Rigoletto
Macbeth
Othello
Giacomo Puccini (13) Madam Butterfly
Edgar
La Boheme
Delibes Lakme
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Genres Art Song
Composition for solo voice & piano
Poetry and music are mainly focused
Based on lost love, nature, legends
Form Strophic Form Same music is basically
repeated for each verse
Composers
Franz Schubert ( 600 Art songs)
Robert Schumann
Eg: De Forelle by Franz Schubert - The full poem tells
the story of a trout being caught by a fisherman
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Genres Overture

One movement program piece for orchestra

Form Sonata Form Same music is basically repeated for
each verse
Composers
Mendelssohn ( The sea picture, Hebrides overture),
Tchaikovsky (1812 overture, Romeo & Juliet)
 History of Music
Romantic Period 1810-1910
Genres Programme Symphony
Arranged a program for symphony (Composing in
several movements with a title)
Beethoven His Pastoral symphony
By the brook, Thunder storm and etc.
Composers
Beethoven Pastoral Symphony
Schubert - unfinished symphony
Mendelssohn - Italian Symphony
Schumann - Spring symphony
Brahms - Symphony fantastique