PRAXIS Romantic Time Period

Ludwig van Beethoven

(1770-1827) Changed trajectory of classical music → seen as god. Changed musicians forever → no longer seen as servants. Began to usher in the romantic period.

First Period (1770-1802)

• Born in Bonn, Germany to a musician/alcoholic father. Pushed him to be the next Mozart. Beethoven was temperamental/emotional and tour went poorly. Learned with court organists at age 12. Mother passed away (couldn’t study with Mozart). Studied 1 year with Haydn. Started going deaf in late 20s

Second Period (1803-1812)

• Most productive and triumphant. Wanted to outperform expectations. Wrote most symphonies. Less restrained and more emotional music → more subjective.

Third Period (1813-1827)

• Completely deaf. Fewer works, but they were very complex.

Major Compositions of the Romantic Period

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

  • Notable Composition: "Symphony No. 5 in C minor"

• Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

  • Notable Composition: "Nocturnes" (Collection of piano pieces)

• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

  • Notable Composition: "Swan Lake" (Ballet)

Beethoven’s Legacy

Music: Profound, emotional content, sudden emotional changes, elements of surprise, sense of urgency

Expansion: Form (Length, Movements, Scherzo & Trios, Themes), Dynamics, Register, Instrumental Demands, Size of Orchestra

Scherzo & Trio

Replacement of the Minuet & Trio. Started by Beethoven. Still in 3, but much faster. Playful.

Romantic Concerto Movement 1

Tonic, Fast, not necessarily in Double Exposition, still in Sonata Form, Cadenza placement less predictable (after Development, before Recap)

Romantic Concerto Movement 2

Slow, Subdominant (or Contrasting), Flexible Form

Romantic Concerto Movement 3

Fast, Tonic, May or may not be a Rondo, May contain a Cadenza

Cadenza

A solo passage in a musical composition, typically towards the end, where the performer can showcase their virtuosity and improvisational skills.

Additional Characteristics of Romantic Concerto

Additional Characteristics of Romantic Concerto

Felix Mendelssohn

(1809-1847) Born into Jewish family → family converted to Protestant at age 4 for societal opportunities. Educated family. Helped to popularize Bach’s music. Conductor, composer, pianist, educator. Ran the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. Died of a stroke shortly after Fanny died.

Johannes Brahms

(1833-1897) Born in Hamburg. Early musical gift. Rejected consumerism (except he loved original manuscripts. Schumann’s Journal popularized his music. Promoted absolute music. Used old forms to show how much could still be accomplished.

Used cross-rhythms/syncopations of Schumann, developments of Beethoven, and the polyphony/counterpoint of Bach

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

(1840-1893) Neutotic, hypochonrdac. Avoided people. Gay! Mom died at age 14. Didn’t start studying music until 21. In 1877, married Antonina Miliukova to appear straight. Also in 1877, Nadezhda von Meck gave a stipend in exchange to never meet. Died of Cholera

Beautiful melodies, emotional content, and strong color and orchestration. Very weak (if present) development sections

Antonin Dvorak

(1841-1903). Born in Bohemia. Studied at Prague Organ School at 16. Found publisher w/ help of Brahms. Doctorate of Music and Psychology. Moved to NYC and wrote the New World Symphony to help create a new American Voice (German style was most popular). Identified AA spirituals as a unifying American song.

Florence Price

(1887-1953) Prominent AA composer. Inspired by Dvorak to write symphonies. Learned piano very young → New England conservatory at 16yo. Taught 4 years in Little Rock and then moved to Chicago. Used 3rd movement to add cultural aspects (Ex: Symphony 1, Mvt 3 = Juba Dance).

Giuseppe Verdi

(1813-1901) Born in Parmi, Italy to an innkeeper. Denied from Milan Conservatory. Married Margherita Barezz and had two children (died) before she died. Then married Giuseppina Strepponi. Very nationalist operas w/ideas of fighting against tyranny.

Verdi’s Italian Opera

Incorporated ideas of traditional opera (recitative, aria, ensembles). Went beyond Bel Canto → more dramatic and emotional. Fous on the tenor voice to highlight character and plot. More ensemble singing. Human dramatism and passion in song. Historical, Nationalistic, Political, and Relationship (father-child) ideas in Opera. Rigoletto (1851) censored by Austria.

Bel Canto

“Beautiful Singing” that is fast, flexible and brilliant.

Richard Wagner

(1813-1883). Born in Leipzig. Father died young, had stepfather that was an actor and poet. Wagner had tumultuous affairs and debt. Participated in failed revolution. Anti-Semite and Hitler’s favorite composer.

Wagner’s German Opera

Gesamtkunstwerk (Total Art Work). Music grows out of libretto. Fusion of visual (scenery/costumes), aural (poetry/music), and intellectual (drama/ideas/philosophy). Unbroken music to unbroken drama. Orchestra = major unifying element. Wrote the 16 hour Ring Cycle w/4 musical dramas.

Leitmotivs

A recurring musical theme that represents a person, place, idea, or object. They can be used for thematic transformation, depending on their usage.

Giacomo Puccini

(1858-1924) His operatic masterpieces include "La Bohème," "Tosca," and "Madame Butterfly”. Puccini's compositions captivate audiences with their dramatic intensity and lyrical beauty, showcasing his unparalleled ability to evoke powerful emotions through music. He led a scandalous life, often embarking on affairs. His early operas were somewhat flops until he saw Wagner’s operas and incorporated the psychology of the protagonist.

Puccini’s Opera Characteristics

Verismo (French realism), arias/recitatives/ensembles, operas of both literary & dramatic quality, beautiful and memorable melodies, orchestra as mood, theatrical, focus on the psychology of the protagonist, relatable and emotional.

Developments of the Romantic Symphony

• Much longer works

• Enormous dynamic contrasts (pppp to ffff)

• More flexible rhythms ("rubato", sudden changes in meter/tempo)

• Passionate melodies

• Greater contrast between themes

• Colorfully daring harmonies

• More exploration of distant key centers

• More powerful and unique instrumental tone colors

• Freer formal designs

• Increased interest in programmatic music

Romantic Piano Developments

Iron wire → Steel strings. Iron Frame. Double-Escapement Action, Damper Pedal. First grand pianos and 7 octave piano.

Romantic Brass Developments

Development of valves (piston and rotary). First saxophone (1846). First Tuba

Components of Romanticism

• New attitude toward rationalism & reason

• Freedom from boundaries and rules

• Emotion > reason

• Desired to transcend the mundane world → Goal: Better, higher state of being

• Imagination: Supernatural, Fantasy, Macabre, Drugs, Dreams, Nightmares, Unconscious, Medieval

• “bohemians” → hippies

• Exoticism

• Nature: Inspiration that cannot be controlled

Romantic Melody

Emotional, effusive, personal feelings (subjectivity), wide range in register and length, irregular phrase length and rhythm.

Romantic Rhythm

Flexible patterns, more irregular rhythm, tempo rubato

Romantic Harmony

Broader harmonic vocabulary, colorful chords, greater expression, chromaticism, new chords and progressions

Romantic Expansion

More tone color, newer combinations of instruments, larger orchestra.

More dynamics, range, tempo, keys, modulations, length.

Romantic Form

Still followed basic forms of classical period, but more loosely

Mini Pieces

• Piano - “character” pieces

• Voice - “Lied/Lieder” pieces for voice and piano

• Song cycles

Grandiose Compositions

• Symphonies

• Concertos

• Operas

• Concertos

Franz Schubert

(1794-1828). Born in Vienna under shadow of Beethoven. Preferred composing music over conducting or touring. Played violin and sang, but primarily a composer. Trained to be a teacher. Lived bohemian lifestyle. Composed many songs in early composition years.

Robert Schumann

(1810-1856) German composer. Access to literature → highly educated. Attended University of Leipzig for law school (requirement by late father), but eventually studied music with pianist Friedrich Wieck. Composed music mainly after failed finger stretching. Fell in love with Clara Wieck —> ditched other marriage and got married in 1840 (Year of the Song). Suffered from bipolar disorder and syphilis. Ended up dying in a mental asylum.

Frederic Chopin

(1810-1849). Composer known for his expressive and emotive piano compositions. Born in Poland in 1810, his works include Nocturnes, Preludes, and Ballades. Considered a master of the Romantic era, his music combines technical virtuosity with deep emotional resonance. Died of Tuberculosis.

Franz Liszt

(1811-1886) Composer known for his virtuosic piano playing and innovative compositions. Lived in Weimar, Germany.

George Bridgetower

(1778-1860) George Bridgetower was a renowned violinist, pianist, and composer who collaborated with Ludwig van Beethoven. He is particularly known for performing the premiere of Beethoven's "Kreutzer Sonata." Bridgetower, born in Poland and of Afro-European descent, was celebrated for his virtuosity and expressive playing. Worked with the Esterhazy family.

Clara Schumann

(1819-1896) Renowned 19th-century German pianist and composer. She was a child prodigy and had a successful career as a performer. Married to composer Robert Schumann, she also supported and promoted his work. Clara's compositions, though overshadowed by her husband's, were highly regarded for their emotional depth and technical skill. Defied societal limitations for women

Fanny Mendelssohn

(1805-1847) Composer and pianist. She was the sister of famous composer Felix Mendelssohn. Initially pressured to not pursue music as a career. Fanny composed over 460 works, but many were published under Felix's name due to societal expectations at the time. She was a talented musician and a significant figure in Romantic music.

Sir Edward Elgar

(1857-1934) Sir Edward Elgar was an English composer who was born in 1857. Father published music and tuned pianos. Began composing at age 10. He is best known for his compositions "Pomp and Circumstance" and the "Enigma Variations." In 1926, he was one of the first composers to electronically record his music. Died in February of 1934 from cancer.

Program Music

INSTRUMENTAL not vocal. Instrumental music that depicts and extra-musical idea that has a title/program and is based on a literary or non-literary source.

Program Symphony

Multi-Movement work based on programs

Symphonic/Tone Poem

One-Movement Orchestral composition w/ a program in Free Form.

Concert Overture

One-movement orchestral composition w/ a program in sonata form

Character Piece

Short piano piece depicting mood or character trait

Incidental Music

Music performed before & during a play

Hector Berlioz

(1803-1869) Wrote Symphonie Fantastique in 1830. Idee Fixe = Berlioz’s term for the recurring melody that represents his beloved.

Richard Strauss

(1864-1949) He was a German composer. Strauss is considered one of the leading composers of the late Romantic and early modern eras, known for his innovative use of orchestration and harmonic language. Composed Don Juan

Romantic Nationalism

Herder’s Philosophy:

1. Each historical period is born out of the previous

2. Each nation is organically different from all other nations

3. Much of the cultural identity of a nation is based on geography (physical surroundings)

Edvard Grieg

(1843-1907) Norwegian composer known for his piano concerto and Peer Gynt Suite. Influenced by folk music, he created a distinct nationalistic style.

The Mighty Handful

Group of five Russian composers in the 19th century. They aimed to create a distinctly Russian classical music style. Members included Balakirev, Cui, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Borodin.

Russian Sound

Time (Long meters, stagnant feel), Realism (anti-Western), Texture (polyphonic or lighter), Modes, Plagal Cadences, Russian submediant, Pentatonic

Bedrich Smetana

(1824-1884) Composer known for his nationalistic music. Considered the father of Czech music. Famous for his symphonic poem "Vltava" (The Moldau) which depicts the river flowing through Prague.

Gustav Mahler

(1860-1911) Mahler was a towering figure in late Romantic music, renowned for his symphonies and profound orchestral compositions. Born in Bohemia as 2nd of 14 children. Mahler's works often explore themes of nature, love, life, and death, reflecting the emotional intensity and existential questions of his era. He served as opera conductors, including the music director of the Vienna State Opera. He would often compose in his composing huts during the summer. His early symphonies (1-4) focused on searching for the spirit of life, whereas the later symphonies (5+) focused on the tragedy of humanity. In the span of a few short years, he was diagnosed with a heart condition, forced to leave the Vienna State Opera, had one of his children die, and his wife had an affair. Worked with the Met Opera in his late years. Mahler's music is known for its ability to evoke deep emotional responses, ranging from moments of transcendent beauty to profound despair.