Romantic Period

Romanticism

A movement emphasizing emotion, imagination, and individualism, beginning in the early 19th century.

Sublime

A concept in Romanticism used by writers and painters to evoke strong emotional responses.

Absolute Music

Instrumental music written without any programmatic intention, intended for its own sake.

Incidental Music

Music intended for a stage play performance to enhance the mood of scenes and highlight dramatic action.

Program Music

Instrumental music connected to a story or poem, developed during the Romantic period.

Program Symphony

An instrumental composition in several movements based on a literary or pictorial idea.

Symphonic Poem

A one-movement orchestral composition inspired by a literary or pictorial idea, developed by Franz Liszt.

Virtuosity

The skill and fluency exhibited by musicians, especially prominent in Romantic music.

Rubato

A performance technique involving slight speeding up and slowing down of tempo for expressive purposes.

Lied

A Romantic Art Song with German content, often featuring a solo voice and piano.

Song Cycle

A set of romantic art songs designed to be performed together, often telling a story or interconnected by musical ideas.

Thematic Transformation

The alteration of a melody's character through changes in dynamics, orchestration, or rhythm.

Hector Berlioz

A composer known for his 1844 book "Treatise on Modern Instrumentation and Orchestration," highlighting orchestration as an art.

Nationalism

A musical trait in the Romantic Era that expresses pride in one’s country and cultural identity.

Franz Schubert

A prominent composer of the Romantic Art Song known for over six hundred songs and significant chamber works.