🎸Music History – 1850 to Present Unit 1 – Romanticism and Nationalism in Music

Key Concepts and Characteristics

• Romanticism in music emphasized emotion, individualism, and freedom of expression
• Composers sought to evoke feelings and moods through their compositions
• Music became more expressive, with a wider range of dynamics, tempos, and tonal colors
• Composers drew inspiration from nature, literature, and the supernatural
• Nationalism in music involved incorporating folk melodies, rhythms, and styles from the composer's home country
• Romantic music often featured virtuosic displays of technical skill from performers
• Composers expanded traditional musical forms (sonata, symphony) to accommodate their expressive needs
  • This led to longer, more complex works with a greater emphasis on thematic development and transformation

Historical Context and Influences

• Romanticism in music emerged in the early 19th century, coinciding with the Romantic movement in literature and art
• The Industrial Revolution and political upheavals (French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars) shaped the cultural landscape
• Composers were influenced by the philosophies of Romanticism, which emphasized the individual, emotions, and the sublime
• The rise of the middle class and the growth of concert halls and music publishing allowed composers to reach a wider audience
• Improvements in instrument design and construction (piano, brass instruments) expanded the range of musical possibilities
• The increasing popularity of opera and the rise of the virtuoso performer (Paganini, Liszt) influenced compositional styles
• Nationalism and the desire to express cultural identity through music became increasingly important
  • This was fueled by political movements and the rediscovery of folk traditions

Major Composers and Works

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 9, Piano Sonata No. 14 "Moonlight"
• Franz Schubert (1797-1828): "Erlkönig," "Winterreise" song cycle
• Hector Berlioz (1803-1869): "Symphonie Fantastique," "Requiem"
• Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849): Nocturnes, Preludes, Polonaises
• Robert Schumann (1810-1856): "Carnaval," "Dichterliebe" song cycle
• Franz Liszt (1811-1886): "Hungarian Rhapsodies," Piano Sonata in B minor
• Richard Wagner (1813-1883): "Der Ring des Nibelungen," "Tristan und Isolde"
• Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901): "Rigoletto," "La Traviata," "Aida"
• Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Symphony No. 4, Violin Concerto, "Ein Deutsches Requiem"
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): "The Nutcracker," "Swan Lake," "1812 Overture"

Musical Techniques and Innovations

• Composers expanded the orchestra, adding new instruments and increasing the size of the string and brass sections
• The use of chromaticism, modulation, and tonal ambiguity became more prevalent
• Composers experimented with new harmonic progressions and chord structures (diminished sevenths, augmented sixths)
• The development of the Leitmotif technique, associated with Wagner, involved using recurring musical themes to represent characters, objects, or ideas
• Composers explored new forms, such as the symphonic poem (Liszt) and the music drama (Wagner)
• The use of programmatic music, which tells a story or depicts a scene, became more common
• Composers incorporated a wider range of emotions and moods in their music, from intimate and introspective to grand and heroic
• The virtuosic demands placed on performers increased, with more challenging technical passages and expressive requirements

Nationalism in Music

• Composers sought to express their national identity through the use of folk melodies, rhythms, and styles
• The collection and study of folk music became an important aspect of nationalist movements
• Composers such as Chopin (Poland), Liszt (Hungary), and Grieg (Norway) incorporated elements of their national music into their compositions
• The use of native languages in opera and song became more common, as opposed to the previously dominant Italian and French
• Nationalist composers often wrote music celebrating their country's history, legends, and landscapes
• The establishment of national music schools and conservatories helped to promote and preserve cultural traditions
• Nationalist music played a role in political and social movements, serving as a symbol of cultural pride and resistance
  • For example, Verdi's operas were associated with the Italian Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification

Cultural and Social Impact

• Romantic music reflected and shaped the cultural values and attitudes of the time
• The emphasis on emotion and individualism in music mirrored the broader Romantic movement in art and literature
• The growth of the middle class and the rise of the concert hall changed the way music was consumed and experienced
• The cult of the virtuoso performer emerged, with figures like Paganini and Liszt achieving celebrity status
• Music became more accessible to a wider audience through the growth of music publishing and the development of the piano as a household instrument
• Romantic music was often associated with social and political movements, such as nationalism and revolution
• The Romantic ideal of the composer as a solitary genius, creating art for art's sake, became increasingly influential
  • This led to a greater emphasis on originality and innovation in composition

Legacy and Influence on Later Periods

• Romantic music laid the foundation for many of the musical developments of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
• The expansion of the orchestra and the exploration of new harmonic and tonal possibilities paved the way for the works of composers like Mahler, Strauss, and Debussy
• The emphasis on emotion, individualism, and nationalism in Romantic music influenced the development of musical styles such as Impressionism, Expressionism, and Modernism
• The virtuosic demands placed on performers during the Romantic era set new standards for technical skill and expressive depth
• The concept of the composer as a creative genius, working independently and following their own artistic vision, became a dominant paradigm in Western classical music
• The Romantic ideal of music as a means of personal expression and communication continues to shape the way we understand and appreciate music today
• The nationalist movements in music that emerged during the Romantic era laid the groundwork for the development of distinct national musical traditions in the 20th century
  • This can be seen in the works of composers like Bartók (Hungary), Stravinsky (Russia), and Copland (United States)

Key Listening Examples

• Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (1808)
• Schubert: "Ave Maria" (1825)
• Berlioz: "Symphonie Fantastique," Op. 14 (1830)
• Chopin: Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2 (1832)
• Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 (1844)
• Wagner: "Ride of the Valkyries" from "Die Walküre" (1856)
• Verdi: "La donna è mobile" from "Rigoletto" (1851)
• Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 (1881)
• Tchaikovsky: "1812 Overture," Op. 49 (1880)
• Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 "From the New World" (1893)