ROMANTIC ERA1800-1900

Romantic Thinking

• A middle class was beginning to form• Revolutionary War in America affected

politics all over Europe.• Napoleon led France in a Revolution; they

did NOT end up with a democracy.• The Romantic era is about shepherds,

young maids, and other common folk who were suddenly considered as important as rich people.

Composers become free-writers

• Composers were no longer hired by the wealthy.

• They begin to write music for the common people.

• They work free-lance and write what they want to write.

Beethoven

Abusive FatherCarried notebook for music ideasShowed how to develop motivesWrote in a classical style and romantic styleEroica Symphony

Schubert

Wrote many songs in German; most songs until now were in Italian

Friends tried to ‘set him up’ for a “good time”

He died soon afterwards in his early 30’s

Franz Liszt

Catholic PriestAllowed to leave liturgy to marry

As Famous as a rock star is today

Would have people assigned to ‘faint’ during his performancesSituated the piano just right so the audience could see his profile perfectlyMany women adored him and came to his concerts just to see him

Wrote many works for the piano

Began to write folk melodies from gypsies: Hungarian Folk songs

Richard Wagner

Wrote many operasBelieved that music, art, and drama were meant to be performed together and simultaneously

He had an opera house built in Bayreuth, GermanyHis operas are still performed there today.

He had many people who didn’t like himBrahms and Wagner were ‘at war’ their entire lives.

The only other person in the history of the world who has had more written about them than Wagner is Jesus Christ.

Johannes Brahms

Never married. Many women’s names are written into his music

Wrote Hungarian folk melodies

Friend to Robert SchumannCared for Schumann’s family after his death.

Robert Schumann

Loved Clara Wieck; sued her father to marry her

Friend to Brahms

Was mentally ill last 2 years of his life

Clara Wieck Schumann

Excellent pianist

After her husband’s death, she set up concerts where she played her husband’s music

She is largely responsible for her husband’s success as a composer.

Chopin

Polish Composer

Wrote beautiful melodies with a sad or melancholy sound

Wrote mainly for the piano

Tchaikovsky

Russian Composer

Famous for his ballets Swan Lake Sleeping Beauty The Nutcracker

Mendelssohn

Fanny Mendelssohn Felix Mendelssohn

Young Composer whose genius in composition surpassed Mozart

Songs Without Words, SymphoniesHe died soon after his sister, Fanny

Other Composers

• Bruckner

• Franck

• Berlioz

• Dvorak

• Strauss

Instruments

• Symphonies were very large.

• Brass tubing was wrapped and valves were added

• Saxophone invented