Romantic Period1825-1900

The word “romantic” in the Romantic Period does

not refer necessarily to

love, but more to heroism,

adventure, and mystery.

The Romantic generation developed a fondness for fictional characters that went on exciting journeys. The Romantic generation were also tired of all the happy endings from the previous periods. They were partial to

tragic endings.

The six main characteristics of the Romantic Period were:

1) Individualism – People started to care less of their

family and community and

concentrate more energy into what

was best for themselves.

2) Reverence of Nature – Now that great cities were more common, people wanted to get back to nature and its beauty

and importance in our lives.

Here are more nature paintings from the Romantic Period.

3) Pursuit of the Supernatural – The wild imagery and adventures associated with ancient Greek Myths sparked

people’s interest, causing these myths to be revived in the art and music of the time. Do you know these

Greek myths?

Medusa

Pegasus

More Greek Myths

Centaur

Zeus

King of the Greek Gods

Valkyries (The song you heard at the beginning of this

presentation is called “Ride of The Valkyries.”)

Mephistopheles(He appears in many Romantic

operas)

The HydraEven more Greek Myths 7 headed

monster

Warrior Women The Greek version of the devil

4) Nationalism – Artists and composers began to take pride in their nationality or country of origin. Composers tried to find original folk songs

from their homeland and then use these melodies in their orchestral compositions.

Hungary

Czechoslovakia

Romania

5) Emotional Expression Composers wanted to express their emotions in their music and for people to feel emotions when they listened to this music. It didn’t matter if the emotions were the same, as long as some emotional response was conjured up. What emotion does this song from Tchiakovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet” evoke?

Symphonie Fantastique

The Concert Program

I. PassionsA young musician sees the woman of his dreams and falls hopelessly in love. Each time her image comes into his mind, it evokes a musical thought that is impassioned in character, but also noble and shy, as he imagines her to be. [This key melody returns throughout all five movements. Each time it returns it represents the artist thinking about this woman.]

II. A Ball

The artist finds himself in the swirl of a party, but the beloved image appears before him and troubles his soul. [The key melody returns, but it is now in 3/4 time.]

III. Scene in the CountryIn the distance, two shepherds play a duet. The country setting, the gentle evening breeze, the hopeful feelings he has begun to have--all conspire to bring to his spirit an unaccustomed calm, and his thoughts take on a more cheerful cast. He hopes not to be lonely much longer. But his happiness is disturbed by dark suspicions. What if she is deceiving him! One of the shepherds resumes his playing, but the other makes no response.... In the distance, thunder. Solitude. Silence. [The key melody is here again. It starts out very pretty with 2 oboes, but as he starts to suspect her of deceiving him, the sounds of a storm (cymbals, timpani) overcome this key melody.]

IV. March to the Scaffold

Convinced that his love is unreturned, the artist takes an overdose of opium. It plunges him into a sleep accompanied by horrifying visions. He dreams that he has killed his beloved, has been condemned and led to the scaffold, and is witnessing his own execution. The procession advances to a march that is now somber and savage, now brilliant and solemn. At its conclusion, a final thought of the beloved is cut off by the fatal blow. [You have been listening to this movement. Near the end, the intense marching music stops while he thinks of his beloved one last time, but the key melody is suddenly interrupted by a loud accent and the rolling of snare drums. What do you think this represents?]

V. Dream of a Witches' Sabbath

He sees himself in the midst of a frightful throng of ghosts, witches, monsters of every kind, who have assembled for his funeral. Strange noises, groans, bursts of laughter, distant cries. The key melody again reappears, but it has lost its modesty and nobilty; it is no more than a vulgar dance tune, trivial and grotesque; it is she, coming to the sabbath. A joyous roar greets her arrival.... She joins in the devilish party.... A funeral song and a round-dance are combined in this movement for even more of a shocking and evil effect.

6) Giving meaning to music – Music of the Romantic Period began to take on story lines. Music now had some deeper relevance than just something nice to listen to. This type of music is called “program music,” and it tells a story through a program (like the one to the left) or simply through the title.

(Click to hear ending only)

Before the Romantic Period, absolute music was the norm. Absolute music is music with no subject matter. It was written for the sake of enjoying the music and nothing else. Titles Are based on at least 2 things:

Type of piece Number or key

Symphony No. 7Concerto No. 22Toccata in d minorString Quartet Op. 8

But now, in the Romanitc Period, Program music

became very popular. Program music is

music that tells a story and the music follows

it:

Symphonie FantastiqueThe Concert Program

I. Reveries -- PassionsA young musician, afflicted with that moral complaint which a celebrated writer [Chateaubriand] calls "undirected emotionalism," sees the woman of his dreams and falls hopelessly in love. Each time her image comes into his mind, it evokes a musical thought [represented by an idee fixe] that is impassioned in character, but also noble and shy, as he imagines her to be.

II. A Ball

The artist finds himself in the swirl of a party, but the beloved image appears before him and troubles his soul.

III. Scene in the CountryIn the distance, two shepherds play a ranz des vaches in dialogue [solo oboe and English horn]. The pastoral setting, the gentle evening breeze, the hopeful feelings he has begun to have--all conspire to bring to his spirit an unaccustomed calm, and his thoughts take on a more cheerful cast. He hopes not to be lonely much longer. But his happiness is disturbed by dark premonitions. What if she is deceiving him! One of the shepherds resumes his playing, but the other makes no response.... In the distance, thunder. Solitude. Silence.

IV. March to the Scaffold

Convinced that his love is unrequited, the artist takes an overdose of opium. It plunges him into a sleep accompanied by horrifying visions. He dreams that he has killed his beloved, has been condemned and led to the scaffold, and is witnessing his own execution. The procession advances to a march that is now somber and savage, now brilliant and solemn. At its conclusion the idee fixe returns, like a final thought of the beloved, cut off by the fatal blow.

V. Dream of a Witches' Sabbath

He sees himself in the midst of a frightful throng of ghosts, witches, monsters of every kind, who have assembled for his funeral. Strange noises, groans, bursts of laughter, distant cries. The beloved melody again reappears, but it has lost its modesty and nobilty; it is no more than a vulgar dance tune, trivial and grotesque; it is she, coming to the sabbath. A joyous roar greets her arrival.... She joins in the devilish party.... A funeral knell, a parody of the Dies Irae. A sabbath round-dance. The Dies Irae and the round-dance are combined.

As you have Already seen, the music May

actually contain a program so you can read along as you

listen.

But Most program music doesn’t need anything to read. The composers want you to use

your imagination, so they just give you a title and let your imagination

Run free. Here are two

examples:

Flight of the Bumblebee

Harold in Italy

Two important freedoms of the Romantic Era:

1. Freedom of Religion – People started to agree that it was wrong to force somebody to follow one particular religion, like Catholicism or Lutheranism.

2. Freedom of Self – People got the courage to do something unexpected or different with their lives and not follow in their father’s footsteps in the exact same business.

Comparing the Classical with the Romantic Period:

Classical Romantic

Tradition

Expressing Emotions

Order, Balance, Symmetry

Program Music

Pursuit of New Ideas

Controlled Emotions

Supernatural,Bizarre

Absolute Music

Romantic PeriodThe End