Download THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)

• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
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Berlioz (1803-1869)
One of 1st French romantic composers
Daring creator of new orchestral sounds
Was sent to Paris to study medicine but
quickly changed to music
• @ 23 became obsessed with Shakespeare and
a Shakespearean actress
• His letters to her were wild and impassioned
and convinced her he was lunatic and refused
him
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Berlioz (1803-1869)
• Wrote Symphony Fantastique in 1830
• Semi autobiographical program music of the
weird and diabolical
• Listening Journal:
• Berlioz , Symphony Fantastique
• 4th Movement
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
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Dvorak (1841-1904)
Nationalist movement
(composer of Czech music)
Infused his symphonies and chamber music
with Bohemian folk song and dance
• Left small hometown outside of Prague to
study music at age 16 in Prague.
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Dvorak (1841-1904)
• Played in an opera orchestra for years until
composition noticed by GERMAN master
Brahms
• Toured the world and eventually settle in New
York City as director of National Conservatory
• Continued to write in Czech style encouraged
others to write in their own Nationalist style
• Listening Journal:
• Dvorak , Symphony No. 9 in E Minor
• 1st Movement (Czech & American folk influence)
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Brahms (1833-1897)
• NeoClassical from Hamburg Germany
• Father made a precarious living as a bass
player
• At 13 studied piano, theory, and composition
by day
• Played dance music in cafes at night
• At 21 concert tour were he meet the
Schumann’s who loved his music & hailed him
as a musical messiah
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Brahms (1833-1897)
• Schumann hooked him up with publisher but
soon after Robert had nervous breakdown and
was commited
• Brahms stayed in Schumann house to help
Clara with seven children
• Passed over for Hamburg Philharmonic
conductor position and moves to Vienna
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Brahms (1833-1897)
• In Vienna resurrects forgot Bach , Handel, and
Mozart pieces
• Lived rest of life very frugally
• Died at 64 of cancer
• Listening Journal :
• Brahms
• Symphony No. 3
• 3rd Movement
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Puccini (1858-1924)
• One of Romantics best known composers of
Opera
• Italian born, attended Milan University and
studied composition
• 1st Opera, shortly after graduation brought
commission & annual income from Italy’s
leading music publisher
• Was concerned with the theatrical aspects of
his operas as much or more than the music
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
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Puccini (1858-1924)
Known in the 1890 for VERISMO
VERSIMO = realism or true to life operas
Died before finishing his last Opera which was
completed by a friend
• Listening Journal
• Puccini, La Boheme (1896)
• Opera set in poor Latin Quarter of Paris
• Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy & girl united
as girl dies in boy’s arms of illness
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Wagner (1813-1883)
• Preeminent Germany composer of his time
• Had own theater built solely for his music
performances
• Powerful Operas with a Big Sound (horns & Brass)
• Born Liepzig, Germany to theatrical family
• Wanted to be playwright but at 15 overwhelmed
by Beethoven’s music
• Studied musical scores and composition but
never mastered an instrument
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Wagner 1813-1883)
• At Leipzig University dueled, drank, gambled,
& ran up debts he never repaid
• After school tried luck conducting in Paris but
came back to Germany miserable
• Successful Operas and conducting back in
Germany but continued to run up debts
• Wagner’s music genius was allied with
selfishness, ruthlessness, Rabid GERMAN
nationalism
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Wagner (1813-1883)
• Listening Journal :
• Wagner Die Walkure Act 1
• (love scene conclusion)
• Part of WAGNER’s RING CYCLE
• Set of operas based in Noris legend which are
his comment of 19th century lust for money &
power
• Includes LIETMOTIF
• music phrase, melody, sound ,ect.. associated
with different characters, scenes, ect..
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Debussy (1862-1918)
• French Impressionist who linked the 19th and
20th centuries
• From age 10 to 22 studied at Paris
Conservatory were he was considered a
“talented rebel”
• Influenced by trips to Russia and by Asian
music performed at the Conservatory
• Also struck by ideas and music of Wagner who
both attracted and repelled him
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Debussy (1862-1918)
• Lead unsettled life composing and teaching
piano
• Not until 1902 was he recognized as a great
French composer
• Impressionism in music
• stress on tone color, atmosphere, and fluidity
and less on structural forms of past.
• THE ROMANTIC PERIOD (1820-1900)
• Debussy (1862-1918)
• LISTENING JOURNAL :
• Debussy : Prelude to an afternoon of a faun
• Program Music illustrating a poem by
Stephane Mallarme
• Poem evokes the dreams and fantasies of a
pagan forest creature who is half man and half
goat.
• Ballet has been written to this piece & are
now often performed together