Download The Romantic Era

The Romantic Era
1825-1900
“Romanticism”
Generally, “Romanticism” refers to groups of
artists, poets, writers, musicians, and political,
philosophical and social thinkers in the late
18th and early 19th centuries. Romanticism
exalted individualism, subjectivism,
irrationalism, imagination, emotions and
nature - emotion over reason and senses
over intellect.
The increasing role of science in
defining a worldview
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The skepticism resulting from by a clearer
understanding of the world and humanity's
place in it changed the way people thought of
themselves and society. Charles Darwin's
(1809-1882) The Origin of the Species is one
example of the new attitude.
A growing autonomy for the arts
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More and more, art was removed from
functional roles and came to be appreciated
for its aesthetic worth. The art of the past
became increasingly revered, and our
modern notions of the "artist" and of the "fine
arts" were born.
Painters
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William Blake
“The Dragon”
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Francisco de Goya
“Saturn eating
Cronus”
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Eugène Delacroix
“Liberty
Leading
The
People”
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William Turner
“The Fighting Temeraire”
Musical Developments
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Increased interest in nature and the
supernatural
The rise of program music
Nationalism and exoticism
Changing status of musicians
Increased Interest in Nature and
the Supernatural
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Romantic artists saw nature in a less idealized
way than the artists of the Classical period had.
The natural world was considered less a model
of perfection and more a source of mysterious
powers.
Romantic composers gravitated toward
supernatural texts and stories. Schubert's
Erlking and Berlioz' Symphonie fantastique
are two good examples.
Musical Style
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Dynamic range is wider, and there is a larger range
of sound.
There is a greater variety of instruments, including
improved or newly-invented wind instruments.
Melodies are longer, more dramatic and emotional.
Tempos are more extreme, and tempo rubato is
often called for.
Harmonies are fuller, often more dissonant.
Formal structures are expanded. These are often
determined by the programmatic content of the
piece.
The Virtuoso
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The Romantic Era saw the rise of the
“Virtuoso” (meaning: skill, manliness,
excellence) – A highly capable performer
whose abilities were such that they “dazzled
the public”.
Notable Composers
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Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Felix Mendelssohn (18091847)
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Robert Schumann (18101856)
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
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Bedrich Smetana (18241884)
Johannes Brahms (18331897)
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
(1840-1893)
Antonin Dvorák (1841-1904)
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Claude Debussy (18621918)
Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Beethoven – The Crossover Composer
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Beethoven was born in the classical era, and
his early music was typical of this time.
As he grew older, his music started to exhibit
characteristics that were not typically
“classical”.
Beethoven's use of tonal architecture in such
a way as to allow significant expansion of
musical forms and structures was
immediately recognised as bringing a new
dimension to music.
Beethoven – The three periods
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Early – Emulates the style of great
predecessors (Haydn, Mozart)
Middle – Brought on by his struggles with
hearing loss. Characterized by large-scale
works expressing heroism and struggle.
Late – 1816 until his death in 1827.
Intellectual depth, personal expression and
experimentation with form.