Flower duet composer

haracteristics of the Romantic Era

Music: emotional extremes, more freelance composers, long beautiful melodies, more chromaticism, new forms invented, music written for the general public, Piano is the most popular instrument

Nationalism – when composers incorporate elements of their country into their musical works

Texture: Mostly homophonic, sometimes polyphonic

Characteristics of the Romantic Era

Forms:

Old – Opera, Mass, Sonata, Symphony, Concerto

New – Lied, Symphonic Poem, Ballet, Many solo piano forms

Composers: Berlioz, Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, Mendelsohn, Schumann, Strauss, Mahler, Brahms, and many, many more.

Travel: France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Russia, and Italy

France

Germany

Austria

Poland

Russia

Italy

Travel

Going up the Chromatic Scale

Chromaticism – moving in half step increments

Chromatic Scale – A scale made up of 12 half steps

2

1

3

4

5

6

12

7

8

11

9

10

C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C

C B B♭ A A♭ G G♭ F E E♭ D D♭ C

Coming back down the Chromatic Scale

Chromaticism

Notes on the Romantic Era

Instead of depending on the church and aristocracy to make a living, composers were now freelance musicians

Made a living from concerts, publishing, and private teaching

Women composers were marginalized and wrote primarily in smaller forms like art songs

Considered inferior because they didn’t write grand works like Symphonies and Operas

Inventions in the Industrial Revolution led to advancements and improvements in the mechanical valves and keys used by brass and woodwind instruments

Texture

Mainly Homophonic – one melody with chordal accompaniment

Sometimes Polyphonic – two or more melodies at the same time

Texture

Polyphonic

Homophonic

Two or more melodic lines at the same time

One Melody with Chordal Accompaniment

Old: Vocal

Sacred and Secular Songs

Opera

Forms - Old

Old: Instrumental – Large

Sonata

Symphony

Concerto

Old: Instrumental – Small

Variations

Opera

Originally composers added music to preexisting ancient Greek dramas

Now composers are starting to use new libretti and even write their own stories (Wagner)

Composers include: Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, Puccini, Bizet, Wagner, and more.

Born in Italy

Became the church organist at age 8

Made political and nationalistic references in his operas

Influential in the Risorgimento (unification) of Italy

Established Casa di Riposo per Musicisti (a rest home for retired musicians) and the building of a hospital at Villanova sull’ Arda

Compositions Include:

3 Operas (Rigoletto, Il trovatore, La traviata, Aida, etc.)

Sacred Music: Requiem, Four Sacred Pieces

Italian Giuseppe Verdi 1813-1901

Verdi – Rigoletto: La donna è mobile “The Lady is Fickle” – Luci