Chapter 7: The Romantic Era
Preview Questions
Introduction
In the previous chapter, we saw that the Classical era was a period when the Enlightenment ideals of reason and rationality were in high favor. Composers valued structure, balance, and symmetry in their music and adhered closely to established traditions. We saw that Beethoven, who began firmly in the Classical style, began to push against the boundaries of tradition and created his own highly individual and personal style. He ushered in the Romantic era. Composers after Beethoven would continue to value individual and personal musical expressions and break with established musical traditions. Romanticism in music is a very diverse subject. There are lots of different branches to study, and there are more important composers in this era than in earlier eras.
Review Questions
- What do you think of when you see the word “romantic”?
- Why do you think we have not encountered any women composers in our study of music history thus far?
- Name a significant historical event that happened in the 19th century.
- What instrument would you most likely find in a middle-class home in the 19th century?
- What capabilities does the piano have that many other instruments do not?
- What do you know about Frédéric Chopin?
- Can you think of a way in which a performer can be expressive without changing the notes a composer has written?
- How was the orchestra in the Romantic era different than it was in the Classical era?
- What do you think it means if an instrumental piece is described as “programmatic”?
Introduction
In the previous chapter, we saw that the Classical era was a period when the Enlightenment ideals of reason and rationality were in high favor. Composers valued structure, balance, and symmetry in their music and adhered closely to established traditions. We saw that Beethoven, who began firmly in the Classical style, began to push against the boundaries of tradition and created his own highly individual and personal style. He ushered in the Romantic era. Composers after Beethoven would continue to value individual and personal musical expressions and break with established musical traditions. Romanticism in music is a very diverse subject. There are lots of different branches to study, and there are more important composers in this era than in earlier eras.
Review Questions
- What did the term “Romantic” or “Romanticism” mean in the 19th century?
- Name a few of the most significant historical events that happened in the 19th century.
- What instrument would you most likely find in a middle-class home in the 19th century?
- How was the piano improved in the Romantic era, and how did it become arguably the most important and popular instrument of the time?
- Define the term rubato.
- Where was the composer Frédéric Chopin from and where did he spend his adult life? What was he most known for as a composer?
- How was Clara Schumann able to make a name for herself as a performer and composer during a time when most women were excluded from pursuing music as a profession?
- What happened to the size of the orchestra going from the Classical to the Romantic eras? What new instruments were added to the orchestra?
- What is “programmatic” music?
- What are common themes of Romantic operas?