Romantic Period Composers Flashcards
Beethoven (1770-1827)
Beethoven is perhaps the single most famous composer in all of music history. Beethoven not only created significant music, but his life also represented the evolution from Classical to Romantic values. In one person, we can see the transition from the rules and proper expectations of Classical Period, into the more flamboyant and emotionally expressive Romantic Period.
Beethoven lost his hearing over the course of his life
By the end of his life he was deaf. Many people speculate that he had tinnitusLinks to an external site. - a ringing in the ears. In this condition the ringing sensation can get so loud, that other sounds are drown out. There are lots of myths and rumors about how Beethoven lost his hearingLinks to an external site., but most of the research seems to guess at any conclusions. One conclusion seems constant - the fact that a deaf person could write such profound and emotional music is amazing.
Early works from Beethoven fit more into the Classical Style Period
Beethoven met Mozart, and studied with Haydn. Beethoven sought to become the next great German composer, following the traditions of Haydn and Mozart. Listening to some early works gives a good feel for the Classical Period tradition Beethoven was following.
With the onset of losing his hearing, Beethoven’s music takes a change
The polite craftiness of the Classical Period gives way to a new urgency and explosive expression in his music. This is where the Romantic Period really starts to take off in music. There is much more drama, expression, and unpredictability.
Towards the end of his life
Beethoven’s music continues to become more emotional, and defy music traditions from the Classical Period. Beethoven expands forms, uses much more dissonant harmonies, and more abstract melodies. This is truly the emotional freedom, and personal expression that Romantic Period composers valued and strove to achieve.
Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
Schubert is an admired composer, and was very productive in his short life. His symphonies, chamber music, and art songs are staples of modern concert repertoire.
In his lifetime, Schubert lived in the shadow of Beethoven. Beethoven was a huge public success. Schubert was not. He had a following, but lacked concert success and music publishing support. Although his friends helped him find a following for his music, by the end of his life he was very sick and poor. It was only after he died that his musical creativity and genius became widely admired.
Schubert composed symphonies, operas, and chamber music
He is probably most famous for composing art songs (in German, lied). These songs used Romantic poetry, and were composed for voice and piano. Schubert composed over 600 art song! These works showcase Romantic values - nature, the unexplainable supernatural, love, and tragedy. They often are genius examples of : the marriage of text in music, melody, harmony, and piano writing. The elements of music are almost always applied in ways that highlight the text and topic of the song.
Der Erlkonig (The Elf King)
Probably Schubert’s most famous art song. Composed when he was just 18 years old, this song tells the bizarre and tragic tale of a father racing on horseback through the night to find help for his sick child.
Similar to Beethoven, Schubert’s music moves out of Classical Period traditions, and lays the foundation for the emotional expression of later Romantics.
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
Hector Berlioz was a rebellious and ambitious French composer. He was famous for trying out lots of new instruments, writing works for VERY large orchestras, and exploring exotic and taboo topics in programmatic music.
Probably his most famous and successful composition is Symphonie fantastique (the Fantastic Symphony)
Symphonie fantastique is a programmatic piece of music. It tells a specific story, but only through the sounds of the orchestra. There is no singing, or narration. To know this story, you have to do a little homework. It was premiered in 1830, just four years after Beethoven’s famous Symphony No. 9.
The story of this music is essentially about a horrible drug trip! A very taboo and questionable subject for concert music in the early 1800s. Essentially each of the five movements describes the visions of the subject, as he hallucinates from smoking too much opium.
A couple key elements in this composition:
- There is a musical motive used to represent the “beloved one.” This melody keeps coming back, in all five movements. This ties all of the ideas together, and helps unify the exotic story. It is often referred to as the “idee fixe” - a fixed idea in the composition. This use of a motive, and transforming it across a larger composition was inspiring for composers and listeners.
- Berlioz used many new instruments: valved trumpets, a very high pitched e-flat clarinet, two tubas, and lots of unusual percussion instruments. The massive orchestra for this composition was absolutely radical for 1830 music.
- Berlioz used some interesting special effects. He has the strings play with the wood of the bow in the 5th movement. Unusual, and a really unique timbre.
Berlioz was not admired by everyone
His over-the-top style, and use of such large orchestras brought a lot of criticism. Many viewed him as an arrogant, disrespectful, radical young composer.
To this day Symphonie fantastique is one of the most performed and admired pieces for orchestra
This music helped open the doors of expression, orchestration, and individualism that Romantics sought. This music was undeniably ahead of its time.
Felix Mendelssohn
1809-1847
Niccolò Paganini
1782-1840
