Romantic Era

Question 1

romantic main themes

Answer 1

individuality, originality, fantasy, expression of pure emotion, transcending conventional limits to pursue deeper truths

Question 2

napoleonic wars cultural affect on music

Answer 2

changed old boundaries and spread ideas of national identity across Europe, interest in national culture grew, becomes more important and reflective in music

Question 3

napoleonic wars economic/political affect on music

Answer 3

war and inflation destroyed aristochracy, less states meant less courts supporting the arts, more freelance artists and freedom, so they became specialized in niches

Question 4

middle class reasons for instruments (5)

Answer 4

• had time and money
• released from social pressures
• expressed aspirations wo risk of censorship
• gave escape from wars, economies, repression
• music more personal, not confined to churches and courts

Question 5

music as social control (4)

Answer 5

• state sponsered opera
• church choirs
• kept woman occupied and attracted a spouse
• factory bands for better conditions and keep from drinking and orginizing strikes

Question 6

instrument improvements ->

Answer 6

more options for composers, music more expansive

Question 7

how did composers make music appealing to amateurs (9)

Answer 7

pieces songlike, uniform in rhythm and difficulty, 4 bar phrases, dynamic contrasts, imagery, dramatic and colourful, harmonies, evocative titles, national or exotic associations

Question 8

absolute music

Answer 8

refers to nothing but itself

Question 9

programmatic work

Answer 9

recounts narrative or series of events

Question 10

character piece

Answer 10

depicts or suggests mood, personality, scene

Question 11

romantic as a term

Answer 11

focussed on indl, expression of self, search for original, interesting, evocative, expressive, extreme, derieved from medievel romance (heroic tales), connotates something legendary and fantastic from a far off everyday life

Question 12

classical and romantic periods divided when

Answer 12

1820s, some other theories differ

Question 13

romanticism as a rxn (4)

Answer 13

• as society changed rapidly, romanticism sought refuge in past, myth, dreams, irrational, supernatural
• regarded common people as true embodiment of nation
• pursued enlightenment instead of $
• instrumental music permier mode of artistic expression, freee of concreteness of words, explored new relams of sound

Question 14

organic form

Answer 14

like how all parts of a plant are adaptations of same basic shape, all parts of a musical piece should have a common source (relationship of themes, movements, etc)

Question 15

the Lied

Answer 15

fusion of music and poetry, often about greater forces or nature as a metaphor for the human experience

Question 16

lyric

Answer 16

short strophic poems of ancient lyrics and folk verses, chief poetic genre, expresses personal feeling or vuewpoint

Question 17

strophic

Answer 17

verses with same melody but different words, no chorusses, like Amazing Grace

Question 18

ballad

Answer 18

romantic adventures or supernatural incidents, longer in length for more moods, events, themes, and textures, piano rose as an equal partner

Question 19

schubert (7)

Answer 19

• master of romantic lied
• set poetry to music
• wanted music to be an equal of the words, not just words
• totallu freelance
• hosted schubertaid parties
• fond of modulation

Question 20

robert schumann (4)

Answer 20

• wrote to express passions and frustrations for love
• music critic
• mental instability, confined to asylum
• didnt give title until after piece was written

Question 21

clara schumann (4)

Answer 21

• virtuoso pianist, always stuck to exactly what composer said
• played by memory
• edited roberts work
• composed her own

Question 22

song cycles

Answer 22

groups of song that go together and relate like an album, with unifying characteristics

Question 23

Ballads/parlour songs 4

Answer 23

Songs for home performance, relies on vocal melody with piano as support, performers could adorn or reshape, famous one is home sweet home by Henry r bishop

Question 24

Stephen foster 3

Answer 24

First American to line solely as a composer, combined different styles, easy to perform and remember

Question 25

Piano music major purposes 3

Answer 25

Teaching (Clementis studies), enjoyment (dances, lyrical, character pieces, sonatas), public performance by virtuosos

Question 26

Mendellson 4

Answer 26

- blended influences from older composers and his own contemparies - favoured fluent technique over bravura with no substance - famous for songs without words, for thoughts that couldn't be expressed with words (absolute music, music speaks for itslef and nothing else) - combines romantic expressivity and classical forms

Question 27

chopin 3

Answer 27

- composed almost exclusively for piano - national polish flavour - for amateurs, virtuosos, connoisseurs, many different genres (polaiase, etudes, mazurka, nocturne

Question 28

liszt 7

Answer 28

- massive hand span for very virtuostic pieces - new playing techniques and textures - pioneered recital, master class - experimental, embraced dissonance w/o resolving - liked chords to divide octave =ly - also did transcriptions, paraphrases - embodied romantic characteristics supposedly more than any other musician

Question 29

goltschalk 2

Answer 29

- first american composer with international rep - rhythms and melodies based on mother's carribean heritage

Question 30

etude

Answer 30

each adressed a specific technical skill

Question 31

polonaise

Answer 31

courtly aristrocratic dance, asserts national identity (chopin polish)

Question 32

mazurka

Answer 32

polish folk dance, exoticism with trills, grace notes, leaps, slurs, ruboto

Question 33

nocturne

Answer 33

mood piece, embellished melodies, singing style