Music History – 1850 to Present

🎸Music History – 1850 to Present Unit 1 – Romanticism and Nationalism in Music

Romanticism and Nationalism transformed music in the 19th century. Composers embraced emotion, individualism, and cultural identity, expanding musical forms and techniques. This era saw the rise of virtuoso performers and the growth of concert culture. Key figures like Beethoven, Chopin, and Wagner pushed boundaries in harmony, form, and orchestration. Nationalist composers incorporated folk elements, while others drew inspiration from literature and nature. This period's legacy shaped music for generations to come.

Key Concepts and Characteristics

  • Romanticism in music emphasized emotion, individualism, and freedom of expression
  • Composers sought to evoke feelings and moods through their compositions
  • Music became more expressive, with a wider range of dynamics, tempos, and tonal colors
  • Composers drew inspiration from nature, literature, and the supernatural
  • Nationalism in music involved incorporating folk melodies, rhythms, and styles from the composer's home country
  • Romantic music often featured virtuosic displays of technical skill from performers
  • Composers expanded traditional musical forms (sonata, symphony) to accommodate their expressive needs
    • This led to longer, more complex works with a greater emphasis on thematic development and transformation

Historical Context and Influences

  • Romanticism in music emerged in the early 19th century, coinciding with the Romantic movement in literature and art
  • The Industrial Revolution and political upheavals (French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars) shaped the cultural landscape
  • Composers were influenced by the philosophies of Romanticism, which emphasized the individual, emotions, and the sublime
  • The rise of the middle class and the growth of concert halls and music publishing allowed composers to reach a wider audience
  • Improvements in instrument design and construction (piano, brass instruments) expanded the range of musical possibilities
  • The increasing popularity of opera and the rise of the virtuoso performer (Paganini, Liszt) influenced compositional styles
  • Nationalism and the desire to express cultural identity through music became increasingly important
    • This was fueled by political movements and the rediscovery of folk traditions

Major Composers and Works

  • Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 9, Piano Sonata No. 14 "Moonlight"
  • Franz Schubert (1797-1828): "Erlkönig," "Winterreise" song cycle
  • Hector Berlioz (1803-1869): "Symphonie Fantastique," "Requiem"
  • Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849): Nocturnes, Preludes, Polonaises
  • Robert Schumann (1810-1856): "Carnaval," "Dichterliebe" song cycle
  • Franz Liszt (1811-1886): "Hungarian Rhapsodies," Piano Sonata in B minor
  • Richard Wagner (1813-1883): "Der Ring des Nibelungen," "Tristan und Isolde"
  • Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901): "Rigoletto," "La Traviata," "Aida"
  • Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Symphony No. 4, Violin Concerto, "Ein Deutsches Requiem"
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): "The Nutcracker," "Swan Lake," "1812 Overture"

Musical Techniques and Innovations

  • Composers expanded the orchestra, adding new instruments and increasing the size of the string and brass sections
  • The use of chromaticism, modulation, and tonal ambiguity became more prevalent
  • Composers experimented with new harmonic progressions and chord structures (diminished sevenths, augmented sixths)
  • The development of the Leitmotif technique, associated with Wagner, involved using recurring musical themes to represent characters, objects, or ideas
  • Composers explored new forms, such as the symphonic poem (Liszt) and the music drama (Wagner)
  • The use of programmatic music, which tells a story or depicts a scene, became more common
  • Composers incorporated a wider range of emotions and moods in their music, from intimate and introspective to grand and heroic
  • The virtuosic demands placed on performers increased, with more challenging technical passages and expressive requirements

Nationalism in Music

  • Composers sought to express their national identity through the use of folk melodies, rhythms, and styles
  • The collection and study of folk music became an important aspect of nationalist movements
  • Composers such as Chopin (Poland), Liszt (Hungary), and Grieg (Norway) incorporated elements of their national music into their compositions
  • The use of native languages in opera and song became more common, as opposed to the previously dominant Italian and French
  • Nationalist composers often wrote music celebrating their country's history, legends, and landscapes
  • The establishment of national music schools and conservatories helped to promote and preserve cultural traditions
  • Nationalist music played a role in political and social movements, serving as a symbol of cultural pride and resistance
    • For example, Verdi's operas were associated with the Italian Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification

Cultural and Social Impact

  • Romantic music reflected and shaped the cultural values and attitudes of the time
  • The emphasis on emotion and individualism in music mirrored the broader Romantic movement in art and literature
  • The growth of the middle class and the rise of the concert hall changed the way music was consumed and experienced
  • The cult of the virtuoso performer emerged, with figures like Paganini and Liszt achieving celebrity status
  • Music became more accessible to a wider audience through the growth of music publishing and the development of the piano as a household instrument
  • Romantic music was often associated with social and political movements, such as nationalism and revolution
  • The Romantic ideal of the composer as a solitary genius, creating art for art's sake, became increasingly influential
    • This led to a greater emphasis on originality and innovation in composition

Legacy and Influence on Later Periods

  • Romantic music laid the foundation for many of the musical developments of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
  • The expansion of the orchestra and the exploration of new harmonic and tonal possibilities paved the way for the works of composers like Mahler, Strauss, and Debussy
  • The emphasis on emotion, individualism, and nationalism in Romantic music influenced the development of musical styles such as Impressionism, Expressionism, and Modernism
  • The virtuosic demands placed on performers during the Romantic era set new standards for technical skill and expressive depth
  • The concept of the composer as a creative genius, working independently and following their own artistic vision, became a dominant paradigm in Western classical music
  • The Romantic ideal of music as a means of personal expression and communication continues to shape the way we understand and appreciate music today
  • The nationalist movements in music that emerged during the Romantic era laid the groundwork for the development of distinct national musical traditions in the 20th century
    • This can be seen in the works of composers like Bartók (Hungary), Stravinsky (Russia), and Copland (United States)

Key Listening Examples

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (1808)
  • Schubert: "Ave Maria" (1825)
  • Berlioz: "Symphonie Fantastique," Op. 14 (1830)
  • Chopin: Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2 (1832)
  • Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 (1844)
  • Wagner: "Ride of the Valkyries" from "Die Walküre" (1856)
  • Verdi: "La donna è mobile" from "Rigoletto" (1851)
  • Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 (1881)
  • Tchaikovsky: "1812 Overture," Op. 49 (1880)
  • Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 "From the New World" (1893)


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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.