Characteristics of Romantic music

A freedom in composing. With a strong importance on expressing an emotion.

Also fantasy, imagination and a sense of adventure were explored.

Emphasis on lyrical melodies. Rich, often chromatic harmonies, with a use of

discords.

Sense of vagueness: especially in tonality or harmony, but also in rhythm and

meter.

Denser textures with bold dramatic contrasts, exploring a wider range of pitches,
dynamics and tone-colours.

Expansion of the orchestra. The development of the brass section, whose power
often dominates the texture of the compositions.

Rich variety of types of piece, ranging from song, short piano pieces and musical
canvasses with spectacular, dramatic, and dynamic climaxes.

Keen interest in programme music such as programme symphony, symphonic

poem, concert overture.

Shape was brought to work through the use of recurring themes, such as, nature,
reigion and nationalism (a reaction against German influence).

The pieces of the time also had great technical difficulty. This was due to the fact
that many of the composers of the time were musicians themselves, main pianists.
*The Romantic period contradicted the Classical period by introducing freedom, artistic
creativity, and experimentation. In this period expressing an emotion or an idea was most
important, therefore the melody was the dominant feature.
*because of the high interest in emotional expression a great deal of dissonance was used as a
way to present emotional music to its audience.
*Romantic music puts unprecedented emphasis on self-expression and individuality
of style.
*Many composers created music that sounds unique and reflects their personalities.

*the romantics explored a universe of feeling that included flamboyance and

intimacy, unpredictability and melancholy, rapture and longing.
*all aspects of nature attracted romantic composers
*Romantic composers also dealt with subjects drawn from the Middle Ages and from
Shakespeares plays.
*nationalism was an important political movement that influenced nineteenth
century music. Nationalism was expressed when romantic composers deliberately
created music with a specific national identity, using folk songs, dances, legends,
and history of their homelands.
*Fascination with national identity also led composers to draw on colorful materials
from foreign lands, a trend known as musical exoticism. Some composers wrote in
an Asian style or used rhythms and instrument from distant land.