Instrumental Music of the Romantic Period

- The Romantic period flourished during 1820-1900 and it took its name from medieval “romances”.
- It was the period when composers were inspired by romantic love, and the supernatural and even dark themes
such as death.
- Some composers drew inspiration from the history and folk songs of their native countries; others drew influences
from foreign lands. Some composers created their works that are deeply rooted in classical traditions. Others were
more revolutionary.
Elements of Music and their Characteristics
• Rhythm – irregular and complex
• Melody – full of emotion; tells a story/paint a picture
• Harmony – tonal
• Texture – homophonic; heavy, combination of vocal and instrumental music
• Instrumentation/Tone Color – piano as an instrument is highlighted; orchestra; lied; opera
Small Instrumental Form (Piano Music)
• Romance refers to a short, lyrical piece for piano. It can also be for a solo instrument but with piano
accompaniment.
• Nocturne which means “night piece” in French is a slow, lyrical, and intimate composition for piano solo.
• Mazurka is a Polish dance music in triple time signature.
• Etude which means “study” in French, is a composition meant to help a student learn difficult playing techniques
and/or help a performer master technical difficulties.
• Prelude is an introductory piece of music.
• Waltz is a German dance in triple meter.
• Impromptu is a short musical piece for solo instrument.
• Scherzo is a musical movement of playful character, typically in ABA form.
• Polonaise was originally a Polish court dance. It is a triple meter composition for piano.
Large Instrumental Forms
• Program Music is a new developmentduring the Romantic period. It is an instrumental music associated with a
story, or a poem.
• Absolute Music or Non-program Music is an instrumental music written for its own sake, and for which the
composer did not intend a program.
• Program Symphony is an instrumental composition in several movements based to some extent on a literary or a
pictorial idea.
• Symphonic Poem is a one-movement orchestral composition based to some extent on a literary or pictorial idea.
It was developed by Franz Liszt
• Incidental Music is music intended to be performed before and during a play to set the mood for scenes or
highlight dramatic action.
Composers of the Instrumental Music
 Camille Saint-Saens was born on October 9, 1835 in Paris, France. He began taking piano lessons at an early age
of two and made his first performance at the age of 10. At 13, he studied organ and composition at the Paris
Conservatory. He was both a virtuoso pianist and composer
• Famous Works:
 Danse Macabre (1874)
 Samson and Delilah (1877)
 Carnival of the Animals
 The Swan
 other operas, symphonies, and concertos
He died on December 16, 1921 in Paris.

• Hector Berlioz was a French composer born on December 11, 1803. He learned to play the flute and guitar at a
young age. He first studied medicine but later abandoned it because of his love for music. He was one of the
famous composers of program symphony.
• Famous Works:
 Symphonie Fantastique
 The Trojans
 Choral : The Damnation of Faust
 Overtures: Le Carnaval Romain
He died on March 8, 1869 in Paris

• Felix Mendelssohn (Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy) was born in Hamburg, Germany on February
3, 1809. He came from a prominent family and grew up in a privileged environment where children are
encouraged to develop their gifts. He made his public debut at age 9, and at the age of 12, he wrote a handful of
operas, symphonies for string orchestras, sonatas, and fugues.
• Famous works:
 Overture to a Midsummer Night’s Dream
 Italian Symphony
 Oratorio : Elijah
 The string Octet
 Hebrides Overture
 Songs Without Words
Aside from being a brilliant composer, Mendelssohn was also an active conductor.
He conducted Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Berlin. He died on November 4, 1847 in Leipzig, Germany.

• Robert and Clara Schumann

The couple are both brilliant, gifted, and unique in the history of music. Robert studied music under Friedrich
Wieck, the father of Clara. His love for her was strongly opposed by her father but inspite of opposition, the two
got married. Robert composes while Clara performs.
• Famous Works:
 Symphonic Studies
 Carnaval
 Fantasie in C
Clara on the other hand was considered as one of the prominent pianist of the era. She was the first to perform
publicly the works of Johannes Brahms

Romantic Composers
- Franz Liszt (Program Music)
- He was born in Hungary on October 22, 1811. He started taking piano lessons at the age of six and started
composing at the age of eight. He was a self-supporting musician at the age of 15 and was recognized as one of
 the greatest pianists of all time. His virtuosity earned him the respect of composers and musicians alike during his
time.
- Liszt started piano recitals as a form of musical presentation and established performing by memory on his first
solo recital. He was a champion for program music and was responsible for creating symphonic poem. His piano
music has brilliant passages, dense chromaticism, and sentimental melodies.
Program Music
- Franz Liszt was the proponent of program music and responsible for the symphonic poem works.
- Program music is any music that tells a story or paint a picture. It was Liszt who first introduced it in the late 19 th
century. Together with a symphonic poem, it is a popular type of orchestral music.
Famous works:
• Concerto in Eb Major
• Sonata in B minor
• Mephisto Waltz
• No. 1 Transcendental Etudes
• Hungarian Rhapsodies
• Symphonic Poem: Les Prelude Mazeppa
• Programmatic Symphonies: Dante and Faust
Frederic Chopin and Piano Music
• During the Romantic period, the piano became the most popular instrument. By mid 1800s, one composer who
left a large repertoire of piano music was Frederic Chopin.
He was born in Warsaw, Poland on March 1, 1810. At the age of seven, Chopin was already writing poetry and could
compose and improvise several pieces such as polonaise and march
• By the age of 16, he had composed several piano pieces in different styles. He further enhanced his study in
music in the Warsaw Conservatory of Music.
He left his country at the age of 20, and spent most of his life in Paris. He was considered as one of the leading
performers during the Romantic era and was known to write exclusively for the piano
• Schumann describes Chopin as a musical genius. Chopin is also known for short pieces such as etude, nocturne,
impromptu, mazurka and polonaise, scherzo, and ballades.
• Chopin exploited technical possibilities of the piano to a higher degree. He concentrated on the melody of the
music, harmonic innovations, harmonic texture through the use of the pedal to increase the chordal tones.

Chopin’s other composition for piano

• Etude – It is a musical composition for solo instrument designed to give practice in the techniques but often
performed for its artistic worth.
• Nocturne – It is a romantic and poetic night piece filled with sentimental moods.
• Prelude – It is a musical introduction to a musical play or composition that may sometimes appear independently.
• Impromptu – It is a short, free form musical composition typically in ABA form.
• Sonata – It is a composition for one or more solo instrument with three to four movements that varies in the key,
mood, and tempo.
Dance Movements/Nationalistic Music
• Polonaise – It is a stately Polish processional dance popular in 19th century Europe; music for this dance is in
moderate ¾ time.
• Mazurka – It is a Polish folk dance in moderate triple measure; music for the mazurka or in its rhythm is usually
in moderate ¾ time.
• Waltz – It is a ballroom dance in ¾ time with strong accent on the first beat and a basic pattern of step-step-close.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Ballet Music
• One musical form during the Romantic period was the ballet music. From complementing a dance, it progressed
to being a musical form that is as important as the dance itself. One prominent composer who made ballet music
composition famous across the Western world was Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
• He was born on May 7, 1840 in Russia. He first studied law but gave it up because of his love for music.
Although gifted with music at an early age, he honored his parents’ wishes to work as a civil servant. During this
time, he became more fascinated with music and decided to take music lessons in St. Petersburg Conservatory.
• By 1874, he made a mark after performing his Second Symphony. In the same year, he also finished his Piano
Concerto No. 1 in Bb Minor. The following year, he finished his Symphony No. 3 in D Major and in 1876, he
completed the ballet Swan Lake.
• His last years were truly a success, performing all over Europe and even America in 1891. He was still unhappy
even with much prestige because of his private life.
Ballet Music
• Pronounced as “Ballay”, it means any dance intended for the theater rather than the ballroom. Ballet developed in
Russia through the efforts of a French dancing-master, Marius Petipa. Tchaikovsky showed that in the artistic
hands of a great composer, ballet music is of artistic importance. Because of Tchaikovsky’s initiative, ballet
composers no longer focus solely on the dance; the compositions behind the dance became as equal as the dance
itself.
• Opera: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Eugene Onegin, The Nutcracker
• Symphony: 4th Symphony- Manfred Symphony, 5th Symphony, 6th Symphony- Pathetique
• Overture: Romeo and Juliet
• Concerto: Piano Concerto No. 1 in Bb minor
Franz Schubert and the Art Song
• He was born on January 31, 1797 in Himmelpfortgrund, Austria. He received early musical training from his
father and brother. At age seven, his vocal talents were discovered by Antonio Salieri, who was Vienna’s leading
musical authority at that time. By age 17, he had written a handful of piano pieces, string quartets, a three-act
opera, and a symphony.
• He was able to compose 143 songs including his first great song Gretchen am Spinnrade and the famous The
Erlking. Most of his compositions were meant for the performances in the homes of Vienna’s cultivated middle
class. Schubert was a remarkable musician. He left over 600 songs,symphonies, string quartets, chamber music
for piano and strings, piano sonata, short piano pieces, masses, and operatic compositions.
Art Song
• It was one of the most distinctive forms of vocal music during the Romantic period. It refers to a composition for
a solo voice and piano. Poetry and music goes hand in hand in the creation of an art song.
• Art songs are set in many languages. The most prominent one is the German tradition of art song called lied.
• Schubert is known for his lieder (songs). He was the central figure in the creation of German art songs.
• Famous Works:
Opera – The Erlking
Art Song – Ave Maria, Night and Dreams, Good Night, Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel
Symphony – Unfinished Symphony, The Great C Major
• Liszt started performing by memory in front of the audiences and also by making sure that the audience can see
the profile of a performer.
• Chopin’s piano works are considered among the greatest that is why he is called the “Poet of the Piano.”
• Tchaikovsky was known for his ballet music.
• Schubert is considered as one of the greatest melodists. Of all his compositions, the closest to his heart was his art
songs.