Q3 Romanticism Rwr 4 Music

Evolution of Composers Role

- Simple servant to force of creativity
- Patrons see relation to artist change and personal expression
- about Hero’s Journey and high adventure in art forms
- New and obsession of originality through timber to concept , harmonic language
- Public interested in contemporary music
- Size, scope duration and concept
- Big orchestra and number of instruments and sections

Characteristics of Romantic Music

- Dramatic contrast of pitch (how high or low the notes)
• Dynamics (quiet or loudly the piece of music are played)
• Chromatic harmonies and discords
• Free form and design of music
• Longer melodies
• Major use of chromatic harmonies and dissonances
• Increase in size, scope duration and concept.
• Orchestra and number of the instruments and sections
• Harmonic - frequencies of pitches vibrate in multiples of whole integers in comparison to fundamental frequency.
• Discords (tones that clash so badly your ears bleed)
Violin and Strings Music, Piano Music, Program music

Composers:
1. Niccolo Paganini
- Famous Violin Virtuoso
- Italian Composer
- Born on October 27, 1782 Genoa, Italy
- played mandolin at age of five; switched to violin at age of seven, study with violin instructors in Italy.
- violin professors: unable to keep up with his improvement, so he change teachers.
- This caused him to imitate all of teacher's inspirations when playing violin
- Compositions:
- La Campanella
- 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1
- Concerto no. 1 in Eb, Op.6
- 15 Quartets for Guitar and Strings Trio
- The Carnival and Venice

2. Frederic Chopin
- “Poet of the Piano” ; March 1, 1810; Zelazowa, Poland
- High level of virtuosity
- Reinventions of sonata
- began to play piano at age of 4; composed polonaise at age of 7.
- Studied piano at Warsaw Conservatory, work influenced by folk music.
- formal education in 1829 and traveled to Europe to give concerts in Vienna, Munich, Paris and London.
- Made extensive use of piano pedal compositions
- 1831, arrived in Paris and met legendary composers Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann.
- met and married famous French writer George Sand as source of inspiration as maternal figure
- health declined and diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and died in October 17,1849
- Characteristics:
- beautiful tone
- rhythmic flexibility
- grace and elegance
- Compositions:
- Fantasie in F Minor, Op. 49
- Revolutionary Etude, Op.10, No. 12
- Preludes, Op. 28

• Etude - for development of specific techniques, alternating and overlapping hands.

• Ballade - narrative is set to music
• Mazurka - polish dance in triple time signature
• Nocturne - instrumental composition of a pensive, dreamy mood for the piano
• Polonaise - polish dance in triple time consist of march or procession
• Prelude - short piece of music used as preface and introduction to work or many stand on its own.
• Waltz - German dance in triple meter
• Impromptu - short free-form musical composition for solo instrument, like piano.
• Scherzo - musical movement of playful character in ABA form
• Sonata - for one or more solo instruments of 3 or 4 independent movement varying in key,mood, and tempo

3. Franz Luiszt
- October 22, 1811; Doborjan, Hungary, Austria
- Virtuosity works; Virtuoso pianist and composer
- played and studied at Vienna and Paris while performing in concert in the rest of Europe.
- remarkable talent at young age and easily understood sight reading.
- father: first teacher at the age of 6.
- turning point:early twenties.
- heard virtuoso violinist Nicocolo Paganini perform so decided in becoming virtuoso pianist.
- symphonic poems he translated great literary works into musical compositions.
- made piano transcriptions of operas and famous symphonies and compositions technically challenging pieces.
- generosity in sharing time money to orphans, victims of disasters, and students taught for music for free
- Compositions:
- La Campanella - Liebestraume No. 3
- Hungarian Rhapsodies (Tom & Jerry, Cat Concerto)
- Un Sospiro
- Sonata in B Minor
- Arrangements of the 9 Beethoven Symphonies
- Transcriptions of Lieder by Schubert
- Orchestra composition – Hamlet & Les Preludes

4. Robert Schumann
- June 8, 1810; Clausen, Luxemborg
- One of famous romantic composer and music critic
- father wanted him to study law.
- spent time with musical and literary circles through Friedrich Wieck who teach Schumann how to play piano.
- convinced family that he should aside law in favor of a performing career.
- soon developed problem with hands,
- effectively ending dreams as pianist.
- founded “Jornal Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik”edited and wrote music criticism for publication.
- wrote numerous write-ups: performance of Frederic Chopin in Paris.
- wrote two pseudonyms – Eusebius (sensitive, lyrical side) and Florestan (fiery, stormy side)
- Piano Works:
- Carnaval Opus 9 (portrait of masked ball attended by allies and beloved Clara)
- Kreisleriana Opus 16 (fantasy on mad Kapellmeister)
- Kinderszenen Opus 15 – poetic series of evocations of a child’s world

- ArtWorks:
- Frauenliebe und Leben – A woman’s Love and Life
- Dichterliebe - A Poet’s Love

- Orchestra Music:
- Piano Concerto in A Minor Opus 54
- Overture, Scherzo
- Finale Opus 52 (a mini symphony)

Program Music
A. Concert Overture - piece of music in style of overture but intended for independent performance
B. Symphonic poem - symphonic movement of literature; doesn’t follow pattern straight to point A to point B.
first movement form sonata allegro form.
C. Incidental Music - accompany or point up action or mood of dramatic performance on stage, film, radio,
television, or recording; transition between parts of action; or introduce or close performance

5. Hector Berlioz
- December 11, 1803
- French Romantic Composer
- young age, learned guitar and flute but never skilled in specific musical instrument.
- father was physician sent Hector to medical school but ended up pursuing career in music.
- Symphonie Fantastique as Fantastic Symphony.
- Creating a tone color and assembled hundreds of musicians to produce powerful sounds.

- Story Of Symphonie His Works Fantastique

- young extremely sensitive and imaginative musician tries to kill himself with opium due to depression caused
by discouraged love; not enough and does not kill him but instead, plunges into heavy sleep flocked with
nightmares.
- experiences, feelings and memories translated into hallucinations of musical thoughts and images.
- girl he loves was transformed into melody like recurring theme he meets and hears everywhere. Each
movement of symphony refers to a different vision in the young musician’s mind

6. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

 - May 7, 1840; Votkinsk, Russia; ballet music.
- studied law and became law clerk in St. Petersburg in twenties.
- rebelled and began to study music at a conservatory also in St.Petersburg.
- As big fan of Mozart, studied composition with Anton Rubinstein and moved to Moscow and started teaching
at the new conservatory
- music career in New York despite having marital problems and became famous after composing
musical poem “ Fatum and Romeo and Juliet.
- haunting melodies and used a great deal for folk music in symphonic works.
- name peaked in the last ten years of his life and died due to cholera
- The Swan Lake; The Nutcracker; Romeo and Juliet; Sleeping Beauty; 1812 Overture

7. Camille Saint Saens

- October 9, 1835 Paris; talented musician at an early age.
- started music through the help of aunt by having piano lessons when only 2 years old and began composing
piano pieces at age three.
- creates elegance music, neat, clean, polished and never excessive.
- organist and one of the best pianist of his time.
- During the peak of his career, many beautiful buildings were built in France.
- This includes famous Eiffel Tower.
- Carnival of the Animals - Numerous pieces for the piano
- Dance Macabre - Approximately 100 songs
- Symphony #3 - Chamber Music, Sacred Music
- The Swan - Concertos for violin and orchestra
- 3 operas (Samson and Delilah) - Organ Music and Symphonies