MUSIC OF THE

ROMANTIC ERA
( 1890- 1910 )
ROMANTIC MUSIC REFERS TO WESTERN
MUSIC COMPOSED IN THE LATE 18TH
CENTURY TO THE 19TH CENTURY..COMPOSERS
AND ARTISTS BELIEVED IN LETTING THEIR
IMAGINATION AND PASSION BE SEEN
THROUGH THEIR WORKS.
VIOILIN, PIANO, AND PROGRAM MUSIC ARE THE
MUSICAL GENRES THAT EVOLVED DURING THE
ROMANTIC PERIOD.
AS THE CENTURY PROGRESSED, MUSIC BECAME
INCREASINGLY AVAILABLE AND POPULAR AMONG
THE MIDDLE CLASS. CONCERT HALLS PROVIDED
VENUES FOR MUSICAL PERFORMANCES AND
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC WAS AVAILABLE TO A WIDE
AUDIENCE.
NATIONALISM IS REFLECTED IN MOST OF
THE
MUSIC OF ROMANTIC ERA. IN FACT,
COMPOSERS INCORPORATED THEIR
COUNTRY’S NATIVE FOLK SONGS AND
MUSICAL STYLES INTO THEIR
COMPOSITIONS.
ROMANTIC PERIOD IS DESCRIBED AS A
CULTURAL MOVEMENT THAT STRESSED
EMOTION, IMAGINATION, INDIVIDUALISM ,
AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. THESE
CHARACTERISTICS ARE EVIDENT IN MUSIC,
ART, AND LITERATURE OF THE ERA.
NATIONALISM WAS ALSO INCORPORATED IN
THE MUSIC OF THE ROMANTIC PERIOD. AN
EXAMPLE IS CHOPIN’S “POLONAISE”

MOST COMPOSITIONS OF THE ERA PORTRAY

LITERATURE, HISTORY, EMOTIONS, AND
NATURE.
 COMPOSERS OF THE ROMANTIC ERA SAW MUSIC AS MEANS
OF INDIVIDUAL AND EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION. INDEED, THEY
CONSIDERED MUSIC THE ART FORM MOST CAPABLE OF
EXPRESSING THE FULL RANGE OF HUMAN EMOTION.
MUSIC WAS EXPECTED TO COMMUNICATE TO THE
AUDIENCE, OFTEN BY USING A NARRATIVE FORM THAT TOLD
DISTINCT STORIES.
ROMANTIC COMPOSERS PRIORITIZED THE EMOTIONAL OR
NARRATIVE CONTENT OF THE MUSIC ABOVE ITS FORM, WHICH
IS WHY THEY BROKE SO MANY OF THE CLASSICAL
COMPOSERS’ RULES. ROMANTIC COMPOSERS DIDN’T REJECT
OR BREAK WITH THE MUSICAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPED
DURING THE CLASSICAL PERIOD. THEY USED ITS FORMS AS A
FOUNDATION FOR THEIR WORK BUT FELT UNCONSTRAINED BY
THEM.
  MUSICAL GENRE: VIOLIN AND STRINGS MUSIC
NICCOLO PAGANINI
- HE WAS BORN IN OCTOBER 27, 1782
IN ITALY.
- HIS MUSICAL SKILLS STARTED WHEN
HE
BEGAN PLAYING THE MANDOLIN AND
EVENTUALLY TRANSFERRED HIS
TRAINING
TO THE VIOLIN AT THE AGE OF 7.
- HE BECAME THE FAMOUS VIOLIN
VIRTUOSO IN THE WORLD.
SOME OF HIS FAMOUS WORKS:
“ LA CAMPANELLA”
“ THE CARNIVAL OF VENICE”
 MUSICAL GENRE: PIANO MUSIC
FREDERIC CHOPIN
-FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN WAS A RENOWNED POLISH AND
FRENCH COMPOSER WHO PUBLISHED HIS FIRST
COMPOSITION AT AGE 7 AND BEGAN PERFORMING ONE
YEAR LATER.
• HE FINISHED HIS FORMAL EDUCATION AT THE HIGHER
SCHOOL IN 1829 AND SOON TRAVELED TO EUROPE
GIVING CONCERTS IN PLACES LIKE VIENNA, MUNICH,
PARIS AND LONDON.
• CHOPIN COMPOSED ALMOST PRIMARILY FOR THE
PIANO AND SOME WELL KNOWN COMPOSITIONS LIKE
FANTAISIE IN F MINOR, OP. 49, REVOLUTIONARY ETUDE,
OP. 10, NO. 12 AND 24 PRELUDES, OP. 28.
• IN 1831, CHOPIN ARRIVED IN PARIS AND MET OTHER
LEGENDARY COMPOSERS
• DURING THIS TIME IN PARIS, CHOPIN MET AND MARRIED THE FAMOUS WRITER FRENCH
WRITER GEORGE SAND.
• CHOPIN’S HEALTH BEGAN TO DECLINE AND HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PULMONARY
TUBERCULOSIS.
  FREDERIC CHOPIN WAS FAMOUS FOR THE
FOLLOWING:
BALLADE – A VERSE FORM OR NARRATIVE THAT IS SET TO MUSIC
ETUDE – A PIECE COMPOSED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SPECIFIC TECHNIQUE
MAZURKA – A POLISH DANCE IN TRIPLE TIME THAT CONSISTS OF A MARCH OR
PROCESSION
NOCTURNE – AN INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION OF A PENSIVE, DREAMY MOOD FOR THE
PIANO
POLONAISE – A SLOW POLISH DANCE IN TRIPLE TIME THAT CONSISTS OF A MARCH OR
PROCESSION
PRELUDE – A SHORT PIECE OF MUSIC THAT CAN BE USED AS A PREFACE AND
INTRODUCTION TO ANOTHER WORK OR MAY STAND ON ITS OWN.
WALTZ – A GERMAN DANCE IN TRIPLE METER
IMPROMPTU – A SHORT FREE-FORM MUSICAL COMPOSITION USUALLY FOR A SOLO
INSTRUMENT
SCHERZO – A MUSICAL MOVEMENT OF PLAYFUL CHARACTER, TYPICALLY IN ABA FORM
SONATA – COMPOSITION FOR ONE OR MORE SOLO INSTRUMENTS USUALLY CONSISTING
OF THREE OR FOUR INDEPENDENT MOVEMENTS VARYING IN KEY, MOOD AND TEMPO.
  MUSICAL GENRE: PIANO MUSIC
FRANZ LISZT
- HE WAS KNOWN AS THE “ VIRTUOSO
PIANIST” , A COMPOSER, AND THE
BUSIEST MUSICIAN DURING THE ROMANTIC
ERA. HE PLAYED AND STUDIED IN VIENNA
AND PARIS WHILE PERFORMING CONCERTS
IN THE REST OF EUROPE.
- HE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS SYMPHONIES AND
PIANO TRANSCRIPTIONS OF OPERAS.
- HE WAS KNOWN WITH HIS GENEROSITY IN
SHARING TIME AND MONEY TO THE ORPHANS
VICTIMS OF DISASTERS, AND THE MANY
STUDENTS WHOM HE TAUGHT MUSIC FOR FREE.
PROGRAM MUSIC
- AN INSTRUMENTAL
COMPOSITION THAT CONVEYS
IMAGES OR SCENES TO TELL A
STORY WITHOUT TEXT OR LYRICS.
IT ENTICES THE IMAGINATION OF
THE LISTENER.
  MUSICAL GENRE: PROGRAM MUSIC
HECTOR BERLIOZ
- HE WAS A FRENCH ROMANTIC WHO
WAS BORN ON DEC. 11, 1803.
- HE TRIED PLAYING THE GUITAR AND
FLUTE BUT DID BUT NEVER BECAME
SKILLED IN ANY INSTRUMENT.
- HE WAS SENT BY HIS FATHER IN
MEDI-
CAL SCHOOL BUT ENDED PURSUING A
CAREER IN MUSIC.
SOME OF HIS FAMOUS WORKS:
“ SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE”