What Is the Romantic Period?

What Is the Romantic Period?

Most music historians place the Romantic
Most music
period historians
in the yearsplace the Romantic
between 1820 andperiod in
1900.
the
Theyears between
earliest 1820 and
Romantic 1900. The earliestas
musicians—such
Romantic musicians—such as composers Ludwig van
composers Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz
Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and violin virtuoso
Schubert,
Niccolò and violin of
Paganini—came virtuoso Niccolò
age in the Paganini
Classical period
—came
but helpedofdevelop
age inthe
theRomantic
Classicalvernacular
period butby
helped develop
challenging the Romantic
music traditions vernacular by
of the time.
challenging music traditions of the time.
What Is the Romantic Period?
5 Characteristics of Romantic Music
Most music historians place the Romantic period in
the years
The betweenperiod
Romantic 1820 andof1900.
musicThe earliest
made major
Romantic musicians—such as composers Ludwig van
advances toward emotion and expression
Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and violin virtuoso
with less
Niccolò regard for of
Paganini—came the
ageformal structures
in the Classical of
period
the
but Renaissance,
helped Baroque,
develop the Romanticand Classical
vernacular by
periods of
challenging music.
music Key characteristics
traditions of the time. of the
era include:
What
1. NewIs genres:
the Romantic
In addition
Period?
to standby forms like the
sonata and the symphony, Romantic composers
Most
wrotemusic
in newhistorians
musical forms
place the
including
Romantic
theperiod
rhapsody,
in
the years
nocturne,
between
the concert
1820 andetude,
1900.the
Thepolonaise,
earliest the
Romantic
mazurka, the
musicians—such
overture, andasprogram
composers
music.
Ludwig van
Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and violin virtuoso
Niccolò
2. Paganini—came
Expanded of age PBeforethe
instrumentation: in the Classical period
but helpedera,
Romantic develop the Romantic
orchestras focusedvernacular
heavily on by
their
challenging
string music
sections, traditions
with of the time.
a few featured roles for
woodwinds and brass instruments.
 3. Program music: Programmatic music tells a story
What Is theinstruments,
through Romantic Period?
and it became extremely
popular in the Romantic nineteenth century.
Most music historians place the Romantic period in
the years between 1820 and 1900. The earliest
Romantic musicians—such as composers Ludwig van
4. Nationalistic
Beethoven, Franzthemes:
Schubert, Inand
the violin
nineteenth century,
virtuoso
many artists
Niccolò created works
Paganini—came of agethat celebrated
in the Classicaltheir
period
national
but helpedidentity.
develop The Finnish composer
the Romantic vernacularJean
by Sibelius
exemplified
challenging this traditions
music with the tone
of thepoem
time.Finlandia, while
the Czech Bedřich Smetana did the same with Má
last.
What Is the Romantic Period?

Most music historians place the Romantic period in

the years between 1820 and 1900. The earliest
5. Expanded
Romantic musical language:
musicians—such While Classical
as composers Ludwigperiod
van
composers
Beethoven, like Mozart
Franz thrived
Schubert, andinviolin
tonalvirtuoso
music based
on major
Niccolò and minor scales,
Paganini—came Romantic
of age composers
in the Classical period
began pushing
but helped boundaries
develop away from
the Romantic traditional
vernacular by
tonality.
challenging music traditions of the time.
5 Romantic Composers
What Is the Romantic Period?
The Romantic era produced many composers who
Most music historians place the Romantic period in
are household names among today's classical music
the years between 1820 and 1900. The earliest
audiences. Five particularly notable Romantic
Romantic musicians—such as composers Ludwig van
composers include:
Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and violin virtuoso
Niccolò Paganini—came
1. Ludwig van Beethoven: of Most
age inofthe Classical period
Beethoven's
but helped isdevelop
repertoire the Romantic
considered vernacular
part of the Classicalby
era,
challenging
but in manymusic
ways,traditions
he helpedofdevelop
the time.the
Romantic style. His late string quartets and his
Symphony No. 9 stand as benchmarks of early
Romanticism.
2. Franz Liszt: Liszt was the Romantic era's version of a
rock star. His piano prowess was legendary throughout
What
Europe,Is the
andRomantic Period? great distances to hear
patrons traveled
him play. He was also a renowned composer, whose
Most
worksmusic historians
for piano placewhat
redefined the Romantic periodcould
the instrument in
the yearsalso
do. Liszt between
wrote1820 and 1900.
symphonic Theand
music earliest
is considered
Romantic
the inventormusicians—such as composers
of the symphonic poem. Ludwig van
Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and violin virtuoso
Niccolò Paganini—came of age in the Classical period
3. Richard Wagner: Wagner was heavily influenced by
but helped develop the Romantic vernacular by
the symphonies of Beethoven and the lieder of Franz
challenging music traditions of the time.
Schubert. Wagner also loved theater, particularly
Shakespeare, and he sought to bridge the drama of
Shakespeare's words and Beethoven's bold music.
 4. Clara Wieck Schumann: Few women musicians
were given their due in the Romantic era, but Clara
What Is the Romantic Period?
Wieck was such a piano talent that she could not be
ignored. Her compositions for piano are perhaps
Most music historians place the Romantic period in
more celebrated today than they were in her era.
the years between 1820 and 1900. The earliest
Romantic musicians—such as composers Ludwig van
Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and violin virtuoso
5. SergeiPaganini—came
Niccolò Rachmaninoff: of Rachmaninoff was a late
age in the Classical period
Romantic composer who lived well into
but helped develop the Romantic vernacular by the twentieth
century. He music
challenging continued to write
traditions in the
of the Romantic style
time.
long after it was fashionable—even during an era
when fellow Russian Igor Stravinsky had
revolutionized modern music with works like The Rite
of Spring and The Firebird.
What Is the Romantic Period?
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Most music historians place the Romantic period in
the years between 1820 and 1900. The earliest
Romantic musicians—such as composers Ludwig van
Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and violin virtuoso
Niccolò Paganini—came of age in the Classical period
but helped develop the Romantic vernacular by
challenging music traditions of the time.