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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
German Leider who wrote poetry, dramas, an autobiography, books about literature, 4 novels, and scientific books on anatomy, botany, and color. One of the poets who helped shape romanticism. -
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Ludwig van Beethoven
One of the most well known composers, Beethoven was one of the last composers taught in the "old ways" of Haydn and Mozart. He pushed the boundaries of what was art music was at the time and lead into the Romantic Period. Composed 9 symphonies, 1 opera, many piano pieces, Leid, and chamber pieces. -
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The French Revolution
During the French Revolution and onwards, the common people saw themselves as empowered to break free from oppression, revolting against the nobility. This was reflected in the music of the time. -
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Giacomo Meyerbeer
A Jewish-German composer who studied in Italy and composed French opera in Paris. -
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Gioachino Rossini
Continued Mozart’s operatic style: THE most famous composer in Europe between 1815 and 1835. -
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Franz Schubert
Composed over 600 Lieder,17 operas and Singpiele, 9 symphonies, 35 chamber works, 200 choral pieces, and more. -
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Heinrich Heine
Poet who helped shape romanticism. -
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Hector Berlioz
Berlioz was a French composer and conductor. He was an innovator of orchestration techniques that created the modern orchestral sound . -
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Fanny Mendelssohn
Despite the hesitation of her brother and faster, Fanny Mendelssohn composed more than 100 works for solo piano, more than 200 Lieder, 24 works for chorus, several works for orchestra including an overture, and works for various chamber ensembles. -
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Felix Mendelssohn
Composer and conductor, Felix Mendelssohn was accredited with reviving the music of J.S. Bach into the romantic period. Good friends with the Schumanns. -
Rescue Opera
Beethoven's Fidelo, being an example, Rescue Operas depicts a woman saving a man. This genre was important to the people as it praised the heroism of the character and increased moral. -
Character pieces
One movement piano pieces: ballades, etudes, nocturnes, and mazurkas. -
Tone Poems (Symphonic Poems)
One movement orchestral works that often had programmatic associations . -
Program Music
Non-vocal music that is associated with something outside of the music itself, such as a story, a poem, or some other suggestion by the composer. -
Absolute Music
Music composed without pictorial or literary inspiration. -
Concert Overture
A single-movement concert piece for orchestra not associated with a staged piece; based on an extra-musical idea -
Incidental Music
An overture and a series of pieces to be performed between the acts of a play and during important scenes. -
Program Symphony
A multi-movement work for orchestra that is associated with an extra-musical idea . -
Nationalism
A reaction against Germany by countries who wanted to proclaim their own nationalistic worth and patriotism in the face of Germany’s arrogant stance. In music, this manifests in the importance of heroic themes, the use of folklore, and the celebration of national heroes, events, or places. -
The Mighty Five
Russian composers, like Les Six, that composed together. Mily Balakirev, Alexander Borodin, Cesar Cui, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Modest Mussorsky. -
Song Cycle
A set of Lieder that are connected in some way. -
Part Songs
unaccompanied choral secular songs in 3 or 4 parts -
Oratorio
An unstaged Opera, often with religious themes. -
Mass
The setting of the Ordinary of the catholic mass. -
Requiem Mass
The musical setting of a catholic mass held for a memorial or funeral. -
Grand Opera
French, serious historical dramas with spectacular effects . -
Opera Comique
Operas with spoken dialogue -
Lyric Opera
Stylistically between grand opera and opéra comique . -
Operette
Slapstick comic opera -
Singspiel
German opera often with serious or realistic themes. -
Opera Seria
A serious French opera -
Opera Buffa
An Italian comedic opera -
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Musical Traits of Romanticism
The goals of poets and musicians during the romantic period focused on trying to create moments during which ‘inexpressible longing’ could be felt. Heroism became an important topic and symetric form lessened in importance. Musical manifestations of this style are: More minor keys, larger orchestras and choirs, longer pieces, more percussion and brass, phrasing less symmetrical and more expansive , and ascending sixths favored in melodies -
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Frederic Chopin
Poet of the piano, Chopin struggled with Tuberculosis most of his life. He found great success within Salon culture and was credited with originating the modern piano style. -
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Robert Schumann
German composer, writer, and pianist who composed 4 symphonies, 300+ Lieder, a piano concerto, many chamber and piano pieces, and one opera. Married to Clara Schumann. -
Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung
An article was published about Beethoven’s instrumental music written by E. T. A. Hoffmann proclaiming Beethoven a genius. -
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Richard Wagner
A German composer, Wagner’s musical innovations in harmony and orchestration revolutionized instrumental music and opera. He is best known for his musical dramas. -
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Giuseppe Verdi
Primarily an opera composer, Verdi was the most important Italian composer in the mid to late 19th century. -
The Congress of Vienna
The meeting in which Europe was reorganized. -
Erlkonig
Composed by Schuman and written by Goethe, Erlkonig was based on the legend that whoever is touched by the king of the elves must die. -
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Clara Schumann
A child prodigy, Clara has already written the majority of her piano concerto when she was 13. She composed one piano concerto,
some chamber music, songs, and many pieces for solo piano, as well as cadenzas for piano concertos by Mozart and Beethoven. -
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Jacques Offenbach
Best known for his Operettes such as La belle Helene, Orphee aux enfers -
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Bedrich Smetana
Bohemian composer best known for his programmatic cycle of 6 symphonic poems called Má vlast (My Country). -
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Stephen Foster
American song composer best known for Beautiful Dreamer. -
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Louis Moreau Gottschalk
American nationalist, Gottschalk was a child prodigy on the piano but died young due to yellow fever. -
Symphony Fantastique
A program symphony composed by Berlioz consists of 5 movements portraying his beloved (idee fixe) haunting as he spirals into an opium-induced fever dream. -
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Johannes Brahms
German composer, Brahms continued the classical traditions, especially with form, but would stretch phrases like nobody before. He favored absolute music and wasn't a supporter of Wagner or Liszt. -
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Georges Bizet
French composer who blended styles into opera comique with Carmen. -
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Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Trained musically in the West: his Russian nationalist colleagues did not enthusiastically support him or his music. He composed 8 operas, 7 symphonies, 3 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, symphonic poems, overtures, chamber, keyboard, choral music, and songs. -
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Antonin Dvorak
Czech nationalist composer -
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Antonin Dvorak
Czechoslovakian nationalist composer, Dvorak sought to create a uniquely "American" sound as he took an interest in United States folk music. With his Symphony From the New World, he claimed to have been inspired by Black American culture and the music of the Native Americans, yet it sounds oddly Czech. -
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Edvard Grieg
Norwegian nationalist composer. -
Music Dramas
Wagner's take on opera influenced from French Grand Opera. -
Leitmotiv
Musical invention by Wagner, A short motif assigned to a person, place, or thing and then used throughout a drama as a unifying device . -
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Giacomo Puccini
Italian composer, best known for his 12 operas. -
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Gustav Mahler
Bohemian conductor and composer, his works weren't truly appreciated until after World War II. He was known for his Maximalism. -
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Jean Sibelius
Finish nationalist composer