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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
A German writer whose writings were very influential on Romantic composers. Much of his poetry was set to music, especially by Schubert. His most famous Lieder is Erlkonig (Elrking.) -
Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842)
An Italian composer who is an important figure in French music, especially opera. He is also one of the first to take over the Paris Conservatoire. -
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
A German composer best known as a transitional figure from the Classical to the Romantic style of music. He made his living as a successful free-lancer and composed in all genres of music. -
Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776-1822)
A German author who published an article in 1813 that first described the romantic aesthetics of Beethoven. He's known to have given the "Classic" description to Haydn and Mozart. -
Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864)
A Jewish German composer who studied in Italy and composed French opera in Paris. He is known for grand operas: Les Huguenots Overture Act V - Ein feste Burg. -
Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)
The most famous composer in the nineteenth century in Vienna who continued Mozart's operatic style. -
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
An Austrian composer who composed in all genres, mostly Lieder that were very dramatic and artistic. He, like Beethoven, was a freelance composer. -
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
A composer who was Verdi's forerunner in serious Italian opera. He was also prolific in all other genres. -
Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835)
An Italian opera composer who created dramas with extreme passion, action, and emotion. He is famous for his opera Norma (1831.) -
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
A French composer, critic, and author. He is an innovator of orchestration techniques that created the modern orchestral sound. His composed works were neither operas, symphonies, or oratorios. Berlioz also was one of the first conductors to stand in front of the orchestra and conduct. -
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Opus 67 (1804-1808)
A symphony composed by Beethoven that develops from the four-note opening motive, which appears in all four movements one way or another. -
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)
The sister of Felix Mendelssohn who was discouraged from composing. However, she still composed many works such as Lieder, choral works, and chamber music. -
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
A German composer who composed most genres and revived J.S. Bach's music in Leipzig. He also served as an important conductor. -
Character Pieces
One of the new genres of the Romantic era and it is a one-movement poetic piece for solo piano. These short pieces can range from being thirty seconds to ten minutes in length. -
Tone Poem
Also known as symphonic poems, this new genre of music was a one-movement orchestral work that would often have programmatic associations. -
Program Music
Program music is non-vocal music that has an association with something outside of the music, whether it be a story, poem, or some other suggestion by the composer. -
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
A German composer who is most important as an editor, critic, and promoter of music. -
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
A Polish/French pianist and composer who is best known for his character pieces and is credited with originating the modern piano style. His style was very delicate and virtuosic, yet poetic. -
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The Romantic Era (1810s-1890)
Coming from the Classical Era, there is a change in music with the rise of minor keys, larger orchestras, longer pieces, less symmetrical phrasing, non-chord tones, chromaticism, wider range in dynamics, rubato, and complex harmonies. This is also an era surrounding extreme expression of emotions and focus of oneself. Overall, the romantic style comes from artists "breaking the rules" of previous trends. -
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Changes to the Orchestra
Some of the orchestral changes that happened during the nineteenth century include an increase in size, newer combinations of instruments, and more percussion and brass. -
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Form of Romantic Era Music
During the Romantic era, music took on the forms of being longer, grandiose, or on the opposite hand, miniature, and thematic unity was crucial even in larger pieces. -
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
A piano virtuoso, conductor, composer, innovator in musical form, harmonies, and aesthetics, supporter of Wagner, and inventor of orchestral tone poems. -
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
The creator of German music drama and is known to have changed opera, harmony, and music. His music dramas dominated German opera and he was one of the most influential musicians in the nineteenth century. -
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
The most important Italian composer in the mid to late nineteenth century. He was primarily an opera composer, but composed a very popular Requiem, some choral music, and two string quartets. -
Erlkonig (1815)
A Lieder composed by Schubert based on the legend of the Elf King. This Lieder has four characters that is sung by one singer. What is interesting about this is that the piano accompaniment represents galloping, the singer's higher range represents the terror in the boy's voice, the music represents various moods, and there is a rise in tension as the story progresses. -
The Ophicleide (1817)
A keyed brass instrument with a range similar to a trombone. It was invented in 1817, but then patented by Jean Hilaire Aste in 1821. -
Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
A German virtuoso pianist, married to Robert Schumann, who also composed music such as Lieder and piano concerto. -
Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)
The founder of Opera buffe and introduced the can-can. He is known for his operettes: La belle Helene, Orphee aux enfers. -
Der Freischutz (The Magic Bullet, 1821)
The first German romantic opera composed by Carl Maria von Weber. -
Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)
A Bohemian composer best known for his programmatic cycle of six symphonic poems called Ma vlast (My Country). He is considered the founder of Czech music. -
Stephen Foster (1826-1864)
An American song composer who was the first to make a living as a professional songwriter. -
Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-69)
An American Nationalist and a child prodigy on the piano. He is also one of the most significant nineteenth century American composer and was well known in Europe. -
Symphonie fantastique (1830)
A program symphony in five movements about a musician who poisons himself with opium and ends up in a deep sleep where he is having odd vision. As this is happening, his beloved one is haunting him as a melody and this is a recurrent theme known as the idee fixe. The beloved one is based on Harriet Smithson, a woman Berlioz was infatuated with. -
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
A German composer who is known as a classic-romantic. He continued the classical traditions, especially in form. Brahms was also one of the first editors of J.S. Bach's music. -
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
A French composer who created a new type of serious French opera. He blended styles into opera comique with Carmen (1875.) -
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-93)
A Russian composer who composed several ballets that are still famous such as Swan Lake (1877). He would also compose symphonies and symphonic poems. -
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
A Czechoslovakian nationalist composer and is the most famous of the Czech composers. He was influenced by African-American and Native American music and culture. -
Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
A nationalist composer from England. -
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
An Italian composer who wrote some of the last great operas written in the Italian tradition of bel canto. He was the most important Italian composer after Verdi. -
Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909)
A nationalist composer from Spain. -
Frederick Delius (1862-1934)
A nationalist composer from England, but also lived in France and the United States. -
Enrique Granados (1867-1916)
A nationalist composer from Spain. -
Ma vlast (My Country, 1874) No. 2: "Vltava" ("The Moldau")
A tone poem that uses tone painting to create the sound of the Moldau river. Smetana wrote a program for this piece as an explanation. -
Manuel de Falla (1876-1946)
A nationalist composer from Spain.