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Napoleon: Liberalism, Nationalism and Imperialism
Napoleon Bonaparte was the leader of the French Republic as First Consul from 1799 to 1804, then Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814 and again in 1815. He started political reforms that consolidated liberalism.
In the second half of the 19th century the most powerful European countries expanded and the great colonial empires appeared -
Period: to
Romantic Period
It lasts from 1820 to 1910 and is related to the artistic and philosophical movement between the end of the 18th century and the middle of the 19th century. It defended individuality, subjectivity, emotions and creative freedom.
The main characteristics of Romantic music are expressive melodies, virtuosity, freedom in structures, leitmotiv technique, musical contrasts, programme music and forms designed for smaller venues. -
Chopin: Compositions for piano
The piano was the most important Romantic instrument. There were short pieces for solo piano, chamber music, longer works.
All of Chopin's compositions include the piano. They are mostly for solo piano, though he also wrote two piano concertos, some chamber music, and 19 songs set to Polish lyrics. His piano pieces are technically demanding and expanded the limits of the instrument; his own performances were noted for their nuance and sensitivity. -
Romantic Art: Liberty leading the people
The romantic period valued subjectivity and favorite themes were nature, love, history, travel and fantasy. Liberty Leading the People (1830), -
Berlioz: The Romantic Symphony
The Romantic symphony is developed around a programme or argument, generally a literary character. Fantastical Symphony: Episode in the Life of an Artist is a programme symphony written by the French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830. It is an important piece of the early Romantic period. -
Richard Wagner: the leitmotiv technique
One of the main characteristics of Romantic music is the Introduction of the leitmotiv technique which is a melody that appears in certain parts of a musical work. Richard Wagner is the earliest composer most specifically associated with the concept of leitmotif. -
Vocal music in Spain: the Zarzuela
Spanish composers developed the zarzuela, a lyrical and theatrical music form with instrumental interludes and choruses. Zarzuela uses folk and local elements. Romantic zarzuelas can be further divided into two main sub-genres, género grande and género chico.
The Teatro de la Zarzuela was inaugurated in Madrid in 1856. -
Richard Strauss: the programme music
Programme music flourished in the Romantic era. This is symphonic music that has a theme or a literary artistic programme. Possibly the most adept at musical depiction in his programme music was German composer Richard Strauss. -
Industrial Revolution and Capitalism
Between 1820 and 1840, the innovations of the First Industrial Revolution, which started in England, spread to the rest of Europe and people emigrated to cities. Capitalism became established after the Second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914) with the society divided into classes according to economy position (ruling class, middle class and working class). -
The symphonic poem
It is a symphonic musical form of only one movement. The music is accompanied by a programme, a text that explains what you will hear instrumentally in the work.
Franz Liszt first applied the term Symphonische Dichtung to his 13 works in this vein. Saint-Saëns's four symphonic poems follow the model of Liszt. The most popular of the four is Danse macabre (1874) depicting skeletons dancing at midnight. -
Romantic Vocal Music: Opera
In the romantic period the opera was the preferred performance of the bourgeoisie. Each country developed its own style but Italy (Bellini), France (Bizet) and Germany (Wagner) were the creative centres. Carmen is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. Carmen has since become one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the classical canon. -
Musical Nationalism: Manuel de Falla
With the defeat of the Napoleonic Empire and the Restoration a new map of Europe was established and the countries wanted to create states with their own identities and cultural autonomy. Nationalism composers defended the languages and musical traditions of their countries of origin. In Spain Manuel de Falla was the leader of the new Spanish school. His first important work was the one-act opera La vida breve, written in 1905