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Who defined the Romantic Period?Feb 01 '10 (Updated Apr 13 '10) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line The Romantic Period broke with the forms of the classical era and was characterized by more emotion. I’ve selected four composers who helped define the Romantic Period and impressed me.
I am what you could call a musical omnivore. I like Classical music, Heavy Metal, Rock, Reggaeton, Blues, Synth Pop, Swedish Folk Music, Greek Music, Country Music, and more. However, I think metal and classical music are my favorites. I like classical music from the classical era, baroque and from the romantic era. There was a lot of amazing music created during the classical era by such giants as Mozart, Joseph Haydn, and Beethoven. However, I think that my favorite period is the period that followed, the "Romantic Period", which lasted roughly from about the early 19th century to the early 20th century. Note: The task under this heading is to "describe what is unique about a historic period for music and list at least 3 composers who, in your mind, helped define it". This is what I am hoping to achieve below. Romanticism In comparison to the preceding Classical period the Romantic period was characterized by more freedom in the form and design of music. The Romantic period also saw the invention of many new musical forms. Some which did not have much structure at all. Take for example symphonies. During the classical era symphonies typically featured four movements, the first one being an opening sonata-allegro, the second a slow movement, the third a minuet or scherzo, and the fourth a short allegro or rondo. During the Romantic period there was more variation in the structure of the symphonies (as well as in other forms of music). The movements of the symphonies did not have to follow this structure and some symphonies only had one movement. By not following classical rules and structure the pieces could be made more fluid and expressive. The pieces often featured richer harmonies, dramatic and dynamic climaxes, greater virtuosity, greater variation as well as recurring themes in longer pieces. Technical innovation also influenced composers during this period, for example, the range and power of the piano had a significant impact on piano compositions. Some of the notable musical inventions during this period were the solo recital, the piano sonata, the etude, the impromptu, etc. The expansion of the structures and forms of the musical pieces allowed the pieces to be flashier and to express more emotion, for example, love, and grief, passion, as well as national pride. It also allowed composers to compose pieces that portrayed stories or heroes and other subjects. In my opinion music is a lot about emotion and I think that a lot of expressive and beautiful music was created in this period which is why I picked this period as my favorite. There was also a lot of great piano music created during this period. A few famous composers and musicians during this period were Maurice Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Franz Schubert, Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, Richard Wagner, Rimsky-Korsakov, Niccolò Paganini, Johannes Brahms, and Edvard Grieg. Among them were some very prominent piano composers, for example, Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin, Edvard Grieg, and Johannes Brahms who also wrote a lot for piano. I am mentioning this because I used to play piano when I was younger and I listened to classical music from the Romantic period, especially piano music. Below I picked four composers which I believe greatly influenced the Romantic era and helped define it and also made a big impression on me. Beethoven / Eroica Ludwig Van Beethoven was a German composer who wrote classical music for the piano and for orchestras. Even though he is considered to belong to the classical era his music greatly influenced the Romantic era. In 1803 he wrote his third symphony "Eroica" (Italian for Heroic) which to a large extend broke with the form and structure of the classical era. For example, Eroica was a lot more emotional and passionate than the classical music of the time. The first movement was much longer than was common at the time and the finale was elaborate and lengthy in contrast to the quick finish of contemporary work. When the great classical composer Joseph Haydn heard the piece he allegedly exclaimed "music has now changed for ever". Some people consider Eroica to be the height of the classical era and some consider it to be the beginning of the Romantic era. I have a tendency to agree with the latter. However, even if you disagree with that, Beethoven definitely helped define the Romantic era. "Eroica" was written to the honor of Napoleon Bonaparte and features passionate elements. When in 1804 Napoleon declared himself Emperor, Beethoven was greatly disappointed and ripped his work into pieces. I can recommend the movie "Beethoven - Eroica" which depicts the first rehearsal of Eroica as well as other the events around the time of Eroica and you will be able to listen to most of the symphony. Frédéric Chopin Frédéric Chopin was a Polish born composer and pianist who composed some of the greatest piano music ever created. He also invented a number of musical forms including the Waltz, the piano sonata, the mazurka, the impromptu, etc. He was one of the great masters of Romantic music and the vast majority of his compositions were solo piano music. He was a major influence on the Romantic era and his music is still widely listened to. Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer from the Romantic era. Tchaikovsky wrote a lot of different kind of music, symphonies, piano concertos, opera, ballet, instrumental music, and chamber music. A few of his famous ballets are the Swan Lake, the Nutcracker, and the Sleeping Beauty. When I was younger I used to listen to Tchaikovsky's music quite a bit, his symphonies, his first piano concerto, as well as some of his ballets (primarily the Swan Lake). Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard and I was especially impressed by his piano concerto, as well as the music for the Swan Lake. In my humble opinion he represents one of the highlights of the Romantic era. Edvard Grieg Edward Grieg was a Norwegian pianist and composer during the Romantic period. He is often called the Chopin of the North. Since he was Scandinavian I ended up listening to a significant amount of his music. Edvard Grieg is mostly famous for his Piano Concerto in A minor. However, he wrote other amazing music including "In the Hall of the Mountain King". He may not be one of the three most influential composers who defined the Romantic period unless you see it from a Scandinavian perspective. However, he definitely helped define the Romantic era. Final word There is a lot of good music that you can listen too. However, don't forget about classical music from the Romantic era. I suggest that you get some of the works of the great Romantic composers that I've mentioned. This is my Musical Instruments entry into the Around Epinions in 80 Days Write-Off.  |
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