Unit 5. Romanticism
1. Introduction
2. Instrumental music
2.1. Large instrumental forms
2.2. Small instrumental forms: piano
2.3. Dance in the Romanticism
3. Vocal music
3.1. Large vocal forms: Romantic opera
3.2. Small vocal forms: lied
3.3. Vocal music in Spain: zarzuela
4. Musical nationalism
Piano:
Nocturne Op.6 No.2 - Clara Wieck
1. Introduction
Romanticism covers virtually the whole 19th century and was the most brilliant period in the history of music.
Composers were free artists who sought the direct expression of feelings and fantasy by freeing themselves, little by little, from classic rules.
2. Instrumental music
2.1. Large instrumental forms
Symphony and concerto made use of the enlargement of the orchestra with a stronger use of wind and percussion instruments.
Programme music appears based on the description of a storyline. The main forms of programme music are the programme symphony and the symphonic poem.
-
Programme symphony: compound instrumental form divided into several movements.
Programme symphony:
Fantastic Symphony. Dreams-Passions - Berlioz
-
Symphonic poem: piece of orchestral music, usually in a single continuous movement, which illustrates or evokes the content of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape, or other source.
Symphonic poem:
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice - Paul Lukas
Symphonic poem:
Andromède - Augusta Holmes
2.2. Small instrumental forms: piano
The piano was the favourite instrument of the Romantic composers for small pieces with character, which respond to simple or free structures.
Piano:
Prelude No. 4 in E minor - Chopin
Jimmy Page's Chopin Prelude No. 4
2.3. Dance in the Romanticism
Large Romantic ballets took classical ballet to its peak by imposing technical virtuosity, pointe dancing and steps of two.
Ballet:
Swan Lake: Dance of tthe little swans - Tchaikovsky
Billy Elliot - Final scene
Social dance became very popular with the new bourgeoisie’s ballroom dance. The favorite one was the waltz.
Waltz:
The Blue Danube - Johann Strauss
3. Vocal music
3.1. Large vocal forms: Romantic opera
The opera is one of the favourite performances of the time.
In Italy, the currents of bel canto and verismo appear.
-
Bel canto: these operas were made for the singers to shine, with technically demanding passages in high register.
Bel canto:
Norma: Casta Diva - Vincenzo Bellini
-
Verismo: these operas have more realistic plots and characters.
Verismo:
Tosca: E Lucevan le Stelle - Giacomo Puccini
Giuseppe Verdi represents the peak of the Italian opera with pieces like Nabucco, Rigoletto, La Traviata or Aida.
Italian opera:
Rigoletto: La dona è mobile - Giuseppe Verdi
In Germany, Wagner creates the musical drama.
German opera:
The Valkyrie: Ride of the Valkyries - Richard Wagner
France:
French opera:
Carmen: L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera) - Georges Bizet
3.2. Small vocal forms: lied
The lied is a song for a soloist voice with piano accompaniment, written upon a poetic text and with simple structures. It is a German name which generally means song.
Lied:
Heidenröslein (Rose on the Heath) - Franz Schubert.
Lied:
Die Nonne - Fanny Mendelssohn
3.3. Vocal music in Spain: zarzuela
In Spain, the zarzuela evolved into two types: zarzuela grande and género chico.
-
Zarzuela grande: structured in three acts and with a larger musical development.
Zarzuela grande:
El barberillo de Lavapiés- Francisco Asenjo Barbieri
-
Género chico: in a single act with less characters and a predominance of spoken text over sung text.
Género chico:
La Gran Vía - Federico Chueca
Género chico:
La Verbena de la Paloma - Tomás Bretón
Género chico:
Agua, azucarillos y aguardiente - Federico Chueca
4. Musical nationalism
Nationalisms appear in the second half of the 19th century and use folklore as a symbol of identity.
Russia:
Pictures at an exhibition - Modest Mussorgsky
Norway:
Peer Gynt - Edvar Grieg
Czechoslovakia:
The Moldau - Bedrich Smetana
United States:
Rhapsody in Blue - George Gershwin
Spain:
Asturias - Isaac Albéniz