Because Romanticism is so personal and so filled
with
contrasting concepts of music, not all characteristics
of style are present in all forms. There are contradictions in style among groups of
composers and even the works of individual composers.
There were Romantic idealists or
absolutists who insisted that music must exist for its own
sake without extramusical associations. In
contrast, increasing numbers of composers
experimented with music that
told stories (program
music) imitated sounds of nature, or illustrated scenes
aurally.
Some composers excelled in spectacular
virtuosity. Others emphasized the intimacy of miniature forms and delicate
textures expressing their personal feelings. Solo songs enjoyed
considerable attention during the Romantic era, as composers
became involved with literary forms for their texts.
There was a contrast between nationalism and
internationalism. There were composers whose
aim was to evoke patriotic feelings by using folklore, folk
songs, and dances. Nationalism
became strong in such countries as Russia, Poland, and
Bohemia. There were also Romantics who avoided
nationalistic devices in the search for
a universal musical language.
One common goal of Romantic composers was based on the
premise that a feeling of musical
tension is necessary to achieve a corresponding
intensification of emotional response.
Most Romanticists revolted against the restraints and
formalism of the Classic era. Some, such as Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, cast their
Romantic expressions in molds of the Classical forms.
- Formal Organization
Form continued to be based on contrasting melodies in homophonic style
The sonata was
the most important type of formal organization
Rather than two contrasting melodies, there were often contrasting theme groups and
sometimes only motives pitted against
each other
There were sectional forms (most
common in piano music) still based on contrasting themes, but
usually without development sections
- Melody
Characterized by an intensity of
personal feelings
Dynamic climaxes and frequent changes in
dynamics
serve to build the tension necessary for its expression
Frequent chromaticism helped to
create harmonic tension
Melodic themes were of varying lengths
frequently fragmentary
rhythmic interruptions
irregular phrases
many rising and falling melodic curves
avoided or deceptive cadences
- Rhythm
Early in the period, element of
rhythm remained much the same as before
Middle of the century it became more
irregular, complex and interesting
Changes in the number of beats per
measure
Cross-rhythms
Syncopations
Folk dance contributed to the rhythmic
vigor
especially in nationalistic
music
avoided strong stresses in order to increase the sense of
tension
Tempo was not always constant
frequent changes
rubato
accelerando
- Harmony
Still tonal, BUT
the sense of key center was eroded
Harmonic tension was built and tonal center weakened by
Chromaticism
Nonharmonic tones
Altered chords
Extensive use of 9th and 13th chords
Gradual disintegration of the major-minor system
fusion of major and minor modes
key relationships were less formalized
modulations to distant keys
sudden moving in and out of keys
strong formal cadences were avoided
modal harmonization of folk melodies
- Texture
Mixed vertical and horizontal
elements
Polyphonic texture occurred more as a device than a style
Accompanied lyric line was one
important stylistic feature
Evident in the German Lied
The texture can also be described as heavy
Compared with the lighter and more transparent Classic
texture
In orchestral works, the larger
complement of instruments yielded a rich texture
Made even more sonorous by more
subdivisions of instrument sections
Increasing the number of individual parts
(Wagner, for
example, sometimes divided the first violin section into
as many as four different parts)
- Instrumentation and Tone Color
The piano became the most popular
instrument
It could run the gamut of all ranges
of sound
Played by one person - very
individual expression
Almost a musical symbol of the
Romantic period
It was enlarged to give it a wider range
Favorite household instrument
Tone color became an integral part of
melodic and harmonic texture
Melodies were conceived for specific timbre
Harmonic texture was influenced by orchestral innovations
Orchestra grew in size and variety of
color
English horn was added
Clarinet was added
More brass and percussion
Technical refinements made to
instruments, especially brass and woodwinds
Increased the virtuosity of the orchestra
Major contributors to the more expressive orchestra were Berlioz and Wagner
The solo song with
piano accompaniment was another favorite medium
The voice was another very
personalized instrument
Added intensity to the poetic text
Opera was a very
important Romantic medium
Very powerful, emotion-evoking medium combining
drama, poetry, the visual experience
vocal and orchestral music
Operetta, a light
form of musical drama, gave Romantic
expression a popular form
- Performance Practice
Written dynamic indications became more
explicit
More specific terminology
Tempi were more accurately designated by the use of metronome markings
The orchestral conductor emerged as a
virtuoso performer
The use of the baton took the conductor from the keyboard to
the podium
It was an era of massive festival
performances
An enormous number of participants were often used
There are instances where more than 1000 performers took
part in the performance of a single work
Sometimes, as in the case of Berlioz, the large orchestra and chorus constituted
an essential part of the composer's
style
Often the number of performers was
augmented to suit public taste
The love of the middle class for making music led to the establishment of choral societies
The art of improvisation was diminished
Due to the complexity or compositions and the precise
directions for performance
A few individuals, like Chopin
and Liszt, continued to make brilliant use of it
In concerto writing, most cadenzas
were written in such a way as to give the effect
The Romantic emphasis on individualism
encouraged virtuoso performers to emerge
Franz Liszt was the
most successful virtuoso pianist
His personality, theatrical effects, along with
spectacular performance made him almost a legend in his
own time
Frederic Chopin's music
and performance was so personal,
refined, and brilliant
that he has become almost a symbol
of the Romantic spirit
Nicolo Paganini developed the technique of the violin to
its present state
double stops, harmonics, runs and trills
He influenced many composers, including Liszt and Berlioz
Virtuoso composer/performer's work was notated in their
scores
Vocal virtuosity was not documented
until the advent of audio recording
