MODULE 1

• Ask most people what they consider a romantic song, and you'll get answers like John Legend's "All of Me" or most anything from Marvin Gaye. But, as you know, the capital "R" in Romantic music is works composed in the Romantic style, which arose during the Romantic Period.
• Romantic music


  Music composed in the Romantic style, which arose during the Romantic Period
• Composers of the Romantic Era

  • Saw music as a means of individual and emotional expression
  • Considered music the art form most capable of expressing the full range of human emotion
  • Broadened the scope of emotional content
  • Music was expected to communicate to the audience, often by using a narrative form that told distinct stories
• The main topic of the module is about the Music of the Romantic Period
• Romantic period


  Western music composed in the late 18th century to 19th century (started around 1830 and ended around 1900)
• Romantic period


  • Composers and artists believed in letting their imagination and passion be seen through their works
  • Characterized by expanding the formal structure within a composition and making the pieces more passionate and expressive
• Romantic music as a movement evolved from the formats, genres, and musical ideas established in earlier periods, such as the Classical period
• Romanticism


  The literary movement that arose in the second half of the 18th century in Europe
• Romantic music


  • Attempted to increase emotional expression and power to describe deeper truths or human feelings
  • The orchestra instrumentation was expanded greatly to include, piccolo, English horn, contrabassoon, bass, (E-flat) clarinets, trombone, tuba, harp, and steadily growing list of percussion
• Nationalism


  • One of the main features of this era, evidently shown in some compositions made by Romantic composers like the Polonaise of Frederic Chopin
• Romantic period


  • Composers' focuses mainly of individuality of style and expressive aims and subjects
• Ludwig Van Beethoven, one of the great composers during the Classical period, made a great distinction to change the phase of composing music by bridging the music from Classical to Romantic era
• Piano music of Romantic period


  In free form such as fantasy, rhapsody, ballad and nocturne<|>Program music was expressed in tone poems and Symphony Fantastique<|>Music was used to tell stories and express ideas<|>Most of the composers were proud of their country's music and often use folk songs in their works
• Romantic music

  • Chromatic harmonies were making greater use of semitones and unusual chord progressions
  • Melodies associated with an external reference, like a character or emotion being expressed
  • Not relying on cadence to resolve a passage, but allowing for "unending melody"
  • Use of rubato, adjusting tempo to reflect the level of emotional intensity the music should convey at that moment
  • Increased tempos and complicated rhythms that demanded extraordinary precision and technical skill to be performed
  • Greater use of techniques like sul ponticello (bowing near the bridge) and sul tasto (bowing near the fingerboard)
• Improvements in instruments during Romantic period

  • Piano: Number of physical keys expanded from five to eight octaves, materials used shifted from wood to metal, durability of metal strings improved
  • Woodwind instruments: Materials used also improved and expanded musical quality and variability
  • Brass instruments: Valve developed
  • New instruments invented, like the Wagner tuba
• Composers of Romantic period

  Famous in three interesting types: Violin, Piano, and Program music
• Frederic Chopin


  Known as the "Poet of the Piano", Polish composer and pianist, wrote almost exclusively for piano, composed piano works like Ballade, Etude, Mazurka, Nocturne, Polonaise, Prelude, Waltz, Impromptu, Scherzo, Sonata
• Compositions of Frederic Chopin

  • Tristese- Etude No.3 in F major
  • Fantasie Impromptu Op.66
• MAZURKA


  A Polish dance in triple time signature
• NOCTURNE


  An instrumental composition of a pensive, dreamy mood, for the piano
• POLONAISE

  A slow Polish dance in triple time that consists of a march or procession
• PRELUDE


  A short piece of music that can be used as a preface, and introduction to another work or may stand on its own
• WALTZ


  A German dance in triple meter
• IMPROMPTU


  A short free-form musical composition usually for a solo instrument, like the piano
• SCHERZO


  A musical movement of playful character, typically in ABA form
• SONATA


  Composition for one or more solo instruments usually consisting of three or four independent movements varying in key, mood, and tempo
• The following are compositions of Chopin
• Chopin compositions

  • Tristese- Etude No.3 in F major
  • Fantasie Impromptu Op.66
  • Revolutionary Etude,Op.10
• Program music


  Instrumental music that conveys image or scenes, music that tells a short story without text or lyrics and imaginative ideas fully developed through the imaginative effort of a great and genius composer Hector Berlioz
• In his composition "SymphonieFantastique" or also known as fantastic symphony, Berloiz showcased the important features in his composition in creating tone color which was never before heard
• Three main types of Program music for orchestra

  • The Program Symphony
  • The Concert Overture
  • The Symphonic Poem
• Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky


  A Russian composer whose works included symphonies, concertos, operas, ballets, and chamber music
• Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk, a small town in the Russian Empire


  May 7th 1840
• Tchaikovsky persuaded his father that music was his future and he began composition lessons with Anton Rubinstein in 1861
• Between 1871 and 1876 Tchaikovsky produced a series of great works, including Swan Lake (1876) and the First Piano Concerto (1875), which established him as Russia's leading composer
• 1880 saw Tchaikovsky compose perhaps his most famous piece, the 1812 Overture
• By 1887, Tchaikovsky was conducting his own music to great acclaim and producing such works as the Sixth Symphony, the 'Pathetique' in 1893 (the year of his death) and the ballets The Sleeping Beauty (1890) and The Nutcracker (1892)
• Tchaikovsky's death in 1893 in St. Petersburg was believed to be as a result of a decision made by a 'court of honour' following revelations that Tchaikovsky had formed a relationship with a male member of the Russian aristocracy
• The day Tchaikovsky's mother left him at boarding school was so traumatic that it remained in his memory to the end of his days
• Tchaikovsky's Famous Compositions


  • Swan Lake
  • Sleeping Beauty
  • The Nutcracker- (Waltz of the Flowers)
  • Romeo & Juliet
  • 1812 Overture
  • Symphony No. 2
  • Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique"
  • Piano Concerto No. 1