Romanticism

1. Glorification of individual feeling
2. Revolt
3. Supernatural and Macabre
4. Freedom from Artisic barriers
5. The boundless quality of music

Glorification of individual feeling

• Harks back to Rosseau
• Everyday life seen as dull and meaningless
• Free excercise of individual will and passion seen as highest good

• An age of political revolutions

       -Late 1700’s:America, France

;;;;;; -1848:France, Germany, Austria, Italy

;;;;;; -Many musicians took up political causes

• Also social revolutions

;;;;;;;;-Fewer barriers between class

;;;;;;;;-Greater social mobility

• Many supernatural or macabre subjects

;;;;;;-Dreams, nightmares, demons

• Composers created spooky music-new strange harmonies and sounds

• Poetry became more musical
• Paintings and musical works given “poetic” titles
• Wagners “total artwork” concept
• Blurred effects cultivated

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; -half obscure verbal meanings

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;-Ambiguous shapes and color blends

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; -Imprecise yet rich and evocative sounds

The boundless quality of music

• More “abstract” than other arts
• Not restricted by literal or physical
• Could express inner experiences more deeply
• “All art aspires to the condition of music”(Wlater Pater)

• Hard to define
• Artist expected to have individual style
• Constant strive for higher experience
• Innovation essential

• Rubato time
• A sign of individual expressivity
• Reflected Romantic “Blurring” tendency

• Italian tempo rubato = robbed time

1. tempo speeds up, slows down
2. melody can move in and out of phase with beat
3. seldom notated

• Most recognozable feature of romantic music
• wider range
• dramatic buildups
• more irregular in rhythm and phrasing
• overall, more spontaneous
• many indiviadual emotional shadings

• supports emotional wuality of music
• also savored for its own sake
• new chords and progressions
• chromaticism

• finally important as melody, rhythm, or form
• new instrument design
• orchestra grew to modern size
• composers mixed colors with great freedom
• conductors needed for control and balance sounds

• Nonvocal music written in association with a literary source
• conveys momentary emotion

• tells a story, paints a mood, personality, or concept

;

• last only a few minutes

;;;;;;;;;; -mostly songs and short piano pieces

• conveys a momentary emotion

;

• opposite of miniatures
• more movements, more instruments, longer time spans
• often blended with poetry, religious ideas, philosophical, or drama