3. HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The musical Romanticism covers the whole 19th century.
Late in the century, the Nationalisms appear.
At this time the main European countries are consolidated
and acquire true national consciousness.
Liberalism is the political and economic system that
dominates this time.
A celebrity that characterizes this century is Napoleon
Bonaparte, contradictory figure, which on one hand
enhances the achievement of the French Revolution, and
on the other betrays it, crowning himself emperor.
It is a period of great agitation, with revolutions in most
countries
Spain losts almost all its colonies, but other nations embark
on colonialism to secure a piece of Africa or Asia.
4. SOCIETY
In the nineteenth century takes place in Europe (especially
in England) the Industrial Revolution, arose in the
eighteenth century, which represents a big change of the
economic and labour system and causes the birth of a
new social class: the proletariat.
Machines and railway are developed quickly.
The French Revolution brought great social changes,
because the privileges of the aristocracy disappear.
The bourgeoisie is established as the dominant class
The artist is no longer tied to a patron and begins to have
social recognition.
5. ART
In architecture they imitate styles of
the Middle Ages. In this context, Neo-
Gothic and Neo-Romanesque styles
appear.
In sculpture, neoclassical trends
continue, but more dynamic, with more
movement.
The painting is focused on the
landscape and the human figure.
Romantic art is based on the exaltation of feelings.
Main topics are: love, death, medieval legends,
the supernatural and nature.
7. THE INSTRUMENTS
IN THE ROMANTICISM
Romantic instruments are practically equal to the
modern ones, having suffered some of them the
latest improvements: pedals on the harp, trumpet
valves ...
The piano becomes the king instrument, the
preferred by composers.
New instruments appear: tuba, piccolo,
contrabassoon, English horn, bass clarinet, celesta,
xylophone and gong.
Percussion instruments become more important.
8. THE ROMANTIC ORCHESTRA
Wind and percussion families are enlarged.
Existing instruments are multiplied and orchestras get to have up a
hundred musicians.
9. LIED
ÓPERA
ROMÁN
TICA
MÚSIC
A
VOCAL
ALEMANIA
ESPAÑA
Pequeña forma
sobre un poema
Para voz y piano
Vocal Music
ITALIA
GERMANY
Rossini and Donizetti:
Bel Canto
Verdi: Realism
Puccini: Verismo
Wagner:
Obra de arte total
ZARZUELA
Grande
Género Chico
LIED
VOCAL
MUSIC
SPAIN
Poem sung in
German
with piano
accompaniment
Wagner:
“Total art work”
ITALY
ROMANTIC
OPERA
10. Instrumental Music
SYMPHONIES AND CONCERTS:
The Symphonies and Soloist Concertos (whose favorite players are
piano and violin) are longer. At concerts, the virtuosity of the soloists is
potentiated.
PROGRAMMATIC MUSIC:
The musicians try to break free from the corset which represents a fixed
form as the symphony. In this way, arises the programmatic music, a type
of symphonic music that follows an argument or literary or artistic program
i that leads the work. The main forms are the Programmatic Symphony
and the Symphonic Poem
LITTLE PIECES FOR PIANO:
The piano becomes the king instrument of the musical evenings in the
bourgeois homes. It is used to express the most intimate and personal
feelings. For this reason, there are small piano forms, such as: Nocturne,
Ballad, Prelude, Rhapsody, Waltz, Polonaise, Mazurka, etc..
SYMPHONIES AND CONCERTS:
The Symphonies and Soloist Concertos (whose favorite players are
piano and violin) are longer. At concerts, the virtuosity of the soloists is
potentiated.
11. The nineteenth century is the golden age of ballet.
In the early Romanticism, some French masters settled in
Russia and created a classical school, in which the dancer
and choreographer Marius Petipa stands out.
Marie Taglioni was the first dancer who danced on tiptoes
(en pointe). This was a way to get a sense of
weightlessness, converting the dancer into an ethereal
being.
Among the most famous composers of music for ballet,
stands P. I. Tchaikovsky who gave a big boost to the genre
with works like "The Nutcracker", "Sleeping Beauty" or "The
Swan Lake".
THE BALLET
15. END OF THE CENTURY:
POSTROMANTICISM
G. Puccini G. Mahler R. Strauss
16. NATIONALISM
Countries where the Nationalism was developed
and some of its composers:
RUSSIA: RIMSKI-KORSAKOV, MUSSORGSKY and BORODIN.
NORWAY: GRIEG.
FINLAND: SIBELIUS.
CZECH REPUBLIC: SMETANA and DVORÁK.
HUNGARY: BARTÓK and KODÁLY
SPAIN: TURINA, FALLA, ALBÉNIZ and GRANADOS.
➢ The composers chose national topics for their operas and
symphonic poems.
➢ There is an interest in folklore and traditions of each country,
which leads to the collection, study and classification of
popular songs. That is how the ethnomusicology is born.
➢ They frequently introduce folk melodies in the compositions.
The nationalist composer try to include in their music popular
elements, so the music of every nation can be easily identified. This
music movement starts in the 19th century and carries on the 20th
century. Its characteristiques are:
17. The contents in this presentation have only a
didactic nature.
The images have been obtained using the Google
searcher or specialized webpages.
If you have any problem with the copyright of the
elements included here, please contact me and
they will be deleted.
Of course, this presentation can be used by any
intererested person, provided that it will be with
pedagogical purposes.
Cristina Martínez Peces
Music teacher in IES Rafael Alberti,
Cádiz, Spain
