preview

Romanticism in Music

Decent Essays

Romanticism

Romanticism was an artistic movement that took place from the nineteenth to the early twentieth century. Drastic changes in the arts took place over the course of this time period. During this movement, much emphasis was placed on emotion and imagination in the arts. Prior to the
Romantic Period, music had been seen more as recreation and njoyment than as an integral part of culture. The term "Romanticism" was first used in England and Germany in reference to a form of literature. It soon after spread to music and the visual arts. Romanticism was largely a product of two important revolutions in Europe. The new society that came about after the French Revolution emphasized the importance of the individual. This brought …show more content…

This idea of interpretation and understanding of music was demonstrated in program music. This was a type of music for which the composer would have prepared an explanation to help the audience understand the meaning. There is no text in the song, but there is a note, or program, to help explain. These programs were a way for composers to connect their music to art, politics, or other aspects of the world around them. An important difference between the Romantic Period and the Classical Period which preceded it is the motivation and direction of the art. The spirit of the Classical Period sought order, while that of the Romantic Period sought wonder and strangeness. With Romantic music, the melody was marked by lyricism, and the music was more emotional and expressive. Composers used more dissonance and chromaticism in their works to help reinforce the idea of the original or the strange. They expanded the classical music structure to lengthen the music, as they wanted more time to express the particular emotion of a given piece. New terms, such as Dolce (sweet), Cantabile (songful), and Con Amore (with love) were used to emphasize these emotions. During the Classical
Period, the most important genre of orchestral music was the symphony, whereas in

Get Access