MusicLesson 3 of 3 in the course Western music history

Romantic Music: Style, History, and Major Genres

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Romantic music developed during the 19th century as part of the wider Romantic movement in European arts and thought. This lesson introduces its historical background and the musical features that distinguish it from Classical-era ideals.

Romanticism became prominent in Western culture around the turn of the 19th century. It arose partly in reaction to the social changes of the Industrial Revolution, the political and social conventions of the Enlightenment, and the scientific rationalization of nature. Romantic artists often emphasized imagination, individual experience, emotion, and the mysterious aspects of life.

All flashcards

What is Romantic music?
A 19th-century stylistic movement in Western classical music associated with individual expression, emotion, drama, and expanded musical possibilities.
What role did E. T. A. Hoffmann play?
His influential writings, including essays on Beethoven, helped define musical Romanticism and argued for the expressive importance of instrumental music.
What is chromaticism?
The use of pitches outside the prevailing diatonic scale, often increasing harmonic color, tension, and expressive nuance.
What is programmatic inspiration?
The use of a non-musical source—such as a story, poem, landscape, or supernatural idea—as inspiration for music or for the experience it evokes.
How did Romantic composers expand musical resources?
They explored broader dynamics and tonal ranges, larger orchestras, greater virtuosity, more chromatic harmony, and freer or newer forms.

Quiz questions

  1. How did the growth of public concerts affect many 19th-century composers?Answer: It let composers reach broader paying audiences through concerts and festivals.
  2. What is musical nationalism?Answer: Using musical features or subjects associated with a nation or cultural tradition.
  3. Which pair was associated with the New German School?Answer: Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner
  4. Who led the Russian group known as the Mighty Five?Answer: Mily Balakirev
  5. What relationship between performers is central to a concerto?Answer: A soloist or group of soloists contrasts with an orchestra.

Based on the Wikipedia article Romantic music, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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