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The Romantic Era : 19th CenturyRomantic Era Music In the 19th century, music for home or public performance took center stageMusic to play at home & the popularity of concert-going stimulated new styles geared towards broad musical tastesWriters & composers focused on individuality, originality, fantasy, expression, & pure emotionNew ideas & styles were called: Romantic The economic order in Europe completely changed along with the political order which dramatically affected musiciansThe typical musician no longer served a prince of church but made a living as a free agent (public performances, teaching, composing for publication, etc.) The Piano At the center of home music was the pianoBecause of innovations in manufacturing this greatly increased the availability of pianos & lowered their cost1820 – 50: the piano saw many design improvements such as the damper pedal, metal frame (louder volume, wider dynamic range, longer sustain), felt-covered hammers, & extension of rangeOther instruments were also improved such as the: harp, trumpet (piston valves), horn (rotary valves), flute, saxophone, and more Romanticism Romantic composers focused on the individual & on expression of selfIt was a direct reaction to this rapidly changing society driven by science & technologyRomantics sought refuge in the past, myth, dreams, supernatural, & the irrationalAs people crowded into cities, Romantics valued rural life & looked to nature for refuge, inspiration, & revelationRomanticism encouraged composers to seek individual paths for expressing intense emotionsThe Romantic composers were extremely influential & changed the way composers were viewedNo longer are they viewed as artisans writing music to suit their patrons, but instead as artists expressing their own ideas & feelingsOrchestral Music Central to public concert life was the orchestraThe number of orchestras multiplied rapidlyLondon Philharmonic (1813), New York Philharmonic (1842), Vienna Philharmonic (1842)Playing in an orchestra became a professionStill is todayBy the end of the century, most major cities in Europe & America had professional orchestras that provided regular concert seriesGrew from 40 players to as many as 90 playersConductors 18th century orchestras were led from the harpsichord or lead violinists19th century: this role was gradually taken over by a conductor who used a baton to beat time & cue entrances Chamber Music Music written for small ensembles continued to serve as a form of home music-makingString quartets & other chamber works became increasingly played in concerts by professional ensemblesComposers often treated chamber music as seriously as symphoniesSuch as the string quartet, violin sonata, & piano trios Role of Women Women were discouraged from composing large public concert works (such as symphonies)Pieces with piano were accepted as extensions of private music makingFew women composed for chamber ensemblesFanny Hensel wrote several chamber worksBut only one of her piano trios were published during the 19th centuryClara Schumann’s (wife of Robert Schumann) compositions inspired many composersChoral Music Church choirs were increasingly made up of amateursBecause of their amateur status, choruses were less prestigious than orchestras & operasThe choral repertoire was dominated by music of the pastOpera While purely instrumental music gained prestige, opera continued to be a central part of musical lifeEspecially in Italy & FranceOpera served as elite entertainmentThe first half of the 19th century was a “golden age” for operaNew opera theaters were built all over Western Europe & in New York Pavarotti sings “Nessun Dorma” by Puccini Opera Aria “Let No One Sleep” from Turandot Ballet Another form of musical theater popular in France was the ballet New style of ballet (Romantic ballet): ballerinas moved with a new lightness, grace, & freedom exemplified by sheer, translucent skirts & by shoes that allowed them to dance on pointComposers typically wrote music for ballets after the dance had already been choreographedHad to fit the timing & rhythm of the music with the dance moves & mood of the dance Minstrel Shows The most popular form of musical theater in the United States were Minstrel Shows White performers blackened their faces with burnt cork & impersonated African Americans in jokes, skits, songs, & dancesIn response to the feelings white Americans held towards African AmericansThankfully minstrel shows have long passed away but some of the songs written for them have sustainedDixie, Oh! Susanna, Camptown Races, & more Romantic Era Composers Richard Wagner(1813 – 1883)Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky(1840 – 1893)Johannes Brahms(1833 – 1897)Richard Strauss(1864 – 1949)Richard WagnerAn outstanding composer of German opera & one of the crucial figures in 19th century culture 1813 - 1883 Wagner Born in Leipzig, Germany9th childHis father died shortly after his birth & his mother married an actor/playwright whom Wagner suspected was his real fatherHis early passions were theater & music but didn’t begin formal study until his teens1830’s: Wagner began writing operasMarried a soprano singer, Minna Planer, in 18361839 – 42: Lived in Paris where Wagner worked as a music journalist Wagner continued 1842: moved back to Dresden & appointed Kapellmeister for the king of Saxony (person in charge of music-making)1848-49: supported the insurrection (opposed authority), warrant was sent out for his arrestFled Germany & settled in Switzerland 1864: found a new patron who sponsored the production of his operas including Tristan und Isolde Although Wagner stayed married to Minna until her death (1866), he maintained relationships with numerous other womenMarries Cosima von Bulow (daughter of Liszt) in 1870Wagner dreamed of a permanent festival of his operas1872: Began to build a theater in Bayreuth1883: dies of a heart attackBuried at his beloved Bayreuth where his operas are performed every summerPiotr Il’yich TchaikovskyThe leading Russian composer of the 19th century (1840 – 1893)Tchaikovsky Born in a distant province of Russia but moved with his family to St. PetersburgGraduated from law school at age 19 destined for a career in governmentAfter 4 years as a civil servant he enrolled at the new St. Petersburg Conservatory Was one of the first students to graduateFound a position teaching at the new Moscow ConservatoryRemained for 12 yearsHis professional career was successful but his personal life was in disarraySuffered from depression & constant worries about money due to overspending & he was troubled by the growing realization of his homosexuality Tchaikovsky continued 1877: tried to escape into a hasty marriage with an attractive & financially independent womenDisastrousAfter 2 months & on the verge of a mental breakdown & fearing loss of creativity, he fled back to St. PetersburgThey never divorcedNadezhda von Meck, a wealthy widow enthralled with his music, became his financial supporter for over 13 yearsThey never metDue to her financial support, he was able to resign from his teaching position (1878) & devote himself entirely to compositionTchaikovsky continued Traveled throughout Europe as a conductor1891: brief tour of the U.S.Took part in the ceremonies inaugurating Carnegie HallHe was at the peak of his fame when he conducted the premiere of his 6th Symphony in October 1893Dies 9 days later from a brief & unexplained illnessHis major works include: 8 operas, 3 ballets (Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker), 6 symphonies, 2 piano concertos, violin concerto, symphonic poems & overtures (Romeo & Juliet, 1812 Overture), & chamber music & songs Johannes BrahmsHe was the leading German composer of his time in every field (except opera) & an important influence on 20th century music 1833 – 1897Brahms Born in Hamburg to a family of “modest means”Father played horn & double bassBrahms studied piano, cello, & horn as a childDeveloped a love for music of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, & BeethovenDuring his teenage years he earned money by playing popular music at restaurants & dance hallsFostered a lifelong taste for folk & popular musicEspecially fond of the Hungarian-Gypsy style1853: met violinist Joseph Joachim & Robert & Clara SchumannThey became his strongest supporters; Schuman praised him in print which launched his career & helped him secure a publisher Brahms continued After Schumann’s suicide attempt & confinement for mental illness, Brahms helped take care of the family while Clara returned to her life as a performerHe fell in love with Clara but how serious their relationship was, even after Schumann’s death in 1856, is unknown he had a series of attachments with other women but chose to remain a bachelorBrahms made his living by concertizing as a pianist, conductor, & from sales of his music to publishers1868: settled permanently in Vienna1872 – 1875: directed the chorus & orchestra of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (Society of Music Friends in Vienna) Brahms continued He was active as an editor of music by C.P.E. Bach, Couperin, Schumann, Schubert, & ChopinDuring his last two decades he traveled widely as a conductor, performing mostly his own worksAwarded numerous honors1897: died of liver cancer less than one year after Clara’s deathHe was buried in Vienna’s Central Cemetery near Beethoven & SchubertMajor works included 4 symphonies, 2 piano concertos, violin concerto, 2 overtures, 2 serenades, 3 string quartets, 21 other chamber works, 3 piano sonatas, numerous piano pieces, A German Requiem, choral works, vocal ensembles, & approx. 200 Lieder Richard StraussDominant figure in the late Romantic & early Modern eras of German musical life for most of his career 1864 - 1949 Strauss His father was the principle horn player at the Court Opera in MunichStrauss received a thorough musical education from his father during his youth1874: he heard Wagner operas which influenced his style profoundly1882: he entered Munich UniversityStudied philosophy & art history1883: traveled to Berlin securing a position as assistant conductorThis is where he learned the art of conducting1885: conductor resigns & Strauss was given the position as conductor of the Meiningen orchestraStrauss continued 1894: Strauss married soprano singer Pauline de Ahna Their marriage appeared to be a good happy marriage & she was a great source of inspiration to himTowards the end of the 19th century he focused on operaHis first two attempts in this genre were both controversial works & the first significant critical failure in his career1905: he produced the opera Salome The premiere was a major success with the artists taking more than 38 curtain calls but when it opened at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, there was such a public outcry that it was closed after just one performanceDue to subject matter (i.e. Salome kisses the lips of the decapitated head of John the Baptist & extreme use of dissonance)Nevertheless, the opera was a sensational success (everywhere other than the U.S.) Strauss continued 1933: Hitler & the Nazi party rose to powerStrauss never joined the Nazi party but he was initially drawn into cooperating with the early Nazi regime in the hope that Hitler would promote German art & cultureStrauss’ need to protect his Jewish daughter-in-law & Jewish grandchildren motivated his behavior?Hitler was a strong supporter of Strauss' work and he was allowed to continue performing even while the works of Debussy, Mahler and Mendelssohn were being banned during the Nazi regime1949: Strauss died at the age of 85During the singing at his funeral “each singer broke down in tears & dropped out of the ensemble, but they recovered themselves & we all ended together”Strauss’ wife was inconsolable & died 6 months later Strauss continued Before his death Strauss declared, “I may not be a first-rate composer, but I am a first-class second-rate composer”Many disagree with this self analysisCanadian pianist Glenn Gould described Strauss as “the greatest musical figure who has lived in this century”Few composers in the 20th century can be compared to Strauss in terms of orchestral imagination & no composer since Wagner has made a more significant contribution to the history of operaMajor works: 20 operas, 2 ballet music, numerous tone poems, 2 symphonies, numerous other orchestral works, several chamber music works vocal & choral arrangements Romanticism in Painting Romanticism became a revolt against convention and authority. Emphasis was on the search for free expression of personal feelingsThe search for individual freedom was the motivating force of the Romantic Era; even if that freedom was at the expense of perfectionBecause Romantic art expressed the “individual,” the personal lives of artists took on new importanceBiographies serve as keys to the motivating experiences in their artPainters of Romanticism turned their attention to a wide range of subject matterTreating it with greater individuality than the artists of the Rococo and Neoclassic periodsRenewed interest in nature; landscapes became a favorite themeViolence and shocking events were often used because such subjects gave more opportunity for the display of strong emotionsPatronage of Art There was a change in the patronage of artArtists were no longer attached to courts nor was the Church a strong patron of the artsArt was finally free, unaffected by previous standards of taste and artists could finally express their own personal feelingsThis new patronage also brought changes in the social status or artistsThey were no longer considered servants but instead held a high status in society Eugène Delacroix The leader of the Romantic movement in paintingHe never thought of himself as a leader of the new movement; he merely desired to express his unrestrained feelings about subjects and scenes that attracted himDelacroix was regarded as a revolutionaryDescribed as a barbarian and a savage with a paintbrush Liberty Leading the People – most famous paintingArchitecture There was no one style to distinguish architecture as Romantic. Instead it could be called revivalist architecture because most architecture created during the 19th century consisted of revivals of past styles, such as Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque ................
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