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Period: to
Ludwig van Beethoveen
Icon; established heroicism; transitional between classical and romantic eras -
Period: to
E. T. A. Hoffmann
German writer; prime example of Romanticism; wrote "The Nutcracker" story -
Period: to
Carl Maria von Weber
Founder of German Romantic Opera -
Period: to
Gioachino Rossini
Most famous composer in Vienna; choral music and Italian operas -
Period: to
Gaetano Donizetti
Prolific especially in serious Italian opera -
Period: to
Franz Schubert
Austrian; created dramatic Lieder; expansive melodies; frequent modulations -
Period: to
Vincenzo Bellini
Wrote serious Italian operas; very dramatic with action and passion -
Period: to
Hector Berlioz
French, leading innovator -
Period: to
Mikhail Glinka
Important Russian composer -
Period: to
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
Discouraged from composing but still published; big in salon culture -
Period: to
Felix Mendelssohn
Conservative; revived Bach -
Period: to
Romantic
Artists began to disregard traditional forms and harmonic rules - lead to strange new harmonies to express more emotion and the creation of new forms.
Brass and percussion - bigger, new techniques of orchestration
Harmonic chromaticism used freely.
Improv with trills and ornaments were no longer used - follow composer wants
Tempo rubato - borrowed time was used, increased need for conductors in ensembles
Upper and middle class patrons replaced courts, solo recitals and salon culture thrived -
Period: to
Romantic
Emotional expression became the focus of music - composers and individualism more important than ever. Sense of longing especially popular emotions were "romanticized" and passion was glorified.
Programmatic music became popular, modern, more dramatic. Advocated by the progressive school of Berlioz, Liszt, Bruckner, and Wagner.
Monumental - grand, large choral and/or orchestral works vs mini character pieces or Lied common
The supernatural became inspiration to artists. -
Period: to
Romantic
Absolute music - pure music without a program advocated by conservative composers like Brahms, R. Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn
Instruments - improvements and refinement of tuning for many such as piano; percussion used more; "accompanying" voices got more parts; strings less important
Forms - traditional existing forms like sonata, variations, ritornello, and rondo were used but were expanded; more progressive composers abandoned forms -
Period: to
Romantic
Melody - focal point more expansive and elongated; popular leap of a sixth used
Harmony - more important; many innovations such as 7ths, 9ths, and harmonic chromaticism; dissonance wasn't prepped; progressions by thirds was common
Dynamics - finally used essential as a tool for expression; wide variety of composers wishes written
Rhythm - more free; rubato; meter changes and heroic fanfare were common -
Period: to
Romantic
Timbre/orchestration - instruments' roles were changed; orchestration was its own art form; Berlioz was very innovative
Texture - not a focus; served the music; homophony, polyphony, and monophony were all used -
Period: to
Robert Schumann
Composer and important critic; lost his sanity early on -
Period: to
Frederic Francois Chopin
Innovative piano techniques; known for his character pieces -
Period: to
Franz Liszt
Virtuoso pianist; supporter of Wagner; innovator in musical form, aesthetics, and harmonies -
Period: to
War of 1812
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Period: to
Giuseppe Verdi
Leading Italian opera composer; very loved -
Period: to
Richard Wagner
Created German Music Drama; innovative harmony and melodies; wrote anti-semitic books -
Francis Scott Key writes "Star-Spangled Banner"
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Premiere of Rossini's "Barber of Seville"
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Period: to
Jacque Offenbach
Founded Opera bouffe and the can-can -
Period: to
Clara Wieck Schumann
Wife of Robert; virtuosic pianist; composed some -
Period: to
Anton Bruckner
Austrian; followed Wagner; large orchestrations -
Period: to
Bedrich Smetana
Nationalistic; established Czech opera -
Period: to
Johann Strauss
Viennese; called the "Waltz-King" -
Period: to
Stephen Foster
American, vernacular songwriter -
Berlioz writes "Symphonie Fantastique"
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Period: to
Johannes Brahms
Austrian; never wrote opera; edited Bach; friends with Clara Schumann -
Period: to
Georges Bizet
Created a new type of serious French opera -
New York Philharmonic established
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Period: to
Modest Musorgsky
One of Russian Mighty Five; folksongs -
Period: to
Piotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Russian; emotional with conservative harmonies -
Period: to
Antonin Dvorak
Famous Czech; lived in US; influenced by Native and African American music -
Period: to
Edvard Grieg
Famous Norwegian composer -
Period: to
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
Part of Russian Mighty Five; wrote an orchestration treatise -
Period: to
Gabriel Faure
French composer and important teacher -
Verdi's "Rigoletto" premieres
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Wagner publishes "The Ring Cycle"
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Period: to
Leos Janacek
Czech folk composer and ethnomusicologist -
Period: to
John Philip Sousa
American; lead US Marine band in 1880; marches -
Period: to
Edward Elgar
Internationally famous English composer -
Period: to
Giacomo Puccini
Successful Italian opera composer; realism; delicate melodies -
Period: to
Hugo Wolf
Influenced by Wagner; wrote many Lieder -
Period: to
The Civil War
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Period: to
Aleksandr Glazunov
Russian nationalist; student of Rimsky-Korsakov -
Wagner opens his Bayreuth opera house for his works
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Metropolitan Opera House opens in NYC