history 2 Flashcards
Austro-German composer of the late Classical and early Romantic periods and one of the most
important composers in music history. composed prolifically in almost every
instrumental genre, including chamber music, sonata, and symphony. Among many other
innovations, is often crediting the shift to the more autobiographical artistic
preferences of the 19th-century, and for establishing the symphony as an important, and
intellectually significant, musical genre.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
German composer of the early Romantic period notable for his role in establishing of a truly
German operatic style. His works are often innovative harmonically and orchestrationally- in
particular his opera Der Freischütz (The Freeshooter) of 1821.
Carl Maria von Weber (1786 - 1826)
Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic periods. lived and died in
Vienna, and although he composed prolifically in almost every genre, he is perhaps best
known for his chamber music and songs. He was one of the first composers who performed
mostly for small, private salon audiences in performances labeled, after the composer,
“Schubertiads” (literally “Schubert evenings”).
Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
An influential Italian composer of opera, and perhaps the most famous composer in Europe in
the 1820s. His music is a typical, and early example of the bel canto style in Italian operamelodically appealing and memorable, vocally virtuosic and impressive, but without the
emphasis on complex drama and sophisticated libretto that characterizes the works Mozart,
Gluck, and his other Classical-period predecessors.
Giacchino Rossini (1792 - 1868)
German composer and conductor of the early Romantic period, who, among many other
things, was partially responsible for the resurrection of, and veneration of, the music of JS
Bach.composed mostly in instrumental genres, including chamber music, piano
music, symphonies, and concerti. A child prodigy, many of his most works enduring and
innovative works, including his string octet and his Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, were
written before he was 20.
Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847)
A Polish composer who spent most of his life in Paris, and composed almost exclusively for
solo piano. Despite the intimate nature of his compositions, and his reluctance to perform
publicly, was a genuine celebrity throughout Europe- a testament to the newfound
importance of widespread music publishing. His music introduced new forms, many of Polish
origin, into the classical tradition, and remained harmonically and formally influential for the
remainder of the 19th century.
Frederic Chopin (1810 -1849)
A German composer and critic, Schumann composed in a wide variety of genres- songs, piano
music, chamber music, symphonies, and concerti, among others. A manic depressive,
was occasionally the fastest major composer in music history in his manic phases,
and would often become obsessed with individual genres, composing only in certain genres at
certain periods of time. As a critic and as a composer, exercised much influence
over German music, and European music generally, for the remainder of the century.
Robert Schumann (1810 -1854)
French composer of the early-mid 19th century whose compositions- primarily for orchestra,
were massively influential in terms of harmony, orchestration, and program. expanded
the orchestra in size and in breadth, employing the brass and percussion in particular in
innovative ways. A proponent of program music (music with a story), he rarely composed
absolute music at all.
Hector Berlioz (1803- 1869)
A Hungarian-born German pianist and composer of the early-mid Romantic period was,
along with Chopin and the violin virtuouso Paganini, one of the first musical celebrities. He
was not only a legendary performer on his instrument, but was an influential composer,
inventing the genre of the tone poem and writing works in that style that were to prove
innovative in terms of harmony and orchestration.
Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886)
A German born opera composer of the mid-19th century, total influence on German
opera, and German and European music generally, from the 19th century onward cannot be
overstated. not only massively influenced harmony -writing arguably some of the first
truly atonal measures in music in Tristan und Isolde- but in orchestration- inventing new
instruments- in his introduction of musical leitmotif, in his advocacy of Gesamkunstwerk
(“Total Artwork”) and in the sheer breadth of his artistic vision. His magnum opus- the Ring
cycle- is comprised of four operas, to be performed on successive evenings, that, in totality,
last around 16 hours.
Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
An Italian opera composer and direct contemporary of Wagner, music began in the bel
canto style but gradually evolved, throughout the mid-19th century, into a stye characterized
by tuneful melodies, dramatic richness, colorful orchestration, harmonic complexity, and
emotional depth. While in his lifetime he represented a rival to Wagner, his artistic vision,
and his re-centering of opera on drama (rather than vocal display) was similar to Wagner’s;
whereas Wagner was a revolutionary, though, was most definitely an evolutionary artis
Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901)
A German composer of the mid-late-19th century, was seen by many, including his
mentor Schumann, to be the heir to Beethoven’s legacy. Like Beethoven, composed
primarily in instrumental genres, including chamber music, piano and violin sonatas,
symphonies, overtures, and concerti. Perhaps as a result of these early high expectations,
was a perfectionist, extremely aware of his place in history (he was one of the first
Romantic composers with extensive knowledge of Baroque and Renaissance music) and he
often took a long time to finish and to perfect his works
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Russian composer of the late nineteenth century, wrote mainly for the stageoperas and ballets- but also chamber works, piano works, concerti, and symphonies. While
he, like many of his Russian contemporaries, sought to develop a distinctly Russian style,
was careful to maintain contact with, and to respond to, contemporaneous trends
in Western European music.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Czech composer of symphonies, concertos, chamber works, tone poems, and operas, is
a good representative of the nationalism pervasive in European music in the latter half of the
19th-century. Poignantly, represented a people- the Czech people- that did not possess
a country during his lifetime; therefore sometimes used his music, and considerable
fame, to call the attention to the plight of his fellow countrymen.
Antonin Dvorak (1841 - 1904)
A group of five composers- Glinka, Cui, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Borodin- who
represented a school of Russian nationalism at the end of the 19th-century. Broadly speaking,
these composers largely rejected firm adherence to Western European artistic precedents,
seeking instead to design a new national idiom for Russia, based partially on its proximity to
Asia.
“The Mighty Handful”
