Intimate Expression: The German Lied — and introduction to the 19th century Flashcards
What did we learn in the 19th Century?
Music expresses or reinforces states of mind or emotions.
What are characteristics of music in the 19th Century?
- Private mood music.
- Music lending emotions to a scene.
- Hear and respond to music as if it were human.
- Music moves.
Romanticism is the cult of ___ feeling and escape.
Individual.
In romanticism, is romantic the same as love?
No, it is a liberal viewpoint, a critique.
Public concerts of intimate genres were on the rise during the ___ era.
Romantic.
True or false? Audiences always loved composers.
False, it was a love/hate relationship.
Individual feeling becomes individual ___ in the Romantic era.
Style.
Conventional was a praise in the romantic era. True or false?
False, it was a criticism.
Why were generalizations necessary in the Romantic era?
It was hard to specifically define style as a whole.
Rhythm in the Romantic era:
Freer; flexible treatment of rhythm (rubato).
Melody in the Romantic era:
Wider ranging, less regular melodies.
Harmony in the Romantic era:
Less stable, chromatic.
Orchestra (tone colour) in the Romantic era:
Expanded again, woodwinds, brass, percussion. Technical developments, especially piano.
Form in the Romantic era:
Desire to unify organically. Pieces seem living, spontaneous. Theme = form. Classical vs. Romantic themes. Thematic transformation. Vaguely similar contrasting themes.
Programmatic Music
Music that relies on extramusical material in order to be understood.
Program
Story behind the music in programmatic music in the Romantic era.
Absolute Music
Non-representational; music for music’s sake.
Miniature Compositions
- Small pieces for intimate settings.
- Programmatic or not.
Grandiose Compositions
- Massive compositions, hours or days long.
- Often dependent on programmatic material for form.
The Lied
- Lied = song.
- A setting of German poetry for one voice and piano.
- Vehicle for sharing intimate, emotional insight.
- Initially domestic, but increasingly performed in concert (by mid-1800s).
Common Forms of the Lied
- Strophic.
- Modified strophic (A A’ A’’ etc.).
- Through-composed.
