The Romantic Period Flashcards
What are some characteristics of the Romantic Period?
Tone color, tone poems, nationalism, exoticism, key changes, extreme dynamics such as PPPP or FFFF, timbre, and mature and supernatural themes.
What is timbre?
Tone color or a specific sound of the piece it’s used in.
What was the premiss of most Romantic pieces?
Shakespeare plays, personal lives, supernatural, and mature themes.
What is nationalism?
Adding your OWN cultures ideas into musical pieces.
What is exoticism?
Adding OTHER cultures music ideas into your piece, often times in a racist or unknowing manner.
What is program music?
Music with a specific music behind it, there’s no chance for listeners interpretation of it. Sometimes comes with a physical program to it.
What is absolute music?
Music up for interpretation, no program.
What was the orchestra size in the romantic period?
Up to 100 players. Brass, wood winds, and percussion become more prominent and important than the strings section.
What was new about pianos in the romantic period?
They were made out of cast iron and have a damper pedal, the hammers were also covered in felt . The range was extended as well.
What was added to orchestra in the romantic period?
Triangles, harps, and cymbals.
What is rebate?
A variation of tempo.
What was the form like in the romantic period?
Forty five minute symphonies and lots of vocal music.
What is strophic form?
The same line of music for each verse.
What does through composed mean?
A different line of music for each verse.
What is modified strophic?
ABA verse formatting.
What was connected in the Romantic Period?
Poetry and art.
Who wrote Die Winterreise (The Winter Journey)?
Franz Schubert.
What is a song cycle?
Many songs connected through one main idea.
What are some facts about Franz Schubert?
He was a nervous recluse, aspired to be the next Beethoven, tried the a school teacher but gave up, he lead a gypsy life style and wrote in a cafe. He also made “Schubertiades”, which were parties to celebrate his music.
Who wrote “The Great Symphony” and “The Unfinished Symphony”?
Franz Schubert
Who wrote Erlkönig (Erl King)?
Franz Schubert
Who wrote Carnaval?
Robert Schumann
What are the two movements of Carnaval?
Estrella and Reconnaissance (Reunion)
What are some facts about Robert Schumann?
He married his piano student and had seven kids with her (Clara Schumann). Screwed up his hand and had to quit playing piano.
Who wrote “If you Love for Beauty”?
Clara Schumann
Who wrote Polonaise in Ab Major?
Fredric Chopin
Who wrote Mazurka?
Chopin
Who wrote Nocturne in Eb Minor?
Chopin
Who wrote Étude in C Minor?
Chopin
What are some facts about Fredric Chopin?
Only wrote for one instrument, Polish, pianist, frail.
Who wrote Transcendental Étude No. 4?
Franz Liszt
What are some facts about Liszt?
Super human playing skills, practiced obsessively for three years, gave out free piano lessons, three kids from an affair, became an abbey.
What is a tone poem?
Symphonic poem, one movement orchestral composition inspired by other forms of art.
Who wrote Violin Concerto?
Felix Mendelssohn
Who wrote The Hebrides Overture?
Felix Mendelssohn
What are some facts about Mendelssohn?
More classical than romantic style, wealthy Jewish family but converted Protistan, composer at age 13, conductor by 26, average guy, worked himself to death at 38.
What is program music?
Music with a specific meaning as decided by the composer.
What is absolute music?
The meaning of the music is up to interpretation for the audience.
Who wrote Don Quixote?
Richard Strauss
What are some facts about Strauss?
He’s well known for unique orchestral colors, tone poems, and large works.
Who wrote Flight of the Valkyries?
Richard Wagner
What are some facts about Wagner?
Rampant anti-semitism, arrogant, German and Norse, always in debt, got kicked out of all German speaking countries.
Who wrote Symphony No. 3?
Johannes Brahms
What are some facts about Brahms?
German, bass player cafe dad, classical writer, life long feud with Liszt.
Who wrote Kindertotenlieder?
Gustav Mahler
Who wrote Symphony No. 5?
Brahms
What are some facts about Brahms?
Conductor, had to change his religion due to anti-semitism, pieces weren’t very popular when first released.
What is nationalism?
Taking musical ideas and expressions from ones own country and adding them into their compositions.
What is exoticism?
Taking musical ideas and expressions from another country and adding them into their composition. Very racist.
Who were the members of The Russian Five?
Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Balakierev, Cui, and Borodin.
Who wrote The Great Gate of Kiev?
The Russian 5
Who wrote Pictures at an Exhibition?
The Russian 5
What are some facts about Grieg?
He spoke Danish, studied under Mendelssohn and Schumann, very poor health, but also very friendly, marries first cousin, conductor.
Who wrote In the Hall of the Mountain King?
Edvard Grieg
What are some facts about Smetana?
From Bohemia, lost his hearing but continued to compose, wrote a lot of folk tunes and legends.
Who wrote Moveast (“My Country”)?
Bedrich Smetana
Who wrote the Moldau?
Czech Nation Anthem, Bedrich Smetana.
Who wrote Symphony No. 9?
Antonin Divorak
What are some facts about Divorak?
Another Czech composer, played in Smetana’s orchestra, discovered by Brahms, encourage nationalism, especially for Native American music.
Who wrote the Romeo and Juliet Overture?
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
What are some facts about Tchaikovsky?
Taught himself music theory, gay composer, funded by rich widow, died six days after his American premiere of Symphony No. 6, wrote for lots of ballets.
What is a lied?
A song with three different possible forms.
What is strophic form?
AB
What is Through Composed?
Different for each song
What is modified strophic?
ABA
What is an art song?
When the vocal and piano parts are both equal.
What is a lieder?
Plural form of lied
What is a song cycle?
A collection of lieder.
Who were the programmists?
Liszt, Wagner, and Mahler.
Who were the absolutists?
Brahms, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Schumann.
Who were nationalists?
Smetana, Divorak, Mussorgsky, Grieg, The Russian 5.
