Unit Four: The Romantic Period

Question 1

dates

Answer 1

ca 1825 - ca 1900

Question 2

representative composers

Answer 2

Franz Schubert, Frederic Chopin, Hector Berlioz, Giacomo Puccini

Question 3

musical styles

Answer 3

emphasis on creative imagination, personal expression, and expression of emotions

Question 4

genres cultivated

Answer 4

Lieder (Erlkonig), programmatic music (Berlioz) ??

Question 5

social and historical context of music in society

Answer 5

the general public became even more involved in music, with composers writing works aimed at large public audiences (rather than just for their patrons), thus works became more dazzling and dramatic.

Question 6

patronage of the arts

Answer 6

aristocratic patronage was much smaller than it had been, and church patronage almost completely disappeared

Question 7

musical centre

Answer 7

Paris

Question 8

characteristics

Answer 8

EXPRESSIVE (chromatic) HARMONY, EMOTIONALISM, VIRTUOSITY, PROGRAMMATIC, nationalism, exoticism, wide dynamic ranges, folk elements, expanded orchestra, lyrical melody, rubato

Question 9

romanticism

Answer 9

a reaction against classicism, with an emphasis on creative imagination and expression of emotions. (Berlioz)

Question 10

exoticism

Answer 10

fascination with foreign lands and cultures, evoked through melody, rhythm, harmony, and orchestration (Madama Butterfly)

Question 11

nationalism

Answer 11

patriotism expressed through music, through the influence of folk song and dance, myths and legends, landscapes, and historical events (Erlkonig)

Question 12

program music

Answer 12

instrumental music with extra-musical associations. A descriptive title identifies the connection. Some works include a written text or “program” provided by composer (Spring) (Berlioz)

Question 13

rubato

Answer 13

Italian for “robbed time”. Rhythmic flexibility. An expressive device used for interpreting music.

Question 14

art song

Answer 14

the musical setting of a poem, for solo voice (generally with piano accompaniment) (Erlkonig, op. 1, D 328)

Question 15

Lied (pl. Lieder)

Answer 15

an art song of a German poem (Erlkonig, op. 1, D 328)

Question 16

durchkomponiert

Answer 16

(through-composed) a song structure that avoids repetition of entire sections of the music. As a result, melody, harmony, and piano accompaniment are able to reflect the meaning of the text (Erlkonig, op. 1, D 328)

Question 17

polonaise

Answer 17

a stately Polish dance in triple meter transformed by Chopin into a virtuosic piano composition. Often proud and majestic in character, and includes characteristic rhythmic figures. (Polonaise in A flat Major, op. 53)

Question 18

chromaticism

Answer 18

from Greek “khroma” for colour. An extensive use of notes outside the prevailing key signature, increasingly used for heightened expression in 19th-century music. (Polonaise in A flat Major, op. 53)

Question 19

program symphony

Answer 19

a multi-movement orchestral work modelled after 18th-century symphony with programmatic elements. Includes a descriptive title, and accompanying text often outlines the program. (Berlioz)

Question 20

idee fixe

Answer 20

French for “fixed idea”. Devised by Berlioz, was a recurring theme which undergoes transformation, and serves as a unifying thread in a multi-movement composition. (Berlioz: “the beloved”)

Question 21

ophicleide

Answer 21

a brass instrument, now obsolete. Predecessor of the tuba. (Berlioz)

Question 22

portamento

Answer 22

Italian for “carrying”. A technique of sliding smoothly from one note to the next. Originally a vocal technique, was adapted by Berlioz as a novel instrumental technique. (Berlioz)

Question 23

col legno

Answer 23

Italian for “with the wood”. A novel string effect invented by Berlioz, where players tap strings with the wooden parts of their bows. (Berlioz)

Question 24

cloches

Answer 24

French for “bells”. A pitched percussion instrument which emits a ringing sound when struck. (Berlioz)

Question 25

Dies irae

Answer 25

Latin for “day of wrath”. A monophonic chant melody dating from the late Middle Ages, drawn from Roman Catholic requiem (Mass for the Dead). 19th-century audiences would have associated the tune with funeral services. (Berlioz)

Question 26

opera

Answer 26

Created in Italy around 1600, is drama that is sung. Combines vocal and instrumental music with drama, visual arts, and often dance. Components include recitative, arias, ensembles, and choruses. (Madama Butterfly)

Question 27

prelude (in opera)

Answer 27

an orchestral work, serving as an introduction to an opera. Used form mid-19th century in place of traditional overture. No prescribed form, but often includes themes to be heard later in the opera (Madama Butterfly, Prelude to Act I)

Question 28

verisimo

Answer 28

Italian for “realism”. Opera style popular in Italy in 1890s-early 1900s. Story lines often project a gritty realism which usually culminates in a violent ending. Puccini was the master of this style (Madama Butterfly)

Question 29

pentatonic scale

Answer 29

a scale consisting of 5 different pitches, easily rendered by playing the 5 black keys on the piano. Common to the folk music of many European and Asian cultures. (‘Un bel di vedremo’ from Madama Butterfly)

Question 30

whole-tone scale

Answer 30

a non-traditional scale employed by composers of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Consists of 6 different pitches, each spaced a WS apart (Madama Butterfly)

Question 31

aria

Answer 31

Italian for “air”. A solo heard in an opera, oratorio, or cantata. Highly emotional, often virtuosic, and may have lyrical or dramatic character. (‘Un bel di vedremo’ from Madama Butterfly)