Love of Nature and the Supernatural
Change in Musical Form
Music that tells a Story
Changing status of Musicians
Nationalism and Exoticism
Chromaticism
Romantic Period Instruments
Harmony and Form
Rhythm
Changes in the Orchestra
Differences in the form
Love of Nature and the Supernatural
The natural world was considered less a model of perfection and more a source of mysterious powers and danger.
Romantic composers gravitated toward supernatural texts and stories.
Change in musical form and style
The melody became emphasized and both melody and accompaniment are heard distinctly.
Minor keys and dissonance are used frequently to express different emotions.
Expression markings, such as dynamics, are numerous and detailed.
Themes are more irregular.
Expressive personal feeling, singing (cantabile) lines, varied accompaniment figures, varied phrase lengths and varied dynamics and tempos were popular.
Dynamic range is wider, and there is a larger range of sound.
Music was more widely used to tell stories, or to imply meaning beyond the purely musical.
Composers found ways to make their musical ideas represent people, things, and dramatic situations as well as emotional states and even philosophical ideas.
A composer was no longer dependent for income on the steady employment by nobility but relied instead on the support of the public and the patronage of individuals.
Music was seen less as an occupation and more as a calling.
Composers no longer needed to write for only practical uses.
Specialized training institutions (conservatories) replaced the apprentice system of the church and the court.
Women found more opportunities for musical expression, especially as performers, but social and cultural barriers still limited their participation as composers.
Composers used music as a tool for highlighting national identity.
Instrumental composers made reference to folk music and national images, while operatic composers set stories with strong patriotic undercurrents.
Composers took an interest in the music of various ethnic groups and incorporated it into their own music.
Composers also wrote works based on stories of exotic lands and people.
The main areas of nationalistic music during the nineteenth century were Germany, Italy, France, Central Europe and Russia.
Romantic composers exploited the use of altered chords and modulation so that the feeling for a central tonality often became obscure (especially music written in 1850).
The use of dissonance and half step movements in all the voices created the way for Impressionistic and Expressionistic movements.
The tuba was introduced.
Piano was considered to be the instrument of the period and was the most popular.
For the woodwind section, the piccolo, bass clarinet and double bassoon were added.
Many percussion instruments were also commonly used: the snare drum, bass drum, gong, and castanets.
The harp was put in with the string section.
There was wide use of chromatic harmony, accidentals, diminished and dominant sevenths, and modulation to distant keys.
Thick textures with full chords were popular.
Types of music that were popular during this period were: character pieces, concertos, dances, etudes and variations.
Complex rhythms with two notes against three were used.
There was also much syncopation.
The orchestra grew in size as new instruments were added.
The percussion section became larger.
The string section also grew.
Valves were invented for brass instruments which gave them new range and flexibility.
Overall, there were different aspects of music, texture, timbre, rhythm, pitch, harmony, and form composers were using new ideas and techniques.
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