How Did Romantic Music Affect The Music Of The Romantic Era?

The Romantic era was one of the most influential and remembered points in music history. It lasted from the beginning of the 1800’s to about 1910, shortly after the French Revolution. Romantic music was derived from music and concepts of earlier periods. It expanded on established ideas, techniques, and threw in a few of its own twists, as well. There were many composers and performers that made this era especially memorable. It encouraged free thinkers and independent endeavors. Nationalism was very important during this time, and some composers began creating exotic pieces. Instruments, song structure, the structure of the orchestra, and the way people felt about music all changed as a result of Romanticism. This music is distinguishable by its unique melody, timbre, texture, and and rhythm. The melody was usually long and lyrical, with irregular phrases. There would be wide skips in the melody, as well as an extensive use of chromaticism. There were many melodic ideas all compacted into one movement. The timbre consisted of a wide variety of tone color, and a rich and colorful orchestration. The woodwind and brass sections of the orchestra became more important during this time. Special orchestral effects were introduced also. As far as texture, the

When Schubert died, Schuman wrote in his diary “Schubert died, cried all night.” For the first part of his career, he wrote only piano music because thats what he loves about Schubert. He abruptly ended one of his pieces with the piano part hanging in midair. This is a truly romantic technique. Intimacy and spontaneity are present in his works also, which are other features of romantic music. For a while, he critiqued music for a magazine. Later in his life, he wrote concertos, chamber music, choral music, and even an opera. He was unsuccessful as a teacher and conductor later in life because of his withdrawn personality.