Romantic Style Composers: Franz Schubert

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(1) Franz Schubert composed Gretchen am Spinnrade (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel) in 1814, when he was only seventeen years old. The song is sung by a soprano, and the only accompaniment to the voice is a piano playing a constant rhythmic pattern (“OnMusic”). (2) Schubert was one of the most prominent composers in the Romantic era. He was the first composer to live off only the money he got from composing. He wrote many compositions during his short lifetime, especially art songs (“OnMusic”). (3) In the Romantic era the compositions were very expressive and inventive. The Romantic composers experimented with already existing forms, and dramatic expressiveness. This grew out of the improvement of instruments and the newly invented genres (Britannica). The limits in music composing were pushed with great contrast in the music. There were tempo changes in the music, difference in dynamics that ranged from pppp to ffff, either gradual or sudden, for a great emotional effect. Chromatic harmony was a popular, new way of making dissonance and unstable chords, prolonging the resolution of dissonance, using tones from the chromatic scale to create tension and unpredictability in the music (“OnMusic”). Other traits of the Romantic style of music were individualism and self-expression. Therefore it is possible to hear who the composer of the piece is (An Appreciation 257, 259). Compositions could be either absolute, which meant that the music was not based on a story or a text, or it could be program, which meant that the music was based on a story or a text. During the Romantic era, the composers mostly preferred program music. Nationalism and exoticism in the music was also common. The composers used dances and rhythms that were common... ... middle of paper ... ...f messianic Judaism and Platonism” (Britannica). The Christian worldview states that God has a plan for everyone. Matthew 6:33 says “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Bible). Works Cited "Franz Schubert." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. Kamien, Roger. Music: An Appreciation. 10th Ed. New York: McGraw Hill Companies, Inc, 2011. Print. ---. “OnMusic Apprecition.” Connect For Education Inc., 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. Malvini, Brenda. “Gretchen am Spinnrade.” Blogger. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. Robert Winter, et al. "Schubert, Franz." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. The Holy Bible. Print. New Intl. Vers.

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