Objectives
- Relate how Romantic poets and artists abandoned traditional subjects, turning instead to the passionate and the fanciful.
- Relate how the Industrial Revolution impacted the technological development and affordability of musical instruments.
- Analyze how the orchestra grew in size and sound as new instruments were introduced and composers demanded greater levels of expression.
- Illustrate how Romantic composers explored nationalistic folklore and exotic subjects.
- Identify the form of romantic period songs, including strophic, through-composed, and the modified strophic forms.
- Examine the German art song (or Lied) as a favored romantic period genre.
- Discuss how the music of Franz Schubert impacted romantic period music.
- Discuss how the music of Frédéric Chopin impacted romantic period music.
- Trace the ascendance of program music in relation to absolute music.
- Summarize how political unrest throughout Europe stimulated the formation of schools of musical nationalism in Russia, Scandinavia, Spain, England, and Bohemia among other countries.
- Differentiate between the distinct national styles of romantic opera in France, Germany, and Italy.
- Discuss how the Italian nationalist composer Giuseppe Verdi impacted romantic period music.
- Trace how choral music became a popular artistic outlet for the middle classes.
- Discuss how the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky impacted romantic period music.
Romantic Period (1820-1910) The Transitional Composers: Franz Schubert: Mature Works / Style and Contributions
Schubert: Mature Works
As Schubert matured as a composer, he frequently found his path to material success blocked. During his lifetime, he was never able to depend on income from publishing or commissions, having to rely instead on small performances and help from a close circle of friends. Nonetheless, as he matured, his works show increasing levels of depth and sophistication. Though Schubert composed in every major genre, with varying degrees of success, his greatest works remain his songs, chamber music, late symphonies, and late choral works.
Because his close friends frequently gathered in intimate settings, Schubert focused much of his attention on chamber music. One of his most popular chamber works is the Trout Quintet for four string instruments and piano (1819). The third movement of this charming piece is based on a theme from his own lieder, Die Forelle (The Trout). Presented here is the first movement of the quintet.
Composer: Franz Schubert
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"Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667, The Trout: I. Allegro Vivace"
Composer: Franz Schubert
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"Die Forelle, D. 550: Die Forelle (The Trout), D. 550"
One of the mysteries of Schubert’s life is the large number of missing compositions. It was not uncommon for Schubert to begin a composition and (having received a commission or offer to write something else) set it aside to finish at a later date – this did not always happen. After his death, his brother Ferdinand found a treasure trove of unfinished works, sketches, and notebooks. Among these gems are the first two movements for a new symphony along with sketches for a third movement. Well before his death, Schubert was a master symphonist, as evidenced by his last work in the genre, the C-major Symphony, nicknamed The Great. With its breathtaking finale this piece is considered one of the masterpieces of the symphonic repertoire.
Composer: Franz Schubert
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"Symphony No. 9 in C major: IV. Finale: Allegro Vivace" [ 00:01-12:01 ]11:59
One of the mysteries of Schubert’s life is the large number of missing compositions...
The two movements found posthumously amongst Schubert’s scores are now known as the B-Minor Unfinished Symphony. The absence of a date for this work creates an intriguing mystery. Because it is commonly assumed to have been written before the Great, the Unfinished is usually numbered Symphony No. 8, while the Great is numbered as Symphony No. 9. This system, however, is not universally accepted. Adding to the mystery is a reference Schubert made several years before his death to another symphony, which may or may not have been the Unfinished. Regardless of the answer, the Unfinished stands as one of the most remarkable symphonic pieces of the early Romantic era. The first movement displays a range of musical ideas and emotions reminiscent of Beethoven. Yet, while the structure of both of the final symphonies is clearly Romantic in structure, Schubert’s harmonic, expressive language reflects a much firmer commitment to Romanticism. Thus, he is often called the “Classic Romanticist,” because his music, at its core, is Classic with an overlay of Romantic form.
"Symphony No. 8 - First Movement"Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Composer: Franz Schubert
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"Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 "Unfinished": I. Allegro moderato"
Schubert: Style and Contributions
After his death, Schubert’s work was relatively unknown for 40 years. It was not until Johannes Brahms began to expose some of Schubert’s music that the entire musical world finally began to appreciate his genius. We can now say, with certainty, that Schubert and his music represent:
- The rise of Romanticism: Schubert’s music provides evidence that, while Beethoven was still stretching the limits of Romantic form, some composers were prepared to abandon the mold entirely and to explore new harmonic structures and expressive idioms.
- A new, lyrical kind of melody: The most important element of his music is the lyrical, flowing melodic line that distinguishes all of his great work. Schubert was, above all else, a melodist.
- A daring new harmony: While most classical composers primarily used the Tonic/Dominant key relationship in modulations, only rarely moving to more daring key changes, Schubert moved freely from the tonic to distant keys, creating startling key changes and daring harmonic shifts. In his Mass in A-flat major, Schubert moved in six short measures from the key of A-flat major, to B minor, to E major, to D-flat major.
- Romantic themes: Particularly in his songs, Schubert used stories dealing with the natural (Die Forelle, Heidenröslein) or supernatural world (Erlkönig).
A man barely 31 years old created all of these innovations. His short life contradicted the potential of a musical mind overflowing with new ideas and a zeal for producing copious amounts of music. The fact that his greatest works were produced during his final five years lead us to ask the question —“what if?”—and marvel at the possible answers.
Composer: Franz Schubert
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"Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, D. 759 "Unfinished": I. Allegro moderato" [ 01:20-01:53 ]00:34
Composer: Franz Schubert
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"Symphony No. 9 in C major: IV. Finale: Allegro Vivace" [ 10:01-12:05 ]02:04
Composer: Franz Schubert
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"Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667, The Trout: I. Allegro Vivace" [ 04:16-04:53 ]00:38
Composer: Franz Schubert
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"Erlkönig, D. 328"
Brahms attempted to retire early at age 57, but continued composing until his death seven years later
