Chapter 15Prelude: Music after Beethoven: Romanticism

Style Features of Romantic Music

Key Terms

Rubato

Romantic melody

Chromaticism

Romantic orchestra

Instrumental combinations

Style Features of Romantic Music

Music had to mirror inner feeling•Artists were expected to have a personal style• Important to sound different from others

Constant striving for higher experience• Innovation became essential

Hard to define Romantic style in general•Easier to spot innovations & novelties

There were some common interests• In rhythm, melody, harmony, color, & form

Rhythm: Rubato

Italian tempo rubato = robbed time

Romantic Melody (1)

The most recognizable Romantic feature

More emotional than before

Romantic Harmony

Major advances in the area of harmony

Chromaticism used to expand expressivity

The Expansion of Tone Color (1)

Sheer sensuous quality of sound assumed importance for the first time

Major advances in instrument design

Romantic fascination with the orchestra

The Expansion of Tone Color (2)

Orchestra grew to modern size & makeup

The Expansion of Tone Color (3)

Composers mixed instrumental colors with great freedom & virtuosity

Orchestral effects became more elaborate

Opera composers used orchestral effects that nearly overwhelmed the singers