The Romantic Era1820-1910

reaches its heights and European powers fight for world domination

Colonialism

1700s to 1800s

The commoners overthrow the monarchy in place of a government

-French Revolution

it got pretty ugly…

takes people away from their villages and homeland to work in factories in the cities

The Industrial Revolution

The cities get overcrowded and polluted

Everyone has to work to survive

How do people respond?A rejection of the rich and powerful occurs

Musicians begin to work for themselves instead of wealthy employers.They can write what they want, not what they’re paid to

instead of wealthy employers -they can write what they want, not what they’re paid to

Reject the rationalization of nature…

and celebrate it’s beauty

Time to break the rules of the Classical Era

-the “symphonic poem” instead of four movement symphony

-extremes encouraged in tempos, dynamics, texture to break the classical

Breaking the old harmonic rules“Virtuosos” are best suited to go beyond

what has been done before

…and the rationality of its music

Revolt against the industrial revolution

and celebrate where they came from

Celebrate their folklore and fantasy

Celebrate their traditions

Celebrate their dances

Celebrate their traditional music

-composers base works on folk songs, dances, fairy tales from their heritage

Made the transition from classical to Romantic

Moonlight Sonata and the 9th Symphony began breaking the rules

Beethoven

Polish Piano composer and teacher

“Prelude #15”countless pieces

for piano

Frederik Chopin

Russian-The 1812 Overture Based on Napoleon’s

unsuccessful attempt to conquer Russia

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Cannons actually used as percussion

The Nutcracker Suite

Traditional Russian BalletFantasticalRepresents the Russians defeating the French (rats)

Virtuoso Pianist“Hungarian

Rhapsody”Based on folk

songs and dances from his native country

Let’s listen for extremes

Franz Lizst