What is Romantic music?
Q: What is Romantic music?
A: Romantic music is music written in the 19th century during the period known as the “Romantic period” by musicians.
Q: How did artists of the Classical period view forms?
A: Artists of the Classical period liked to see clear forms and often composed music with a clear plan like sonata form.
Q: How did artists of the Romantic period view forms?
A: In contrast, artists of the Romantic period thought that feeling and passions were more important than formal plans. They often wrote what is called programme music which means music that describes something or tells a story.
Q: Who was an early composer of Romantic Music?
A: Beethoven is usually considered an early composer of Romantic Music, although he is generally classified as a Classical composer.
Q: What does Nationalism mean in relation to 19th century European countries?
A: Nationalism refers to being proud of one's country, and in this context it refers to composers writing music which was typical of their own country by using folk songs from their native land.
Q: Who are some examples of composers who wrote programme music?
A: Examples include Felix Mendelssohn, Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt, Richard Strauss, Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Gustav Mahler and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Q: What example does Berlioz give for his wild and romantic lifestyle? A:Berlioz fell in love with an actress he saw on stage playing Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and actually married her!
