ROMANTIC PERIOD1800-1900

THE ROMANTIC PERIOD• Dates: 1800 – 1900 • Refers to Medieval Romance – dragons, knights, monsters,

and fantasy• Elements of Romanticism included: an emphasis on personal

expression and subjectivity, freedom from limitations, an interest in nature, fascination with the supernatural, and a cultivation of national identity• Growth of the middle class leads to increased interest in the

arts and the building of large concert halls

ARTTitle: Man and Woman Contemplating the MoonArtist: Caspar David Friedrich Year: 1824

FEATURES OF ROMANTIC MUSIC

• Indefinable forms, atonal harmony, abstract subjects, and a focus on nature• Composers: Beethoven, Brahms, Berlioz, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Wagner• Emphasis on Symphonic works rather than small chamber ensembles• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P73Z6291Pt8• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhoYauWJh54• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cpKhBKHjjw

WORLD EVENTS• Napoleonic Wars – 1803-1815• First Railroad – 1830• American Civil War – 1861-1865• Thomas Edison invents the phonograph – 1877• Spanish-American War - 1898