Characteristics of Romantic Music and the Romantic Lied
Technical Characteristics of Romanticism
Romantic music featured new melodic and harmonic organization. Unlike the classical style, which evoked strength and assent, romantic melodies aimed to surprise and express emotions. Harmonically, the well-established tonal system, based on the triad and its expansions, continued to provide a foundation for polyphony. However, composers began to explore the expressive value of isolated chords and harmonic progressions, with greater freedom in dissonances and chromaticism, particularly evident in the works of Schumann and Chopin. In contrast, Italian opera retained simpler vocal harmonies.
The Romantic era also saw a search for new timbral colors. Building upon the classical orchestra, individual instruments, especially woodwinds and brass, gained prominence. The romantic orchestra expanded to include new instruments and innovative combinations, leading to the development of orchestration as a distinct discipline, exemplified by Berlioz’s treatises.
These characteristics favored smaller musical forms. While Romantic composers still engaged with sonatas, chamber music, and symphonies, they excelled in shorter pieces. They generally moved away from elaborate development, preferring to construct larger forms by adding episodes, focusing on detail and expressive impact rather than complex structure.
The Romantic Lied
The Lied is a short musical composition for voice and piano accompaniment. The piano part often transcends mere accompaniment, creating atmosphere and adding dramatic or pictorial details. Its intimate style made it more suitable for smaller settings than concert halls.
The defining feature of the Romantic Lied is the fusion of music and poetry, often drawing upon the works of prominent German writers. Some Lieder are grouped into song cycles, connected by a common theme or narrative.
Lied Forms
- Simple Strophic Lied: The simplest form, using the same music for each stanza of a poem (AAA scheme).
- Varied Strophic Lied: Introduces variations in the melody or other elements, providing expressive nuances to each stanza (AA’-A” scheme).
- Through-Composed Lied: The music continuously evolves, following the narrative of the poem.
- ABA Lied: Features a distinct middle section contrasting with the opening and closing sections.
- Rondo Lied: Employs a recurring refrain that alternates with different verses.
Romanticism and the Romantic Musician
Nineteenth-century musicians enjoyed greater personal liberty, but this freedom also brought challenges. Subjectivism prevailed, leading to works created independently of commissions. Composers often faced a conflict between artistic expression and the demands of a bourgeois audience seeking easy entertainment. This led to a sense of isolation among some artists, who felt at odds with a society that treated art as decoration rather than a profound experience. The image of the Romantic musician as a misunderstood genius, struggling against societal norms, emerged, sometimes culminating in madness or early death. The tragic fates of earlier composers like Mozart and Pergolesi were retrospectively romanticized.
The “free” composer of the nineteenth century had to find new means of survival. Many became involved in journalism, writing for newspapers and magazines, like Berlioz and Schumann. However, true success often came through performance. Virtuoso instrumentalists, such as Paganini and Liszt, became “divos,” captivating large audiences with their technical brilliance. This virtuosity influenced musical language, while the growing size and complexity of orchestras led to the rise of the conductor as a central figure.
Wagner’s Siegfried’s Funeral March
Siegfried’s Funeral March, from Wagner’s opera Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods), the final installment of The Ring of the Nibelung cycle, exemplifies Wagner’s extended operatic style with continuous music throughout each act. The texture is rich with interwoven musical motifs, known as leitmotifs, each representing a character, object, idea, emotion, or place. Wagner develops these motifs symbolically throughout the opera, transforming them as the dramatic situation unfolds.
Wagner’s orchestration for Siegfried’s Funeral March is extensive, including piccolo, 3 flutes, 3 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, bass trumpet, 4 trombones, 2 tenor tubas, 2 bass tubas, contrabass tuba, 4 timpani, triangle, cymbals, tenor drum, 6 harps, and a large string section.