1800-1900 A.D.

Just as the word "Classical"conjures up certain images, Romantic is at

least as evocative. Whether we thinkof those romance novels with the

tawdry covers, or the paintings ofDelacroix, Romanticism implies fantasy,

spontaneity and sensuality.

The Classicalperiod focused on structuralclarity and emotional restraint.

Classical music was expressive, butnot so passionate that it could

overwhelm a work's equilibrium. Beethovenwho was in some ways

responsible for igniting the flameof romanticism, always struggled

(sometimes unsuccessfully) to maintainthat balance. Many composers of

the Romantic period followed Beethoven'smodel and found their own

balance between emotional intensityand Classicalform. Others reveled in

the new atmosphere of artistic freedomand created music whose

structurewas designed to support its emotional surges. Musical

story-telling became important, andnot just in opera,but in "pure"

instrumentalmusic as well. The tone-poem is a particularly Romantic

invention, as it was an orchestralwork whose structurewas entirely

dependent on the scene being depictedor the story being told.

Colorwas another important feature of Romantic music. New instruments

were added to the orchestraand composersexperimented with ways to

get new sounds from existing instruments.A large palette of musical

colorswas necessary to depict the exotic scenes that became so popular.

Exoticism was something of a 19thcentury obsession. Russian composers

wrote music depicting Spanish landscapes(Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov's

Capriccio Espagnol, for example) andGerman composers wrote music

depicting Scottish landscapes (Mendelssohn'sScottish Symphony).

Operaswere set in exotic locales (Verdi's Aïda is set in Ancient Egypt).

In addition to seeking out the sightsand sounds of other places,

composersbegan exploring the music of their native countries.

Nationalism became a driving forcein the late Romantic period and

composers wanted their music to expresstheir cultural identity. This

desire was particularly intense inRussia and Eastern Europe, where

elementsof folk music were incorporated into symphonies, tone-poems

and other "Classical"forms.

The Romantic period was the heydayof the virtuoso. Exceptionally gifted

performers--and particularly pianists,violinists, and singers--became

enormously popular. Liszt, the greatHungarian pianist/composer,

reportedly played with such passionand intensity that women in the

audience would faint. Since, likeLiszt, most composers were also

virtuoso performers, it was inevitablethat the music they wrote would be

extremely challenging to play.

The Romantic period witnessed an unprecedentedglorification of the

artist--whether musician, poet orpainter--that has had a powerful impact

on our own culture.