The Romantic Era, Essay Example

Western music evolved considerably between the 14^th and 19^th centuries. The foundation of classical music was first developed in the Church, and a style known as plainchant, or also known as Gregorian chant. This music was fairly simple as compared to later music, and the most important element was the words being chanted or sung to glorify God. Plainchant did not have a fixed rhythmic structure, and was often sung in a monotone or a simple melody. This plainchant style would serve as the basis for further musical exploration, as composers of the Renaissance period added to it, distorted it, and extended it into more complex structures. As music moved from the Church, the evolution of harmony and the development of fixed rhythmic elements were blended with the themes and ideas of the Renaissance period, and music became an important element of life for the nobility. In the 1600s the Baroque period saw “rapid changes at the sophisticated courts and churches of Italy” (Kernan and Tomlisno, p. 83) as new forms such as opera were developed and popularized. The 18^th century saw the transition from the Baroque period to the classical period; as science and art evolved, this evolution was reflected in music that was more refined, addressed a wider range of themes, and became more widely popular among the public. By the 19^th century, sweeping social, political, and economic changes gave rise to a growing middle class, and music was the most popular form of entertainment. This has come to be known as the Romantic era, and many of the elements most closely associated with classical and orchestral music are rooted in Romanticism.

There is a wide range of characteristics of music from the Romantic era; for one thing it was the period when the classical orchestra as we now know it was fully developed, with instruments such as the violin and the piano being refined and perfected. In earlier times, music was used to display emotions; in the Romantic era it was used to express and evoke emotions. Music could now be written about a variety of subjects and themes (as opposed to earlier times when it was only used in liturgy or the courts of kings and other nobles). The melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic structures of music continued to evolve in depth and complexity. Most significant of all the changes and new characteristics of music in the Romantic era, however, was the way music became so closely associated with composers.

In earlier centuries composers were often seen more as craftsmen or tradesmen than as artists. Many composers worked under the patronage system, and wrote music according to the wished and interests of their patrons. By the 19^th century, however, composers began to use their music to express their individuality, and their personalities were part of the music. Early Romantic composers such as Beethoven bridged the gap between earlier musical approaches and the styles of later Romantic composers. Composers such as Wagner and Tchaikovsky infused their music with self expression (humantiesweb.org, n.p.), and wrote grand operas. Composers in this era used a variety of musical techniques to evoke emotions. Such techniques included dynamic changes where music would become almost painfully quite or explode dramatically; extended and complex harmonic structures built around the main melody; and the broader palette of tone colors available through the use of the modern orchestra.

The evolution of music from the Middle Ages was considerable. What began as simple chants that were sung as part of the liturgy of the Church grew into an astonishing range of styles, using a vast array of different instruments, and focusing on a wide variety of themes. Composers such as Richard Wagner wrote operas where “the orchestra has at least as great a dramatic role as the singers” (humantitiesweb.org, n.p.) and who is often considered as the ultimate example of Romantic-era emotional expression (humantiesweb.org, n.p.).  By the late 19^th century, the theme of nationalism became a significant component of the works of composers such as Tchaikovsky, who “wrote in a distinctively Russian style” ((humantiesweb.org, n.p.).  The composers of the Romantic era explored new musical forms and themes and advanced the technical and artistic boundaries of music, setting the stage for the modern era of the 20^th century.

Works cited

Humanitiesweb.org,. ‘Late Romantic Period (1850 – 1900)’. N. p., 2014. Web. 29 Jun. 2014.

Kerman, Joseph, and Gary Tomlinson. Listen. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. Print.