And so it came to pass that the order and refinement of the Neoclassicism brought about a movement unlike anything seen before. Gone was the restraint and forms of classic art, and the new world was filled with emotion.
As with most things, literature lead the way - long before the romantics in music, author/poets like Goethe, Brentano, and William Blake began writing stories of loss and pain, love and ecstasy. There was intense descriptions of longing and vibrant poems of yearning.
It was a movement away from the aristocrasy of the Age of Enlightenment. The French Revolution changed the way the world worked. Raw emotional expression was valued over beauty as the authentic asethetic.
The architecture left the pillars and Greecian-throw-backs, and the horizons of Europe took on more of a fairy tale quality!
And then......there was their art.
The art reflected a loveo f the pastoral life.
And then...there was their love of the sea....
Of course, to come with all that romance of life, was the darkness of the soul.
This famous haunting painting is by Fransisco Goya.
Goya survived the Spanish revolution.....it left the people of Spain in emotional crisis.
Schubert....the man with a million tunes.
Biographical Info
The first Romantic? Well, no. Beethoven was the first romantic. But Schubert was definitely one of the first of a new generation of composers.
He loved Beethoven...literally. Rumour is that young Schubert used to follow Beethoven around the streets of Vienna. Schubert had something very special - he wrote melodies, maybe better than anyone had conceived yet. The music of the Classical era had not really been noted for its melody, but rather its motives. Along comes this new generation and it seems as though they shout "melody above all else!".
Schubert wrote 600 lied (art songs)....did he create the genre? No. Mozart had composed some art song, and Beethoven had solidified Lieder as an art form.
But what Schubert did was perfect the art of lied. He wrote many song cycles, and worked with the best singers of his day. He used the piano as a voice in the music - the voice delivers words, the piano delivers atmosphere. Often the piano contains the rustle of the leaves, the babbling of brooks, the spinning of a wheel.
More about the art of Lieder, the art song.
Chopin.....the poet of the piano....
There was a young man from Poland who changed the world. This gentle man stands shoulder to shoulder with Bach and Beethoven - his melodies are instantly memorable.
It is suspected that Chopin was more or less self taught. Likely had some teaching from his sister, but for the most part, the genius was natural.
He was the playboy of the Paris salons....noted for his impecable playing and his stunning good looks. He won the hearts, and pocket books of Paris society.
Then there was George....
Chopin's life - Biographical Info
His musical style was unlike any other composer's. His melodies are simple yet ornate. His accompanied left hand is details and rhythmic. His tonal palette is rarely surprising. His sense of touch and voicing flawless. His sense of the romance of Paris, unmatched.
Chopin was different:
-he wrote predominantly short works (nocturnes, etudes, preludes, scherzos, polonaises, mazurkas)
-he wrote almost entirely for the piano, save a handful of works for the Cello, and a couple of songs that are almost forgotten
-he used "fillagre" to ornament the melody
-he, unlike most composers, was not broke
You can find his grave in Paris...there are fresh flowers placed there everyday of the year by music lovers.
Berlioz....this is what drugs do to you!
Well....he wrote an amazing symphony....and some terrifically long operas. For this, we get to study him in music history.
Personally, I think there are composers that should have gotten more focus than Berlioz - Brahms obviously, Mendelssohn for sure, Schumann most likely.
The reason we learn about Berlioz is because of Symphonie Fantastique.
The Symphonie is programic - meaning it has a story which the music directly tells.
Its subtitle is: Episode in the Life of an Artist.
The first "programic symphony" may have been Beethoven's 6th - the Pastoral.
Many feel that the story behind Symphonie is about Berlioz himself.......
Puccini and Poor Butterfly....
Well....an Italian with such intense emotions who had the need to explore love and culture.
His music is spectacular. It takes you away from this world.
His music captures love and hate with such honesty and passion.
Madama Butterfly
