Romantic

Musical Romanticism was marked by emphasis on originality and individuality, personal emotional expression, and freedom and experimentation of form.

Definitively the most romantic pieces of classical music ever...

• Puccini - O mio babbino caro.
• Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No.
• Elgar - Salut d'amour.
• Puccini - O soave fanciulla, from La bohème.
• Rota - Love Theme, from Romeo and Juliet.
• Mascagni - Intermezzo, from Cavalleria Rusticana.

Musical Romanticism was influenced by the Romantic movement in art and literature that began in the late 1700s. The Romantics reacted to the growing rationalism of the 18th century, choosing instead to emphasize the importance of the individual, and of emotional experience.

Romantic era music is defined by imagination and feeling. The music has qualities of magic, emotion, rise and fall, intensity, the fantastical, and the mysterious.

Romantic music can be recognised for:

1. larger orchestras.
2. use of rubato. - slight speeding up and slowing down of the music.
3. adventurous harmonies and modulations.

Tune your lyrics to the right chords. Most music artists write romance songs (and most songs in general) in major keys. Major keys are easy to sing and have a happy tone, while we generally reserve minor keys for sad songs. Assuming your love song is sweet or happy, a major key is probably the way to go.

Characteristics of Romantic Music

• Unstructured.
• Passionate and full of energy.
• Long melodies.
• Dynamic instrumentation.
• Dramatic.
• Nationalistic undertones.

Most music historians place the Romantic period in the years between 1820 and 1900.

Instruments

• strings - larger string section.
• woodwind - flutes and piccolo, oboes and clarinets, bassoon and double bassoons.
• brass - trumpets, trombones and French horns (tuba added later in the period)
• percussion - full percussion section.
• key - piano.

Music Forms of the Romantic Period Romance, nocturne, etude, and polonaise are examples of 19th-century music styles. Romance refers to a short, lyrical piece for piano. It can also be played by another solo instrument, with piano accompaniment.

Romantic Lover

Two hallmarks of Romantic era music are highly emotional music and dynamic contrast. Composers wanted to emotionally connect with their audiences through instrumental music, and were very focused on creating rich and memorable melodies to help them do this.