Lesson 3: Characteristics of Romantic Music

The music of the Romantic period is all about emotion. Not surprisingly, given the name of this era, the music of the Romantic period often dealt with the theme of love. However, love was not the only theme, nor was love always about we think of as romantic love. Whatever the emotion, Romantic composers sought to describe feelings and the deeper truths of life. In doing so, the emotional expression of the work was elevated and celebrated.

The emphasis on feeling often led to fuller, richer melodies and harmonies, resulting in sounds that reflected greater emotion. The soft tones were often softer than they had been composed and played in the past and the loud tones were even louder. In addition, the tempos ranged from very slow to very fast in the music. Again, the extreme tempos help to convey the emotion that the composer is trying to describe or illustrate.

During the Classical period, music often followed precise and formal guidelines. The Romantic period did not totally abandon these guidelines, but composers did focus more on inspiration than they did on the formalities of the music. One area that opened up for composers was the restriction on the length of works. During the Romantic period, composers were now free to compose works that were longer, contained more movements, and used more instruments and voices. Not surprisingly then, the music of the Romanic period is often “bigger” than the music from previous periods.

Beyond more emotion and greater freedoms and innovations, the music of the Romantic period is very diverse. This is due in part to the influence of nationalism on the music. Composers were incorporating folk tunes and other musical influences from a variety of cultures. The forms of music composed were also very diverse. They ranged from short, simple melodies to long, complex symphonies. Advances in the valves of many instruments allowed brass sections to lend greater weight and power to the orchestra.

Scholars have noted that some differences exist between the music of the early Romantic period versus the music of the late Romantic period. The early Romantic music is often influenced by Beethoven, including his more lyrical melodies and use of larger orchestras for his music. Symphony No. 9 is one example of Beethoven’s music that is really more characteristic of the Romantic period than the Classical period. The early Romantic period also saw the rise of the traveling musician, as railroads now made it possible for musicians to travel easily from one town to the next to perform.