Romantic

(1820– 1900 AD)

A.                 Historical Events

1.                  1828 – First passenger and freight railroad

2.                  1835 – Mark Twain is born

3.                  1836 – Texas wins its’ independence from Mexico

4.                  1837 – Music Education begins in Boston

5.                  1844 – YMCA founded

6.                  1848 – God discovered in California

7.                  1860 – Abraham Lincoln becomes president

8.                  1861 – Civil War begins

9.                  1864 – Slavery ends

10.              1874 – First American Zoo in Philadelphia

11.              1876 – National Baseball League founded

12.              1895 – Babe Ruth is born

13.              1900 – Radio waves transmit human voice/speech

B.                 General Facts

1.                  Difficult political times in Europe (b/c of democracy

2.                  Pianos become common in homes

3.                  Slavery end in America

4.                  Nationalistic music becomes popular

5.                  Impressionistic art becomes popular (less detail, more mood)

C.                 Music Facts

1.                  Greater variety of instruments, especially woodwinds

2.                  Melodies are longer

3.                  Music becomes more dramatic and emotional

4.                  Tempos and dynamics are more extreme

5.                  Program music becomes popular – music portrays events or tells a story

6.                  Opera becomes very popular

7.                  Musicals begin to be written (lighter version of opera)

8.                  France and Russia become strong music centers

D.                Instruments

1.                  Brass instruments have valves and become more popular

2.                  Piano becomes the dominant instrument

3.                  Orchestra gets larger

4.                  New woodwinds invented (oboe and saxophone)

5.                  Virtuosos become popular – exceptional soloists

E.                 Composers

1.                  Ludwig van Beethoven

a.                   German

b.                  Began going deaf in his early 30’s

c.                   Composed for piano and orchestras

d.                  Fur Elise, Moonlight Sonata, 9^th Symphony, and 5^th Symphony, Ode to Joy

2.                  Chopin – piano

3.                  Shubert – art songs

4.                  Robert and Claire Schumann – piano

5.                  Wagner – opera

6.                  Tchaikovsky – ballets and symphonies (The Nutcracker)

7.                  Brahms – piano

8.                  Verdi – opera

9.                  Faure – art songs

10.              Sousa – marches

F.                  Types of Works

1.                  Ballet

2.                  Opera

3.                  Symphony

4.                  Concertos

5.                  Symphonic Poem (Program Music) – Sorcerer’s Apprentice

6.                  Art song – vocal solo, emphasis on text

 Lesson Plans

v     Listen to Beethoven (Fur Elise, Moonlight Sonata, 9^th Symphony, 5^th Symphony, and Ode to Joy), Chopin, Tchaikovsky (Nutcracker), Wagner (Ride of the Valkeries), Puccini (O Mio Babino), Faure (art song), and Sousa (Stars and Stripes Forever)

Prehistoric	Medieval	Renaissance
Baroque	Classical	Romantic
	20th Century