Second Year Humanities Dr. Kelley Spoerl
Beethoven and Romanticism
I. Enlightenment Philosophy
stress on reason as key to order of universe and functioning of the human mind
religious belief stresses reason, not complex doctrine or "superstition"
reason should be used to improve society, to build helping institutions for poor,
disabled, orphans, mentally ill, etc.
political belief favors democracy
II. Music of the Enlightenment Period
1. Baroque (1600-1750)
A. Greats: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and Georg Friederich Handel (1685-
1759)
B. Features
densely polyphonic (i.e., more than one line of melody running at the same time)
regular rhythm, stressed by basso continue (harpsichord and/or cello, plays
simple chords continuously through piece while other instruments play melodies)
complex melodies
limited changes in dynamics (volume - relative loudness or softness of music)
C. Examples
Bach, Brandenburg Concerto, First Movement
Marin Marais, Sonnerie de Sainte Genevieve du Mont de Paris
2. Classical or Viennese (1750-1800)
A. Greats: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809)
B. Features
music more homophonic in texture (i.e., a single melody plays at one time)
rhythm is flexible and varied
stress on "tunes"
more variety in dynamics, use of terms like crescendo ("getting louder") and
diminuendo ("getting softer")
rise of "pianoforte" (early piano - uses hammers to strike strings)
expanded number of instruments in orchestra, inc. more strings, wind, brass, and
percussion
C. Examples
Mozart, Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Second Movement
III. Romanticism (1800 onwards)
1. Features of Romantic Sensibility
stress on emotion rather than reason
natural world mysterious and uncontrollable conveyor of spiritual insight
fascination with iconography and rituals of Roman Catholicism (esp. of medieval
age)
interest in the subjective, unique experience of the individual
interest in heroic individual, esp. creative "genius"
stress on unconventional lifestyle, dress, manners
2. Romantic Music
A. Features
complex melodies, expansion of tone color
expansion in orchestra instruments
more dynamic contrasts (ppp for "supersoft" or jff for "really loud")
greater contrasts in rhythm
experimentation with musical form
i. pieces longer or shorter (ex. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
versus Chopin's piano etudes)
ii. literary "program" music - music to tell a story or describe
emotions in some identifiable order (ex. Fourth movement of
Beethoven's Sixth "Pastoral" Symphony - a storm breaking in
upon a beautiful day in the country)
iii. using same musical theme through a large-scale work
odd key changes and move away from "pretty" melodies and harmonies
B. Examples
Beethoven, Fifth Symphony (1808): First Movement
Beethoven, Third "Eroica" Symphony (1803): First Movement
Slides: Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840), German Romantic painter