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I. Romanticism in Music
- a. To many Romantics, music was most Romantic of arts because it allowed composer to probe deeply into human emotions
- i. There was much carryover of classical forms from one century to next
- b. One of greatest composers, Beethoven, bridged Classicism and Romanticism
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Beethoven
- i. Singlehandedly transformed art of music
- ii. Yearned to communicate his cherished beliefs; music had to reflect his deeper inner feelings
- iii. Born in Bonn to Cologne family of musicians
- 1. Assistant organist at court at 13 and went to Vienna where he studied under Haydn
- 2. Work largely within classical framework and influences of Haydn and Mozart (first major period of composing)
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Beethoven works
- i. Third Symphony, called Eroica, which was intended for Napoleon, he broke through elements of Romanticism in use of uncontrolled rhythms to create dramatic struggle and uplifted resolutions
- ii. Wrote numerous works, but in midst of productivity and fame, he was growing deaf
- 9th Symphony= totally deaf
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a. Frenchman Hector Berlioz
- i. Father was doctor in Grenoble and wanted him to study medicine, but he said no and achieved fame in Germany, Russia, and Britain; his originality wasn’t honored in France
- One of the founders of program music, which was an attempt to use moods and sound effects of instrumental music to depict actions and emotions inherent in a story, an event, or even a personal experience
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Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique
- 1. Development of program music evident in his most famous piece, the first complete program symphony, the Symphonie Fantastique
- a. In this, he used music to evoke passionate emotions of a tortured love affair, including fifth movement in which he creates an opium-induced nightmare of a witch’s gathering
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