Vocal Music of the Romantic Period

 One of the best tools for expressing one's Giacommo Puccini

feeling
 Romantic Period's basic quality is emotional
subjectivity.
 Art song romance and operas fantasy,
supernatural, about and the nature as mirror
of the human heart. Virtuoso performers are
not only instrumentals but also singers.
 Parallelism of music and literature were
clearly evident.
 Composers interpret poems, mood,
atmosphere, and imagery into music.
 Mood is often set
Franz Peter Schubert
 Born on January 31, 1797 in
Himmelpfotgrund, Austria
 Died in 1828 in Vienna, Austria at age 31
 Considered as one if the first romantic
composers
 Proper of songs is actually lieder, a German
word for "songs"
 Famous: (lieder) “Gretchen am Spinnrade",
 “Erlkonig", "Ellens Gesang III” (Ave Maria)
 “Schwanenge Sang" (swan song)
 Also write piano pieces, string quartets,
operetta and the Symphony 8 in B Minor
(unfinished Operetta Symphony)
 Born in a poor family on December 22, 1858
in Lucca, Italy
 Studied at the Milan Conservatory
 Belonged to composers who stressed realism
 Drew material from everyday life, rejecting
heroic themes from mythology and history
 Famous: “La Boheme”, “Tosca”, “Madame
Butterfly”, “Turandot”
Richard Wagner
 Born on May 22, 1813 in Leipzig, Germany
 Influence by Ludwig Van Beethoven
 Exerted strong influence on the operatic
medium.
 New form of opera which is called “music
drama”
 Famous: “Tristan and Isolde”, “Die Walkyrie”,
“Die Meistersinger”
 Influenced “Harry Potter” and “ Lord of the
Rings”
Georges Bizet
 Legal name was Alexandre-Cesar-Leopold
Bizet, but baptized as Georges Bizet
 Born on October 25, 1838 in Paris, France and
entered Paris Conservatory of Music
 Famous: “Carmen”

Guiseppe Verdi
 Born: October 9, 1813 in Parma, Italy
 Studied in Busseto and went to Milan where
his first Opera “Oberto” was performed in La
Scala, the most important opera house in its
time.
 Goof libretto, wrote operas with political
overtones
 Died in Milan, Italy on January 27, 1901
 Performed in Middle Class People
 Works were serious love story with unhappy
ending
 Expressive vocal music is the soul of Verdi
Opera
 Completed 25 operas
 Famous: “La Traviata”, “Rigotetto”, “Falstaff”,
“Otello”, “Aida” wrote for the opening of the
Suez Canal