Art song in the romantic

period
Grade 9
Introduction

• An art song is a vocal music

composition, usually written for
one voice with piano
accompaniment, and usually in the
classical tradition.
• An art song is most often a musical
setting of an independent poem or
text.
• Lied: German for“ song”
- Art song most intensely
cultivated in German-speaking lands
Characteristics and Features:

• For solo voice and piano

• The composer chooses poetry (either contemporary or from the past) to set to
music.
• The piano is more than just accompaniment: it sets the mood of the song and
can be used to mimic a character, thing or an aspect of nature.
• Songs can be individual or in collections called cycles, which are related by a
theme or a narrative.
Two main structural
forms in art song:

• Strophic
— also called verse-repeating
form, chorus form, AAA song form,
or one-part song form
— each stanza of the poem is set to the
same music.
— It is the simplest and most durable
of musical forms.
Franz Schubert

• 1797 – 1828
• Born in Vienna
• Early musical talents
• Composed over 600 Lieder
• Also composed symphonies, piano sonatas,
and operas
• Through – composed: comes from the German word
durchkomponiert; different music for each stanza of the poem in order
to follow the changing ideas of moods of the text.
Prominent Composers of Art Songs
British
Francis George Scott

• Joseph Haydn
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Franz Schubert
Ludwig van Beethoven
Robert Schumann
French
Claude Debussy
 Prominent Composers of Art Songs

Francis George Scott

(British) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Franz Schubert
Joseph Haydn