Romantic Era- Week 1

Composer

100

This composer initially pursued law before deciding to study music 

R. Schumann 

200

This composer was a child prodigy and daughter of renown piano teacher Friedrich Wieck 

C. Schumann 

300

This composer wrote both the music AND text (libretto)

R. Wagner 

400

This composer slowly began to exhibit psychotic behavior including auditory hallucinations and paranoia

R. Schumann 

500

This composer and the music were largely forgotten for around a century before finally gaining the credit deserved in the late 20th century 

C. Schumann 

Repertoire

100

This piece depicts "butterflies"- name piece + composer

"Papillons"- R. Schumann 

200

This piece was written by the same composer, but is much more "militaristic" and shows greater contrast between sections; this piece is also part of a set (no. 11 to be exact). 

Novelette No. 11- R. Schumann 

300

This piece is a Romantic tragedy based on medieval legend involving a love potion, prince, and princess. 

Tristan und Isolde- R. Wagner

400

This piece is written about the heroic battles of female warriors flying on winged horses

"Die Walküre" (The Ride of the Valkyries)- R. Wagner

500

This (piano) piece shows off "virtuosity" of both composer and performer; it also displays musically the personal turmoil of the composer

Kreisleriana- R. Schumann 

Genre

100

These are short pieces in a larger set unified by a title or theme 

Character pieces

200

R. Wagner was famous for writing many of these in the  German Romantic "gothic" style 

Opera (German Romantic Opera)

300

These are examples of different types of character pieces: name 3

- Etude 

- Nocturne

- Impromptu

- Mazurka 

- Polonaise

- Waltz

400

This is not a genre exclusively written for church services, but written to honor the deceased as well as invoke personal and human emotion associated with death.

Requiem Mass

500

Orchestral piece consisting of only 1 movement that is shaped from the narrative or program associated with it (often takes inspiration from literature, nature, folklore, history)

Symphonic poem / tone poem 

Romantic Style

100

True / False: The Romantic era prioritizes form and structure over personal emotion, passion, and freedom 

FALSE 

200

This element of Romanticism shows off both the composer's ability to write difficult music, but also shows off the skills of the performer(s)

Virtuosity 

300

Programme music vs _______________ music (fill in the blank with the correct term from this week's slides)

"ABSOLUTE"

400

True / False: Composers often display their own personal struggles / feelings in their music by writing rich harmonies, dissonances, difficult and chaotic passages

TRUE

500

True / False: Nationalism, or patriotic themes + elements are often evident in Romantic music (culture, history, legends, etc.)

TRUE

Misc.

100

Explain what a "leitmotif" is

A recurring melodic theme that is associated with a certain character, emotion, mood, setting

200

What was Wagner's "Ring Cycle"? 

15 hour long opera tetralogy consisting of themes including power, greed, love, corruption, and collapse

300

What were different themes Wagner wrote about? 

- medieval German epics

- nature

- supernatural 

- German culture 

400

What is the "Tristan chord"? Why was it transformative to writing in the Romantic period? What type of intervals does it consist of? 

- Dissonant chord that does NOT resolve to intentionally make the listener feel the discomfort associated with Tristan's feelings of painful desire and longing

- Before now, dissonant chords HAD to resolve; in Romanticism, composers are confidently writing dissonances that do NOT always resolve 

- 3 augmented intervals

500

What were the 6 leitmotifs in "Tristan und Isolde"?

- Tristan chord

- love 

- grief

- death

- heroism 

- desire