Instrumental Music and the Era of Romanticism essays

Instrumental Music and the Era of Romanticism essays The following is a comprehensive essay on the Romantic era of instrumental music. The main artistic value in the Romantic era of music was the integrity of personal feeling, and every genuine artist was expected to have a personal style (Kerman 242). Personal style is demonstrated throughout this period through the composers and their unique compositions. I will discuss and differentiate the following styles that evolved in the Romantic era; program music, symphonic poem, concert overture, and grandiose and miniature styles of music in this period. Program music is a term for non-vocal music written in association with a poem, a story, or some other literary source (Kerman 245). It can be written in association with just a highly suggestive word or two (Kerman 245). Program music was not new to the Romantic era, but it gained new importance and prestige (Kerman 245). Music could be made even more expressive by linking it to poetry and ideas (Kerman 245). Program music tells a story or it can capture a mood (Kerman 245). The following are the different genres or styles of program music from the Romantic period of instrumental program music; miniature compositions, grandiose compositions, symphonic poems, and concert overture. A concert overture resembles an opera overture; but without any following opera (Kerman 432). They were never intended for theater (Kerman 264). Berlioz wrote many concert overtures to literary works such as; plays, long poems, and novels (Kerman 264). He wrote the concert overture Hermann and Dorothea wh ich is an epic poem. The best-known and best-loved concert overtures are by Felix Mendelssohn (Kerman 264). His concert overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream was written when he was seventeen (Kerman 264/265). This was a work in sonata form that follows classical models quite clearly (Kerman 265). The piece nonetheless includes some representational features such as the music illustrating the delicate, flutter...