Romantic Era Music

Romantic Era 1830-1900

               Composers

Robert Schumann

•     German pianist (suffered a hand injury) sever mental health issues
•     critic and composer
•     wife Clara carried on his legacy after his death

Franz Liszt 

•     Hungarian,  composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, music teacher, arranger, philanthropist, author, nationalist  
• In the 1840 he was considered the greatest pianist in history
• program music was a speciality

Johannes Brahms 

• Born in Germany professional life in Austria
• One of the Three Bs:  Beethoven, Bach & Brahms
• composed for piano, organ, chamber ensembles, symphony orchestra, and for voice and chorus

               Forms / Styles

Song  
     

• a short poem or other set of words set to music or meant to be sung (not opera or religious)
• Sample Notes:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUkY3Z3IIa0  I started playing at 1 minute and compared this to the famous Brahms lullaby

Program Music 

•  composition on the classical music tradition in which the piece is designed according to some preconceived narrative, or is designed to evoke a specific idea and atmosphere.

• Sample Notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MywDbD5nETk
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 Notes:

• Schumann's mental health elicited numerous questions from several students (including one who is also facing mental health issues).  Several days later in an anti-bullying presentation the student with mental health issues announced that she was hearing voices...and quoted aural voices which is a term I used while discussing Schumann.  She is still being evaluated and observed but...I've been asked to notify the office and counselor if I'm going to mention mental health issues...middle schoolers can be susceptible to suggestion!
• I ended up explaining program music as similar to a movie sound track WITHOUT the visuals.  You can tell that the music is telling you something but precisely what is a bit of a mystery unless there are notes in the program.
• This unit took place duirng state testing (the SBAC) and took 3 weeks to complete.  I have only graded 2 classes worth bit the results seem to be OK.
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Classical Era Music...

The following are the notes for the Classical Era notes.

Classical Era

1750-1830

Composers
                 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

•  prodigy
• composed over 600 pieces
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is an early piece (with many variations, too)

                  Joseph Haydn

•   "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet"
• Austrian with significant work in London

                  Ludwig van Beethoven

• German but worked in Austria
• Deaf in th elater years of his life
•  5th and 9th symphonies are his most famous and part of most symphony repertoires

Styles / Forms
                   Symphony
       
an elaborate musical composition for full orchestra, typically in four movements, at least one of which is traditionally in sonata form.  Sonata = a composition for an instrumental soloist, often with a piano accompaniment
     Sample notes:  students wrote their own notes on this sample (cues up at 48 minutes):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3217H8JppI 

                    Chamber Music
a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room:  This is the 30 second sample for Chamber Music:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzaQixVGoQg&index=13&list=PLYmIAhded4pHYRW3Gz8cI0_r9d1D2DSg8


The 8 question quiz I gave on Classical Ea Music was rather successful!  Students really like Mozart and Beethoven!  Advanced classes earned an average of 91% with Beginning classes earning 90%!  I did take a bit more time than usual...eight school days but I suspect that the music was a better connection for these students.