Composer Profile - Activefolio

100 Chapter 9
characteristics an increased effort to exhibit nationalism through the music, and one
can see that the late Romantic period is a time of profound complexity. Nationalism can
be described as the presence of cultural, folk, or literary references in music that reflect
a particular nation or culture. Many works of early Romantic composers are nationalistic
in character. The Hungarian Rhapsodies of Liszt and the polonaises and mazurkas of
Chopin are popular examples of early Romantic nationalism. The forces of nationalism
became more widespread as the nineteenth century progressed.
As in chapter 8, this chapter will focus on the lives of several composers who shaped
the musical landscape of the late nineteenth century. In many ways, this was a unique
time for music: the last time when musical art could be said to be progressing along one
front. When the twentieth century began, with the accompanying technical advancements
of radio and recording, the music world fragmented into many musical styles.
Music was never quite the same after that point, both in its sound and role in society. So
in a way, the late nineteenth century was something of a “golden age” for the traditional
genres of symphonies, concertos, operas, and chamber music.
Cultural Perspectives
One only needs to scan the pages of a world history book to see that the nineteenth
century was an amazing time, but also a dangerous time. The American Civil War, as
well as several conflicts overseas, probably contributed to the nationalistic tendencies of
many composers. Technological and social advancements abounded, with the telegraph,
photography, and the transcontinental railroad in America. The proliferation of steamboats,
and the creation of true industrial societies in the United States and many countries
in Europe, changed the makeup of societies. A larger, more affluent middle class
demanded the benefits of an equally affluent society. Nightlife, travel, and the acquisition
of material things dominated the lives of middle class people on both sides of the
Atlantic.
Conservatives vs. Radicals
As we progress through our study of Romantic composers, it is interesting to note that
they seemed to form into two separate categories. One group contained composers who
did not break new ground, such as creating new forms or pushing compositional techniques
forward. They simply built on existing sounds and ideas; therefore, we call them
conservative composers. Another group, which we will call radical composers, initiated
new forms or styles, “pushed the envelope,” or in some way advanced the art of music in
a new, often controversial way. Both contained composers who were great, but they
disagreed vehemently sometimes as to the “best” way to convey music in the Romantic
period. As one can see by the chart below, composers from the early Romantic, as well as
principal composers from the late Romantic, are included to give an overview of these
two categories.
What did it take to be a radical in the early or late Romantic? Well, in the early
Romantic period, it was enough if one was a composer of an amazing programmatic
symphony like Berlioz, or if you created a new form like Liszt’s symphonic poem. In the
late Romantic, however, it was not enough to simply like program music. To be a true
radical, you had to also venture into the fringes of harmony like Wagner or Richard
Strauss, or to stretch formal structures to the limit like Mahler. Radicals also tended to
embrace a greater use of chromaticism in music. Simply put, chromaticism in this period
was the use of more pitches and chords outside of the key of a piece, in an effort to
evade traditional harmonic tendencies. Wagner and Richard Strauss were champions of