Romanticism

In 1848, political uprisings occurred across Europe. As the public became empowered by a new sense of individualism, they demanded their voices be heard. By doing so, the rigid political systems in existence were challenged and expanded. A similar phenomenon occurred in the arts. As artists became aware of their individualism, they challenged the formal structures developed by classicism. The desire for balance, order and symmetry had been fulfilled. Artists began turning inward. By tapping into deep emotions and personal thoughts, artists poured forth a wellspring of rich, deep-rooted work. The newfound voice of the Romantic era could not be detained by the bars of classicism.

Romantic art, with its deep emotion, commonly deals with themes such as love, nature, death, and the supernatural. Although these topics appear in previous eras, Romantics conveyed these themes in a new, more intense manner. An example of this Romantic approach to music can be found in Beethoven's Piano Sonata in C minor, op. 13, mvt. 1. I chose this piece as an example for a couple of reasons:

1) The genre- In my last post, I wrote about Mozart's Piano Sonata in F major, K. 332. By looking at another piano sonata, it will be easier to draw parallels.

2) The date of composition- Beethoven composed this sonata between 1797-98, Mozart composed his between 1781-83. Although they are close in age, fifteen years allowed for much change in the development of the piano sonata.

Beethoven's sonata follows the outline of sonata form, but takes advantage of the flexibility more so than Mozart. Beethoven shapes the form to allow his emotions more freedom. One characteristic of Romantic music found in this sonata is the juxtaposition of extremes. In the first six measures, Beethoven takes the listener from piano to fortissimo volumes, with sforzandos thrown in between. In the Mozart, the dynamic contrasts are separated by section. This use of dynamic extremes is used throughout the first movement of the C minor sonata.

The Beethoven seems to have an emotional narrative, or "voice" that speaks throughout the piece. This idea is described in the Norton Anthology as "grief vs. determination". One can hear the grief and pain in the introduction (m. 1-10). This emotion is countered by a drive to overcome the grief at the outset of the first theme (m. 11). While Mozart's sonata involves emotional contrasts, it is more difficult to identify a "voice" or emotional narrative.