Music History Moment
The Post-Romantic Period
Most people think of the 19th century as the Romantic period, but the truth is that only those composers of the first half of the century identified as “romantic.” With the failure of many uprisings around Europe in 1848-49, the true romantic fervor died out, to be replaced by a new sense of realism, as well as nationalism and a kind of neo-romanticism which led directly to the musical innovations of the 20th century. The older forms of symphony, concerto, string quartet, and sonata still prevailed, with composers such as Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Saint-Saëns writing examples of these; but the symphonic poem remained popular, with Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saëns contributing a few, as well as Dvořák, Sibelius, and Richard Strauss. In the realm of opera, Verdi and Wagner held sway, while a new sense of realism, or verismo, arose in Italian opera, derived from French literature and Bizet’s Carmen. Bruckner and Mahler contributed their singular brands of gigantic symphony, while the French impressionists in painting and symbolists in literature inspired the harmonies of Debussy and Ravel. This was also the period when composers from countries long controlled by foreign governments developed their brand of musical nationalism, drawing inspiration from their country’s history, legend, and landscapes. Smetana and Dvořák were the principal composers from Bohemia (later the Czech Republic), Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov led the Russian school, Grieg and Sibelius from Norway and Finland, and Vaughan Williams leading in Great Britain. Neo-Romanticism lasted well into the 20th Century, as represented by Strauss, Vaughan Williams, and Rachmaninov.
Major Composers
Nationalists
Early Twentieth Century Composers