Romanticism

🕐 15 min - Romanticism

• Tell the class about the Romantic era and its music. You can base your story on some of the following facts:
  • Romanticism was a cultural movement during the 19th century.
  • The Romantic era follows the Classical period and can be seen as a reaction to its ideals (for example, harmony, balance, rationality etc.), as well as to the intellectual movement of Enlightenment and the Industrial revolution.
  • Romantic art is characterized by strong emotions, dynamic contrasts, drama and passion.
  • Romantic art was inspired by the ideals of the French revolution and placed heroic, individualistic virtuoso artists in the spotlight.
  • In the artworks, the past (medieval rather than classical) and nature was often glorified and idealized. Folktales and legends were used to create an exotic and transcendental alternative reality in art.
  • The most typical musical genre of the Romantic era was the art song, called 'Lied' in German.
  • There were different national styles: composers often used folk songs in their music.
  • The most famous composers of the Romantic era: Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt, Niccolò Paganini, Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn.
• Tell students about one of the most iconic composers of the Romantic era: Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849). You can choose to mention some of the following facts:
  • He was a Polish composer and pianist.
  • He was a musical prodigy - by the age of seven, he was already giving public concerts, was composing pieces for piano and was called a 'true musical genius' and a 'second Mozart'.
  • Chopin had piano, organ and music theory lessons before entering the High School of Music in Warsaw where he studied music theory and composition.
  • After graduation, Chopin became aware of the provincial musical life of Warsaw and left Poland - he first gave some public concerts in Vienna and later moved to Paris where he lived until the end of his life.
  • In Paris, he taught, composed and performed both in the salons and public concerts.
  • Chopin had a romantic relationship with the French writer George Sand.
  • Chopin's musical inspirations and influences include:
    • Vocal music, especially Italian and French opera (in his lyrical pieces);
    • Folk music of his native Poland: its rhythmic patterns, melodic intonations and dance forms, for example, mazurka and polonaise;
    • Earlier masters, for example, his piano concertos are influenced by Mozart but his works of more contrapuntal style - by Bach.
  • Chopin composed primarily for the piano. Shorter works for this instrument include etudes, preludes, fantasies, mazurkas, polonaises, ballads and nocturnes. He has also composed two concertos for piano and orchestra, chamber music pieces and solo songs.
  • Chopin's piano music fully embodies the expressive and technical characteristics of the piano. His piano compositions are characterized by their brilliant and heroic style, right-hand ornamentation, wide leaps and virtuoso passages.

🕐 10 min - Exercise 1 - Get nocturnal!

• Open 'Nocturne in F Minor (Op. 55, No. 1)' by Frederic Chopin in the Song Library.
• Notice that it's possible to listen to two versions of this piece: if you mute the synth, bass and three percussion tracks under the menu 'Controls' - 'Volume', you'll hear the original piece for solo piano but once all the tracks are turned up, you can enjoy a lo-fi hip-hop version of the piece.
• Listen to the original solo piano version.
• Discuss with the class:
  • Say one word that describes the mood of the piece! Try not to repeat the words your classmates have said.
  • Do you think it is difficult to play this piece on the piano? Why/why not?
• Explain to the class what a nocturne is (A piece suggesting night, usually quiet and meditative in character. The word was first applied by the Irish composer John Field to some lyrical piano pieces written after 1812. - Grove Music Online)
  • Frédéric Chopin wrote 21 nocturnes, considered to be amongst the finest piano repertoire and still widely performed by concert pianists.
• Invite the students to think about modern nocturnes.
  • What modern songs do you know that have a similar character to the Romantic nocturne?

🕐 10 min - Exercise 2 - Get to know the structure!

• Point the students' attention to the structure of the Nocturne: its representation can be seen right above the notation of the melodic line.
  • Explain that the letters indicate similar or contrasting parts.
  • The letter 'A' followed by different numbers suggest a repeating part with slight variations.
  • Explain what coda is (The last part of a piece or melody, an addition made to a standard form or design. - Grove Music Online)
• Listen to A, A2 and A4 and compare these parts!
  • What are the similarities? (The beginning of these parts is the same, as well as the general melodic backbone.)
  • What are the differences? (Rhythm, ornamentation, length.)

🕐 10 min - Exercise 3 - Get vocal!

• When composing his nocturnes, Chopin was definitely influenced by vocal music, for example, Italian opera arias: notice the lyrical, singing melody and the repeating parts, suggesting verses in the structure of a song.
• The song 'For the Damaged Coda' by Blonde Redhead uses Chopin's Nocturne and adds vocals and beat to it. Play this song to the class, if you like.
• Now, unmute all the tracks in the Solfeg.io player and listen to the modern version of the piece!
  • Invite the class to sing along to the 'A' parts.
  • They can sing 'ah' in the style of Blonde Redhead or make up their own lyrics.
  • Instead of singing, students can choose to rap.

🕐 5 min - Discussion

• How does the repeating melody make you feel? (Annoyed? Nostalgic?)
• How would you describe the two different versions of the piece?
• Which one do you like the best? Why?

Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...

• Exploring the category 'Modern Classics' in the Song Library, listening to other pieces and comparing them to Chopin's Nocturne.