Romantic Music in America and Europe From the early civilizations to our modern society music has always been a large part of the world. Enjoyed by many, music also reflected specific cultures and ideas. One style prevalent in the nineteenth century, was known as Romantic music. Though used worldwide each culture interpreted it in their own way. Two cultures, American and European, are great examples of this interpretation.
During the nineteenth century Operas were very popular throughout Europe. In America ragtime and jazz developed. These different music ideas had some important similarities. First, both championed Romantic elements. Emotion was a huge, focus. Each strived to draw the listener into a specific emotion. Another important
…show more content…
They were known as jazz and ragtime. Derived from traditional values of African-American slaves. This style characterized by its off beats and highly syncopated style. Very popular this style first was used in ministerial shows, or productions that made fun of Blacks. As popularity grew this style was played in salons, bars, and at vast amounts of social gatherings. It originated from slaves and was very popular with common people(1070). This is starkly in contrast with European Romantic music. In Europe this style was portrayed vastly in operas. Though as the century progressed more and more common people were going to the opera it was mainly a middle and upperclass form of entertainment. This is very different from the common people jazz music of America. European composers of this time received extensive musical training, often studying under previous masters. In America most composers and musicians received little if any formal training, relying more of their background then studied knowledge. Another important difference was in the instruments used. Operas consisted mainly of orchestras. Ragtime music in America was played first on a guitar and then mainly on a piano. Jazz also championed other brass instruments or woodwinds like the
Ragtime eventually led to more classical pieces, usually played by white orchestras that had the same “ragged” notes that so closely related to Afro-American music. Because of this, much of ragtime relies on instruments such as the piano rather than vocal interpretations of the music. Some aspects of African music that influenced both styles was emphasis on percussion and the use of an overlay of beats and rhythms to create an additive process (Waldo 9). The work songs of slaves as well as hymnals from African churches influenced both styles, as well.
Jazz is referred as “America’s classical music,” and is one of North America’s and most celebrated genres. The history of Jazz can be traced back to the early era of the 20th century of the U.S. “A History of Jazz” presents From Ragtime and Blues to Big Band and Bebop, jazz has been a part of a proud African American tradition for over 100 years. A strong rhythmic under-structure, blue notes, solos, “call-and response” patterns, and
Jazz culture to be exact, is the topic at hand. Jazz culture expands throughout many genres and is expressed in many ways. The many genres of jazz are Big Band, jazz funk, modern jazz, smooth jazz, Latin jazz, and jazz fusion. Each of these comes with its own unique sound and origin. Latin jazz, for example, employs rhythms from both African and Hispanic backgrounds. The sound is particularly up tempo with divided eight beat patterns. Jazz artists who have portrayed these qualities of jazz to the world are at the very core of its culture. Many people who are in places of power in this society or are held in some form of esteem have had some exposure to the arts, whether it is classical or jazz. This is due to a desire to be culturally diverse which is a quality held in high esteem in regards to a more worldly point-of-view. There are many aspects of Jazz music that could be approached, but there is one point in particular that must be expressed in detail. The influence on the genre ...
Just as the European romantics cared about emotions, nature, imagination, meditation, humanity and freedom, the American first "group of great imaginative writers -Irving, Bryant and Poe" (readers Note p 57) -cared about the them too . In their writings, these writers were taken by the romantic ideals empathizing on nature, creating their own world, borrowing sets from the past or from legends, meditating their life, and finding their own explanations to its processes . With such attitudes, these writers made their way into literature as romantics . " The Devil And Tom Walker","Hop Frog", " To a Waterfowl" and "Thanatopsis" serve as good examples for American Romanticism .
1. Briefly trace the development of popular song and its relationship to early jazz. What was a standard?
A question you might have is where did music in the 1920s come from? Or what other genres of music become popular other than jazz? Well this article is here to answer that. Let’s begin with where jazz music came from. Jazz first began in a black community in New Orleans and was the combination of European and African styles of music. Jazz began its mainstream in the 1920s when southern African - american musicians started moving towards the north for work. There were two different types of Jazz considering races. Since segregation was a main issue the remained for a very long time, there were African american jazz artists and white jazz artists. So how did this music become so popular? Well, the music industry grew bigger and bigger around
American music is relatively new considering the deep culture and music history of the east. What shaped music here in America and how did we reach our own unique sound as a country largely derived from immigrants? When immigrants first came to colonize, they were mostly from Northern and Western Europe, during this time Europe was experiencing the “Baroque Style”, a flamboyant, extravagant style of art that music mimicked and flourished from. During that time in America, wanting to be a composer or musician was thought of as alien. The idea of being a touring virtuoso as musicians did in Europe was impossible by the difficulty of traveling through America.
Popular music at the turn of the century came largely from musical theater - Broadway and Hollywood. Originally, popularized by traveling groups and sheet music sales, popular music really came into its own with the arrival of radio broadcasting, jukeboxes, 78 r.p.m recordings and other twentieth century technologies which continued into the Fifties.
The music of the Harlem Renaissance - including jazz, swing, and big band - was an inherent expression of the joyous revolt from the confinement of racial prejudice experienced by African Americans. Jazz became extremely popular in Harlem in the 1920s. Historians agree that the musical genre of jazz was most i...
It has been scientists' belief that music must have been present in the ancestral population prior to the dispersal of humans around the world. Therefore it is believed that music must have been in existence for at least 50,000 years, with the first music being invented in Africa and then evolving into becoming a fundamental constituent of human life. Any culture of music is influenced by the aspect of their culture, including their social and economic organization, climate, and access to technology. People express their emotions and ideas through their music. Music expresses the situations and how music is listened to and played. The attitude towards music players and composers varies between regions and periods of history. Music history" is the distinct subfield of musicology and history which studies music (particularly western art music) from a chronological perspective. ("History of Music")
many cultures view as an important part in their way of life. Music ranges from strictly
Music has been around for thousands of years throughout the world dating all the way back to prehistoric times proven by the digging up of a 9,000-year-old flute that had seven holes drilled into it to create a musical scale in China ("Prehistoric flute music:," 2000). Music went through numerous stages before becoming what we know music as today. The earliest periods of music were the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque Periods which took place from the years 500-1760. The next cluster of periods were the Classical, Romantic, and Modern Periods which ended in 1930 to bring us to the most recent periods: Twentieth Century Period and the ongoing Contemporary and Twenty First Century Periods.
During the course of this semester, the several musical styles that have been discussed and analyzed have displayed various similarities and differences. These differences in certain musical elements have accounted for the distinctiveness and uniqueness of each style of music. The culture behind these countries’ music adds even more to their individualism. Cultural aspects such as religion play a huge role in the music of each country as well. Styles of music in Africa might be more upbeat than certain styles in India, for example. Some cultures use music in religion, while others may not. Aspects such as dance are important factors in all three types of music. Despite the differences and similarities, however, without music, these cultures would perhaps not be as fascinating and unique as they are now.
Other societal practice during romanticism is the Romantic Opera. In comparison to the classical and baroque opera, romantic opera has a continuous flow of music in each scene and soon, people pay less attention to tenors and pays equal attention to choruses. To name a few of many composers for romantic operas, Wagner and Bizet are known for their works for romantic opera during the romantic era. Romantic music is also influenced by folk music, tunes, rhythms and themes as many romantic composers wrote nationalist music, which is inspired from folk dances and songs, during the romantic period (http://absoluteastronomy.com). Another factor that contributed to romantic music in defining its traits is the instrumentation.
Romantic music was a different form of music that didn’t focus on religion, political or social tendencies. According to Lawrence Kramer the author of the book Why Classical Music Still Matters, “historically, the ideal of romantic love, tended to substitute for broader schemes of political, social, vocational, or religious meaning, as part of an increasing general tendency to rely on private rather that public schemes of fulfillment.” Meaning that romanticism had an impact on music in which religion, political and social meanings were substituted by a new form that rely on private situations instead of general public situations. This music form influenced the most in modern music because most of them are not based on