Western Classical Music that was initially developed in the period from 1815-1910. While predominantly practiced in Europe in the 19th century, Romantic music possesses stylistic qualities that make it more than a mere geographical or chronological category. Romantic music can be characterized by its expressive and emotional qualities, especially in terms of melody.
The approach of Romantic composers was designed to break with the rigidities of the
Classical Period. In his late works,
Ludwig van Beethoven pioneered a new approach to utilizing orchestras, by varying instrumentation and timbre (e.g. his use of a chorus in the Ninth Symphony). Additionally, Beethoven inspired later Romantic composers through his advanced use of harmonies that modulated keys much more drastically than in the past, and through his use of melodic motifs that extended and evolved through lengthy pieces.
Expanding on those developments, Romantic composers frequently used techniques such as chromaticism, varying tempos, and increased dissonance to create an expressive, dramatic style, as can be seen in the symphonic work of
Hector Berlioz and the
Opera of
Giuseppe Verdi.
The fusion of drama and music was promoted through the
Tone Poem of
Franz Liszt and Berlioz. Tone poems were designed to tell a story or advance a theme through music. This idea was extended by
Richard Wagner, who used thematic melodies (leitmotifs) and an increasingly dramatic approach to composition.
Another key ingredient of romantic music was the influx of new melodic sources. This was primarily driven by the strengthening of nationalism in the late 19th century. Composers such as
Antonín Dvořák,
Johannes Brahms,
Frédéric Chopin and
Edvard Grieg all used elements of folk music (Czech, Hungarian, Polish, and Norwegian, respectively) in their work.
Romantic music has survived even beyond the Romantic period. Elements of romanticism can be found in the work of late-20th century composers such as
Krzysztof Penderecki and
John Williams.