Opera had become a marriage of the arts, a musical drama. Go on for about 3 hours. Romantic Period was often based on the expression of Beauty terror of Nature, supernatural and myths, they loved operas about the gods. Very extreme emotion expressed in romantic operas. 70-80 players, mostly brass.
Dissonance
Clashy sounds, notes not within in the key etc. can make things tense and full of emotion. This was thought of as bad music in the classical period. It was not allowed. Dissonance broke the rules of music in the classical period. Beethoven started experimenting with dissonance.
Virtuoso
A performer that excels in technical ability. Fancy and complicated instrument playing. Lizt was amazing an virtuoso pianist and composed operas that were so complicated only he could play them.
Tone Poems
A composer looking at something non-musical and writing a piece of music to describe that something. Instrumental only. Often shorter than programme music.
Programme Music
Often from a piece of writing and would create an instrumental piece. Almost the same as tone poem just longer.
Impressionism
Towards the end of romantic period. To describe a feeling instead of it being tangible.
Romantic Symphony
Enormous orchestra. Lasted from about 20-45 minutes. Didn't follow strict rules like classical symphony's did. Most of them had more than 4 movements. More expressive using harmonisation.
Wagner
Composed many operas
Lizt-
A virtuoso performer
Schumann-
Mahler-
Composed many symphonys
