German 19th Century Composers

I chose to write my blog on the 19th Century German Composers. I chose this topic because this era was very famous in music for the style and the famous composers. The group that has the slideshow on the 19th Century Fine Arts, did a very well job on providing facts and making an appealing presentation. I was familiar with many of the composers that were listed but I still wanted to know more about the fine arts of the 19th century. 

Previous Presenters:
     John Beuning
     Mari Navarro
     Joe Albers

1. Who were some famous 19th century German composers?

• Some of the famous German composers of the 19th century were; Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Johann Strauss, Franz Schubert, and Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven was the most famous composer of the 19th century. He was mostly famous for creating unusual and brave rhythms and harmonies for many different instruments. Franz Shubert was famous in the 19th century for creating a new field of romantic and artistic poetry, titled, lied. All of these composers made an impact, not only in German music and composition during the 19th century, but world wide.  

2. Why was Ludwig van Beethoven so famously known world-wide?

• Ludwig Van Beethoven was so nationally accredited due to his immense amounts of talent. Beethoven is famous for his compositions of 9 symphonies, 5 concertos for piano, 32 piano sonatas, and 16 string quartets. He has composed other pieces of choral, chamber, and songs as well. Beethoven had published his first piece of work by the age of 12. Beethoven even continued to conduct after he had lost his hearing which contributed to his success even more. 

3. How did German Composers in the 19th century change from composers in the 18th century? 

• All fine arts and music began to change in the 19th century. This period was known as the Romantic Era or period. This was because composers, artists, and writers were all trying to break from the traditionalist mold of the previous eras and create more emotions into their work. Richard Wagner was one of the composers that hated the traditional styles of music. Other composers began to mix romantic elements with some classicalness.

4. What is Romanticism?

• The 19th century was also known as the Romantic Era. Romanticism was referred to as the era of intellectual, artistic, and literary movement. This period was partly due to the Industrial Revolution and a revolt against some of the social and political norms. The Romantic movement placed new emphasis on emotions such as horror, awe, and apprehension. Romanticism was like a revival to the fine arts.

5. How did composers fit into the Romantic Era or 19th century?

• Romanticism musically was a German sensation. Other countries sought to take after German composers. Composers would transition into this style by taking emotions and creating gorgeous symphonies from them. In the Romantic Era, much of the symphonies were "darker" or more melancholy. They expressed an array of emotions.   

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Germany
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanticism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven