The Romantic composers in classical music

[3db]

I went to a classical concert last night and I heard Mendlessohn's Violin Concerto and Bruckner's Symphony #2. I really enjoyed Mendlessohn despite hearing it for the first time but Bruckner, I kept thinking "Is it over yet?" . To me, Bruckner's symphony can be best described as several themes played one after the other with no transistion between them for the 4 movements in this symphony. I have to go listen to some Schubert now to see if this typical of music in the romantic period. No wonder none of the composers accepted this work as a dedication to them.

 

[Pat D]

I went to a classical concert last night and I heard Mendlessohn's Violin Concerto and Bruckner's Symphony #2. I really enjoyed Mendlessohn despite hearing it for the first time but Bruckner, I kept thinking "Is it over yet?" . To me, Bruckner's symphony can be best described as several themes played one after the other with no transistion between them for the 4 movements in this symphony. I have to go listen to some Schubert now to see if this typical of music in the romantic period. No wonder none of the composers accepted this work as a dedication to them.

I've never warmed up that much to Bruckner, either, though occasionally I may listen to his 4th Symphony.

Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto is a favorite for many people. If you like it, you will probably like Bruch's Violin Concerto No.1 and his Scottish Fantasy, though neither is as sophisticated musically. Mendelssohn wrote some Incidental Music for A Midsummer Night's Dream which is suitably magical and evocative. His 3rd and 4th Symphonies are very good, too. Among his chamber works, I think his Octet is most famous--written when he was 16! The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave) Overture is quite wonderful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcogD-hHEYs

I don't know what a typical Romantic work would be. Great composers are all different. The list of Romantic-Era Composers in Wickedpedia is quite intimidatingly long.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Romantic-era_composers

 

[Pyrrho]

...
I don't know what a typical Romantic work would be. Great composers are all different. The list of Romantic-Era Composers in Wickedpedia is quite intimidatingly long.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Romantic-era_composers

Indeed, they are quite a bit different from each other. I love both Wagner and Chopin, but usually I am not in the mood for both of them, as they are quite different.

 

[Pat D]

Indeed, they are quite a bit different from each other. I love both Wagner and Chopin, but usually I am not in the mood for both of them, as they are quite different.

I am not sure what the intent of the OP was, whether he was just making a comment or looking for suggestions. If the latter, with only a liking for the Mendelssohn VC and a dislike of Bruckner's 2nd to go on, it is difficult to figure out what else he might like. Maybe the Schumann Symphonies or Grieg's Piano Concerto and incidental music for Peer Gynt. Everybody loves Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto (except me), his VC, his ballets, and maybe Symphonies 4, 5, and 6, though they are little more strenuous.

The Brahms symphonies are more strenous, except for No. 2, and he wrote two of the greatest piano concertos and a great violin concerto. Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, especially orchestrated by Ravel, is an absolute must. Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique is a favorite for many.

Then there are overtures by numerous composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, Berlioz, Suppe, Auber, and of course, Wagner. OK, Mozart was a classical composers, but his overtures are great fun.

 

[TLS Guy]

I went to a classical concert last night and I heard Mendlessohn's Violin Concerto and Bruckner's Symphony #2. I really enjoyed Mendlessohn despite hearing it for the first time but Bruckner, I kept thinking "Is it over yet?" . To me, Bruckner's symphony can be best described as several themes played one after the other with no transistion between them for the 4 movements in this symphony. I have to go listen to some Schubert now to see if this typical of music in the romantic period. No wonder none of the composers accepted this work as a dedication to them.

Bruckner performance presents a host of difficulties. His scores are huge edifices. To make matters worse it is almost impossible to get a clear idea of his final intentions, as there are usually around four versions of his symphonies, including spurious revisions by others.

Bruckner was a choir boy after the death his father at the magnificent Abbey of Sankt Florian, near Linz Austria. He immediately came under the spell of the great organ, and became organist there at a young age.

He was an organist of great renown. He inaugurated the great Henry Willis Organ in the Royal Albert Hall in 1871. He was a great improviser at the organ, but sadly left very little organ music written down. He wrote religious choral works, but above all symphonies. He was a devout Roman Catholic and his symphonies have come to be viewed in religious terms. However there is almost certainly nothing religious about them! It does seem to me however that the architecture of his symphonies is in many ways within the compass of the large romantic pipe organs. That said, I think these leads to incorrect slow sepulchral performances.

I think we are still very much coming to terms with this composer, and will receive more enlightened performances in years to come, although I suspect Bruckner will remain somewhat of an enigmatic composer requiring an acquired taste.

On the penultimate night of the 2013 Proms season, the current organist of the "Bruckner organ" at Sankt Felix Canon Klaus Sonnleitner gave an all Bach recital
on the Albert Hall organ. It was magnificent. The second half was the Bruckner number 8.

In the Proms Plus feature, Father Klaus Sonnleitner and with musicologist, Roderick Swantston gave the most illuminating discussion I have ever heard about Anton Bruckner and his symphonies.

Anyhow if you did not get on with Bruckner, there is vast body of good works to explore, far more than any one could ever listen to in a lifetime.

 

[Pyrrho]

I am not sure what the intent of the OP was, whether he was just making a comment or looking for suggestions. If the latter, with only a liking for the Mendelssohn VC and a dislike of Bruckner's 2nd to go on, it is difficult to figure out what else he might like. Maybe the Schumann Symphonies or Grieg's Piano Concerto and incidental music for Peer Gynt. Everybody loves Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto (except me),

I wouldn't say that I love it, but I do enjoy hearing Van Cliburn's famous performance of it occasionally:

Amazon.com: Piano Concerto No 1 / Piano Concerto No 2: Music

I can't say that I ever really enjoyed any other performance of it very much.

Tchaikovsky is far from being my favorite composer, so I would not say that I really love anything he wrote.

his VC, his ballets, and maybe Symphonies 4, 5, and 6, though they are little more strenuous.

The Brahms symphonies are more strenous, except for No. 2, and he wrote two of the greatest piano concertos and a great violin concerto. Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, especially orchestrated by Ravel, is an absolute must. Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique is a favorite for many.

Then there are overtures by numerous composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, Berlioz, Suppe, Auber, and of course, Wagner. OK, Mozart was a classical composers, but his overtures are great fun.

Over the years, I grow to like Mozart more and more. For want of a better expression, there seems to be a greater "depth" to him than what one finds with mere mortals. But since we ought not be talking about him, as he is not a romantic composer, I will instead switch to Beethoven. Für Elise is a beautiful piece, that is not as "showy" as many works, and the basic melody is easy enough to play that it is a common piece for beginners to practice. And yet is it is still great music. It has a je ne sais quoi that gives it great "depth" while still being easy and simple. Beethoven is rightly regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. I think he is undoubtedly the greatest Romantic composer.