Romantic Era Instruments (1820-1900)
Romantic Era Music Instruments: An Overview
During the Romantic era, composers wanted to create music that was emotional, dramatic, and expressive. The American and French Revolutions helped inspire nationalism in music, while individualism and self-expression flourished. Instruments were improved and new instruments were developed to help composers express these ideas through music. For example, the piano became larger and more powerful, while orchestras grew in size and included new instruments such as the tuba and saxophone. These changes gave composers more ways to create the dramatic sounds and emotions of Romantic music.
New and Improved Romantic Era Instruments
Saxophone
The Romantic era saw the development and introduction of important new instruments. The Belgian instrument maker, Adolphe Sax, invented the saxophone in the mid-19th century. The saxophone was originally intended for use in military bands, but soon found a place in classical music. The saxophone’s warm and expressive sound has made it a popular instrument in jazz and popular music today.
Quick Fact: The saxophone looks like a brass instrument, but is actually a woodwind because it uses a reed. A reed is a small piece of bamboo that attaches to the mouthpiece and vibrates to make sound.
Popular Romantic Compositions using the Saxophone
Georges Bizet – L’Arlésienne Suites No. 1 and No. 2 (1872): Features a prominent and lyrical alto saxophone solo in the Prélude (the “L’Innocent” theme).
Jules Demersseman – Fantaisie sur un thème original, Op. 32 (1866): One of the earliest dedicated solos written to showcase the saxophone.
Grand Piano
The concert grand piano became an important instrument during the Romantic era. The larger frame and stronger construction of the Romantic piano allowed it to produce greater volume and a wider dynamic range. This gave composers and pianists more expressive possibilities. Chopin and Liszt wrote many pieces that showcased the piano’s capabilities.
Popular Romantic Compositions using the Piano
Johannes Brahms – Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 (1881): One of the most physically demanding piano concertos written.
Frédéric Chopin – Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 (1832): One of the most famous piano pieces, loved for its memorable melody and ease of playing.
For more information about the development of the piano, see Baroque Instruments
The Tuba
Wilhelm Friedrich Wieprecht and Johann Gottfried Moritz developed the tuba in the 1830s. It is the lowest-pitched brass instrument. The original tuba used five valves. Before the invention of valves, notes had to be part of the harmonic series.
Popular Romantic Compositions using the Tuba
Hector Berlioz – Symphonie fantastique (1830, revised later): During the fifth movement, Witches’ Sabbath, tubas perform the Gregorian Dies irae (Day of Wrath) theme.
Modest Mussorgsky – Pictures at an Exhibition (1874, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel in 1922): The Bydlo movement features one of the most famous, high-register orchestral tuba solos in history.
Richard Wagner – The Ring Cycle (1848–1874): Wagner created a dedicated “contrabass tuba” highlight in his massive opera orchestrations. The tuba was the leitmotif voice for the dragon Fafner in Siegfried.
The Use of Cannons in Romantic Music
Some composers used cannons to create a Nationalistic effect in their compositions. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture (written in 1880) used sixteen cannon shots. It was composed to celebrate the Russian victory over Napoleon in 1812. Beethoven was another composer who used cannons in his Battle Symphony (1813). It calls for artillery effects, which included cannons, to depict the Battle of Vitoria.
Critical Thinking Questions
- What new Romantic-era music instruments were invented or improved upon?
- What instrument had five valves which made low-pitched playing easier?
- What woodwind instrument was invented by Adolphe Sax?