I.

Introduction

Romanticism, artistic movement in music that, as in literature and painting, emerged in the latter part of the 18th century. Romanticism was dominant in Western music from the 1820s until the early part of the 20th century. It followed the classical period in music, which emphasized balance, symmetry, and unity. Classicism had flourished during a time known as the Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason. Romantic composers, writers, and painters reacted against Enlightenment values and classicism. The romantics favored the imagination and emotion over reason and logic, and they promoted the individual and the subjective approach as opposed to Enlightenment’s endorsement of the universal and the objective. The romantic artists lived in turbulent times that included the French Revolution (1789-1799) and the Napoleonic Wars. They sought solace in nature, although they also recognized and appreciated the violent side of nature.