Romance Era 1820-1900

The Romantic Era in music came to the party much later than the other arts. Some historians argue that the movement had started already with the composer Beethoven, who took music in a completely new direction. The approximate dates for the Romantic Era can be divided into two sets with variable start and end points: from about 1800 to 1890, or from 1820 to around 1900/1910. The Romantic Period, often placed in the 19th century but with roots in the late 18th century, is associated with individual self-expression and a reaction against the Age of Enlightenment’s emphasis on logic and rationality. This period also rebelled against industrialization. Examples of Romantic literature include works by William Blake and Samuel Coleridge. The political turmoil and nationalism of the time influenced the Romantic Era in art, including music, such as the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. This led to four primary artistic trends in Romantic Era compositions, reflecting the era’s social and political climate.

In music, there is a relatively clear dividing line in musical structure and form following the death of Beethoven. Whether one counts Beethoven as a "romantic" composer or not, the breadth and power of his work gave rise to a feeling that the classical sonata form and, the structure of the symphony, sonata and string quartet had been exhausted.