Romanticism in Music: Then and Now


Final Evaluation Procedures


Take-Home Essay Question (50% of grade)—send it to me by email by December 19, noon—the essay
should reference specific concepts discussed in class and the Taruskin reading this semester. You
don’t need to do any extra research. The essay should be at least 1000 words in length. We will
discuss the question in class on 12-19.


ESSAY TOPIC:

Discuss at least three important aspects of musical culture in the nineteenth century that are
still relevant today.


Oral Exam Questions (you will choose one and talk about it for about 10 minutes in person or on
zoom, 50 % of the grade)—date TBA


1.      How did nineteenth-century composers use music to express certain aspects of their identity
(their “Self”). Use three case studies.

2.      Define three important concepts of musical Romanticism and show how they are illustrated in
three separate compositions.

3.      How did nationalism influence early nineteenth-century German music? Use three detailed
case studies from three different genres.

4.      Discuss the development of the symphony in the nineteenth century (use specific examples
discussed in class)

5.      Discuss the development of the aesthetic and compositional trends associated with
nineteenth-century “programmatic” music (discuss both German and non-German traditions).