Music and the Poetic

Music and the Poetic in the beginning of the 19th century

When addressing major changes in approaches to music, noticeable movements in compositional technique and tangible shifts in ideals and expectations among audiences one must always look for references in history. What was the social and political milieu in Europe of mid 19th century? The common theme is quite obvious - the nineteenth century was the century of revolutions: in France, Italy, Hungary (this especially relevant for Liszt), many of the German states. Although most these revolutions failed to depose the ruling authority, the spirit of revolution, with common ideal of freedom and a special connotation of nationalism, overwhelmed the thinking aristocracy. Major repercussions of these concepts in the artistic world would once again call for a change in values and aesthetic ideals. The role of the romantic artist drastically reformed by Beethoven in the beginning of the century would undergo another major change – fr...