Romantic

Period
vs.

Impressionis
t Period

The following slides contain a series of links

to YouTube video recordings of Romantic and
Impressionist works in various musical genres
(solo piano works, songs, chamber music,
orchestral music, opera and ballet.)
Listen to a minute or two of each Romantic
work, followed with its Impressionist
counterpart. By doing so, you will learn to
recognize the differences in sound and
other qualities between Romantic
and Impressionist music.

Piano Music
Romantic
Chopin: Polonaise in A-flat (Vladimir Horowitz)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZGi49Bnghs
Impressionist
Debussy: La Cathedrale Engloutie
(The Sunken Cathedral)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsdIkUSjXv8

Piano Music
Romantic
Brahms Intermezzo in A Major
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqBzK5tKFVc

Impressionist
Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit - III. Scarbo
(1909)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ4BKX5R1ko
(See next slide for a description of this work.)

Piano Music
Impressionist
Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit - III. Scarbo (1909)
This movement depicts the nighttime
mischief of small fiend or goblin of some
sort, making pirouettes, flitting in and out of
the darkness, disappearing and suddenly
reappearing. Its uneven flight, hitting and
scratching against the panels of the bed,
casting a growing shadow in the moonlight
creates a nightmarish scene for the
observer lying in his bed.

Songs
(German Lied/French Art Song)

Romantic
Schubert
An die Musik (Lieder)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-VqK088TF4

Impressionist
Debussy: "Green"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2PaUySrhRk

Songs
(German Lied/French Art Song)

Romantic
Schubert Ave Maria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXdqprmpgoM

Impressionist
Nebbie ("Fog" or "Mists")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfPQcROKxqw

Chamber Music
Romantic
Johannes Brahms: Quintet for Clarinet
and Strings in B Minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtN1scGYJKA

Impressionist
Maurice Ravel:
Introduction & Allegro for Harp, Flute,
Clarinet & Strings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBm1w8J63mg

Orchestral Music
Romantic
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 Scherzo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwhmbK6Av_w&feat
ure=fvst

Impressionist
Claude Debussy: La Mer - 1st Movement
(1905)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66hX8Ms0FwE

Orchestral Music
Romantic
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 8 - Finale
(1906)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WhNn6zxqVg

Impressionist
Charles Tomlinson Griffes: (American; 18841920)
Poeme for Flute & Orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTb3UtQIrZs

Piano Solo & Orchestra

Romantic
Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. 1 in Bb for
Piano
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1axL9ZNnJIE

Marta Argerich, pianist (start at 1:31)

Impressionist
Manuel De Falla (Spanish Composer)
Nights in the Gardens of Spain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgy0d2lJv9M

Opera
Romantic
Richard Wagner
Du bist der Lenz from Die Walkure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcYADZGp5DY

Impressionist
Claude Debussy: Pellas et Mlisande
(Mes longs cheveux)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJENlHEZi18

Ballet Music
Romantic
Peter Illych Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
(Ballet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=S76CGGPqI3s&feature=fvst

Impressionist
Maurice Ravel: Daphnis & Chloe (Ballet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=IzwHjEOwVno&feature=fvst