1. New additions to the orchestra, instrument advancements, and style
The Romantic period
New additions to the orchestra, instrument advancements, and style

2. Characteristics of romantic music
Big orchestration
Emphasis on nature, nationalism, and the supernatural
Highly expressive and melodic
Homophonic
Dense textures
Programmatic

3. New additions to the orchestra
Piccolo
Eb Clarinet
Bass Clarinet
Contrabassoon
Harp
Tuba

4. Piccolo Usually played by 3rd flutist or assistant principal
Usually doubles 1st violin or 1st flute for a more brilliant sound.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, Mvt IV

5. Eb CLARINET Also referred to as the “sopranino” clarinet
Music may be written in either Eb or D, making it necessary to transpose
Used frequently by Mahler and Strauss
Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks

6. Bass clarinet Largest clarinet in the orchestra
First appearance made in an 1834 opera by Mercadante, Emma d'Antiochia
Berlioz was the first romantic composer to score heavily for bass clarinet
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Bass Clarinet Excerpts)

7. contrabassoon Usually doubles the bass trombone or tuba parts
Found in large symphonic works, namely of Brahms, Mahler, and Strauss
Underwent many cosmetic changes between the years of 1880 and 2000.
Brahms: Symphony No. 1, Mvt IV (6:15)

8. harp Most commonly used in very large orchestrations or in ballets
Not a new instrument to the romantic period, but new to the orchestra
The pedal harp must be used in orchestral settings due to frequent key changes
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, Mvt IV

9. tuba Largest instrument in brass family
Only one tuba in the orchestral brass section
Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition, “Bydlo”

10. Wagner opera instruments
The Wagner Tuba
Created by Wagner himself for the Ring Cycle operas
Influenced by Adolpe Sax’s saxhorn
Has rotary valves
Bruckner and Strauss also wrote for the Wagner Tuba
Played by French Horn section
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7

11. Wagner opera instruments
Bass Trumpet
Also played in Wagner’s Ring Cycle
Developed in the 1820s
Usually played by 3rd or bass trombonist
Leitmotifs in Wagner’s operas:

12. Wagner opera instruments
Contrabass Trombone
Between bass trombone and tuba
Played by the bass trombonist
Conceptualized by Wagner, but was also written for by Strauss, Verdi, Puccini, and Bartok
Wagner: Siegfried

13. Other notable instruments
Cimbasso
Used in Italian operas of Verdi, Puccini, and Bellini
Cross between a low trombone and the tuba
In its typical “bent” shape
Played by the orchestra’s tubist
4 valved instrument
Verdi: Overture to Nabucco

14. Other notable instruments
Percussion Section Explosion!
Xylophone
Celeste
Bells
Triangle
Various Drums
All added during the romantic period

15. Invention of the valve The Piston Valve
Earliest type was invented in 1814 by Heinrich Stolzel
The piston valve we see today was invented between 1838 and 1839 by Francois Perinet
Cylindrical casing, allows for different directions of airflow with different valve combinations

16. Invention of the valve The Rotary Valve
Its first use was credited to Joseph Riedlin in 1832
Almost always found on French Horns, sometimes on tubas and trumpets
Also in a cylindrical casing, the circular plug must be rotated 90 degrees to allow for air passage, creating different pitches with different valve combination

17. The saxophone Invented in 1840 by Adolphe Sax
Sax wanted to create a single-reed instrument like the clarinet, but with an aesthetic of a bass clarinet, and sounds similar to a French Horn tone
Patented the instrument in 1846
Seven different instruments in the saxophone family. (4 basic – Soprano, alto, tenor, baritone)
Used minimally in the orchestral repertoire, but is standard in the military band repertoire

18. The saxophone Selected Orchestral Works: Bizet: L’Arlesienne
Copland: Piano Concerto & Symphony No. 1
Gershwin: An American in Paris & Rhapsody in Blue
Kodaly: Hary Janos Suite
Milhaud: La Creation du Monde
Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition
Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances
Ravel: Bolero
Vaughan Williams: Symphony Nos. 6 & 9

19. The Romantic Period