The greatest Representatives of Romantism

[Emil Miller]

If you consider Impressionism more modernist than Romantic, sure.

But if you consider Beethoven Romantic, there's no reason not to consider Debussy the same. Both Debussy and Beethoven were more in the transitional vein towards and away from Romanticism than actually in the Romantic period. We could argue all day about this.

This discussion has already taken place in the Music Appreciation group but if you want to continue it you could join as I suggested.

[kelby_lake]

JBI has already indicated above that Fitzgerald is a modernist.

What is a modernist? Simply speaking

[JBI]

If you consider Impressionism more modernist than Romantic, sure.

But if you consider Beethoven Romantic, there's no reason not to consider Debussy the same. Both Debussy and Beethoven were more in the transitional vein towards and away from Romanticism than actually in the Romantic period. We could argue all day about this.

Debussy was more interested in form and composition than personal expression - that's why I call him a modernist, and not a romantic - he's more invisible from his work than romantic composers generally are, and his form emphasis shows a concern more for perspective than for emotional reaction. In truth, he and Ravel stand somewhere between romanticism, and modernism, but still, I think he leans closer to modernism than romanticism.

[Bitterfly]

Debussy was more modernist than romantic.

I'd say Debussy was an impressionist, actually. When I first listened to him, that was the movement that came to my mind, and a piano teacher of mine confirmed it. I don't know if everyone uses that term for him, though.

Beethoven wasn't strictly speaking a Romantic, but he is definitely a precursor. I think it depends on the pieces: some are very classical, others Romantic.

Saint-Saens I love, but would NEVER categorise as a Romantic! A post-romantic maybe, and even then, he has nothing to do with Prokofiev, for example.

What is a modernist? Simply speaking

It's difficult to define modernism quickly! I would say it's the period of upheaval at the beginning of the twentieth century, with authors who were:
_ often shocked by WW1 which they saw as the end of civilisation (Lawrence)
_ interested in experimentation (think of Woolf or Joyce)
_ interested in myth (Joyce, Yeats, Lawrence -also considered a late Romantic)
I'm a bit tired so have forgotten the other criteria, but this probably merits a thread of its own!

[JBI]

The term was used for him even in his lifetime, but he personally despised it. In truth, the term impressionist, in music, generally has an idiosyncratic meaning, referring to the works of Ravel and Debussy, in addition to a few minor composers around the same time. But I wouldn't call it a movement, as much as an attribute. Either way though, Rachmaninoff writing at the same time, is easily recognized as being far more romantic than Debussy - Debussy tried to distance himself by innovating away from romanticism.

[Bitterfly]

Interesting, thank you. I didn't know all that. And yes, you're right about time periods - there are always overlaps and composers who are hard to categorize.

Another representative of Romanticism in music which hasn't, I think, been mentioned is Scriabin (although I would hesitate to classify him as a Post-Romantic, if it weren't for his dates). I love him!!! And I suppose Liszt and Chopin have been said...

[Emil Miller]

What is a modernist? Simply speaking

Well modernism encompasses that period from late 19th century to early 20th century. Fitzgerald belongs to that era.

[Pecksie]

I'm also looking for a romantic in the Spanish and Portuguese literary traditions, but my knowledge won't yield a major figureheads for either. The closest I come for Spanish seems to be Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, though he was a little too late I think.

Try the Duke of Frías, aka Ángel de Saavedra. His play 'Don Álvaro or the Force of Destiny' (1835) is pretty Romantic in its style, themes, etc.

[Taliesin]

Sibelius.