One man was destined to change the world of music forever. His name was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Son of one of the best musicians in all of Vienna, Leopold Mozart, Amadeus grew up traveling all over Europe performing for kings, queens and emperors. During this time he had attended Allegri’s “Miserere”. Since he could not get the sheet music, he went home and wrote the full 15 minute piece perfectly by memory. Mozart would go on to write revolutionary symphonies and introduced a sense of humor in most of his works. Another of Mozart’s most famous pieces is “Piano Sonata No. 1 in C Major.” It is considered to be an exemplary work of music. However, stripped down to its bare bones the sonata hides this very basic progression ( C G C F C G C ) (Garyewer, secrets of writing songs.) It includes a Tonic (C) and Dominant(G).
During the shift from Neoclassical to Romanticism, one famed composer would lead the way for this revolution and for many composers after him. This was Beethoven. Born at the start of the romantic movement, he would go on to introduce concepts of nature and emotion into the world of music. One of his most famous pieces the “Moonlight Sonata” was a reminition of the Moon setting overLake Lucerne. Not only did this piece embody nature, but was also dedicated to his pupil Giulietta Guicciardi whom he would go on to marry. Like With Mozart, if you strip Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 ii Allegretto, you get the progression ( Am E/G# E Am (Am) C/G G C)(Garyewer, Secrets of Song Writing).
However, because of the time, Beethoven switched up different keys of music to create a more interesting chord progression telling a story with music. Yet Beethoven didn’t completely revolutionize music either as his melody still revolves around the key of music (A minor) with dominant leading to the tonic. This creates a push and pull factor that gives the listener a sense of satisfaction once the progression hits the tonic.
The Romantic era lasted until the 1890’s. During this time the general public valued the inspired creator over what formally was the technical masters such as Mozart. Society had a new standard for ideal characteristics. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, she gives the perfect description of romantic characteristics. Her description goes as such “Henry Clerval was the son of a merchant of Geneva, an intimate friend of my father. He was a boy of singular talent and fancy. I remember, when he was nine years old, he wrote a fairy tale, which was the delight and amazement of all his companions.” (Shelley, Pg. 21) Like Henry Clerval, Beethoven embodies many romantic characteristics, and like most composers of his time, his works were inspired by things he saw in nature or sometimes even other composers.