Asherp4t3 Romanticism Synthesis #2

2. Starting in the 1500s, a nearly worldwide movement in search of freedom from the restrictions of society spurred the minds of many great thinkers in what is known today as the Renaissance Movement. Although this idealism seemed to diverge during the Enlightenment Era, man’s constant desire for freedom and expression spawned the inevitable: the reoccurrence of similar ideals through the Romantic Era. However, a significant difference stands in the focal point of these two eras. During the Renaissance, efforts were still made to depict religious concepts in a way to conceal reasoning and new philosophies. On the contrary, almost all ties to religion and the Church were removed and music and writing took on a secular approach of expression. In the Romantic Era, descriptive music titles were given to compositions instead of the common sonata, prelude, or fugue. A quintessential piece from the Romantic Era is Liebesträume by Franz Liszt. The title of this piece means “dreams of love” and this piece is immensely more expressive in the use of dynamics and tempo than pieces from eras before it. This allows both the pianist and listener to focus not on religion, but on their personal “dreams of love.” In the writing aspect of this era, it is also observable that religious ties were broken and freedom continued to be expressed. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, elements of science fiction, horror, and Goth create a sinister mood that would never have been allowed in previous eras. Furthermore, the frame story format in which the story is written gives different aspects to the reader, which allow for a personal enlightening message. Overall, through the lens of music and literature, we can see that the masses were shifting from a religious to a secular focus.