The Romantics Video (DVD)

In reaction to the Industrial Revolution, the Romantic Movement in literature and music evolved. It was a search for self-expression with surrender to Nature and a fascination with the legends of medieval chivalry shattered the conventions of musical formulas. Featured are the highlights of what makes it the Romantic period so evocative: the fairy tale stories, the strange and fantastical elements and the return to nature, as well as a devotion to the romantic allusions to chivalry all wrapped in beautiful music. Symphonies and operas took center stage and created a body of work that still inspires and moves to this day. This is a perfect program for someone studying the musical era, or someone who simply loves the verdant tones of the Romantic era. Little details like the performance outside Chopin's house and performances in the very hallways where premiere performances were held, add a magical quality to the presentations. For the student, these performance elements bring history to life, for the music enthusiasts they give a rare glimpse into what this opulent world must have been like. The music is a rich and fulfilling as the cityscapes it is filmed in. This program delves into the deep elements and themes that make this music the movement that smashed through the walls and still holds strong today. The excerpts include: Ein Deutsches Requiem, The familiar Brahms’ Lullaby Symphony No 2 Octet, from Elijah "He watching over Israel" ; Prelude; Mendelssohn’s "Italian" Symphony (Finale), Chopin’s Polonaise in A-Flat, Symphony No , Bruckner’s Symphony No 7. for the Clarinet as Quintet; Schumann’s "In the heavenly month of May,"(60 minutes)