Program music is any kind of instrumental music which attempts to render a visual, auditory, or rhythmic sense to its listeners. In instrumental music, the melody and accompaniment are typically played on stereo headphones, rather than by means of a musical instrument. The melody itself may be provided to the listener through the name of the piece, or else in the form of accompaniment instructions, encouraging musical connections with the melody. Furthermore, the piece may also be accompanied by words, motifs, or rhythms.
The composers who write these kinds of musical pieces often have a strong romantic connection with their subject matter. In turn, many composers will turn romantic phrases and melodies into works of fine art using only their notes and musical concepts. There are many different styles of romantic program music, most of which utilize major and minor chords in some way. Examples include: The Seasons, Mr. Blue Penny, I Put A Ring on It, I’m Just a Dream, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Beautiful Tonight, One Day, Beautiful Now, Don’t Replace Me, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, You Are My Sunshine, Give Me the Flowers That I Used to Consider Him, and Purple Haze.
Some composers have a hard time relating to what is program music, especially due to their limited musical experience. These composers are usually more at home in other genres, working with brass, steel, string quartet, and so forth. Many of these composers have achieved notable careers, such as: Yo-Yo Ma, works with Wynton, Jose Ferreira, and the London Symphony Orchestra. In addition, John Murphy worked with several notable musicians, including: Paul McCartney, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and composer Henry Newman. Bill Bourne wrote a book about his musical childhood and career, which can be highly useful to those looking for an understanding of what is program music.
A Romantic musical style is characterized by an abundance of emotions expressed through the use of melodic lines, textures, and rhythm. Romanticism is the artistic movement that developed in the late 19th century and includes many famous composers. Some of the most well-known Romantic composers include: Johann Sebastian Bach, Leo Kiepenhoef, Johannes Brahms, Mary E. Frye, and Julian Bream. The Romantic style, like most romantic musical styles, is largely dependent upon the melody, structure, and emotion. There are a number of common characteristics shared by all Romantic composers. Some examples include: melodic invention, intense rhythmic tones, strong contrasting notes or dark motifs, and a use of dynamic contrasts to emphasize individual phrases or sections.
An absolute is the term describing the compositional technique used to create a work of art that does not necessarily have vocals. Absolute Music was first introduced in a print publication in 1950. It was developed by Paul Taylor and has since become a widely accepted term describes a wide variety of musical styles. The most commonly heard types of absolute music include: classical, modern, and Romantic. In addition, some genres fall under the umbrella of absolute music including: drone, folk, and classical to pop. While the term “what is program music?” is often used interchangeably with “what is classical music?”
Berlioz was one of the most prolific and important composers during the late nineteenth century. He worked in a number of genres and produced hundreds of works of varying quality. Many of his romantic compositions have been influential to the creation of modern romantic and pop songs. If you are interested in learning more about Berlioz and his music, there is an excellent study on the web page dedicated to him, which will give you detailed information on any current or future Berlioz compositions.