Of the six historical periods of Western Art music discussed in the text , the Romantic period sounded the most interesting to me. It interests me because this was when music became “infused with emotional intensity.” When I think about music and why I enjoy it, I instantly think of the way it makes me feel. The reason I continue to listen to music and have it be a large part of my life is because I like that different songs can evoke different feelings. Also, I’ve recently been in love with the sound of harmonies and the Romantic period is when musicians began to “explore new sounds, textures, and harmonies.” I was aware of the rise of industrialization as well as Europe’s desire to colonize Africa.  During this time, urbanization began and new technologies were created to improve communication. The textbook describes this time as an expressive one, focused on “direct individual experience.” Composers began to incorporate ethnic and cultural elements into their music. 

The composer I chose was Franz Liszt because he supposedly “moved his audiences to near hysteria.” I listened to his piece titled “Liebestraum” which is German but translates to “Love Dream.” This song was just as I’d hoped it would be; It felt like a love story had been told. Commonly, music like this is played in the background of videos that have to do with love and relationships so I instantly began to visualize the same kind of storyline, one filled with passion and emotion. It was clear where parts of the story became much more intense rather than relaxed and light-hearted.