Editing Romantic music (section)

===Late Romantic===
{{See also|Post-romanticism}}
[[File:Photo of Gustav Mahler by Moritz Nähr 01.jpg|thumb|alt=Middle-aged man, seated, facing towards the left but head turned towards the right. He has a high forehead, rimless glasses and is wearing a dark, crumpled suit|[[Gustav Mahler]], photographed in 1907 by [[Moritz Nähr]] at the end of his period as director of the [[Vienna State Opera|Vienna Hofoper]]]]
In late Romanticism, also called post-Romanticism, the traditional forms and elements of music are further dissolved. An increasingly colorful orchestral palette, an ever-increasing range of musical means, the spread of [[tonality]] to its limits, exaggerated emotions and an increasingly individual tonal language of the individual composer are typical features; the music is led to the threshold of [[Modernism (music)|modernity]].
Thus, the symphonies of [[Gustav Mahler]] reached previously unknown dimensions, partly give up the traditional four-sentence and often contain vocal proportions. But behind the monumental facade is the modern expressiveness of the [[Fin de siècle]]. This psychological expressiveness is also contained in the songs of [[Hugo Wolf]], miniature dramas for voice and piano. More committed to tradition, particularly oriented towards Bruckner, are the symphonies of [[Franz Schmidt (composer)|Franz Schmidt]] and [[Richard Wetz]], while [[Max Reger]] resorted to Bach's polyphony in his numerous instrumental works, but developed it harmoniously extremely boldly. Among the numerous composers of the Reger successor, [[Julius Weismann]] and [[Joseph Haas]] stand out. Among the outstanding late romantic sound creators is also the idiosyncratic [[Hans Pfitzner]]. Although a traditionalist and decisive opponent of modern currents, quite a few of his works are quite close to the musical progress of the time. His successor include [[Walter Braunfels]], who mainly emerged as an opera composer, and the symphonist [[Wilhelm Furtwängler]].
The opera stage was particularly suitable for increased emotions. The folk and fairy tale operas of [[Engelbert Humperdinck (composer)|Engelbert Humperdinck]], [[Wilhelm Kienzl]] and [[Siegfried Wagner]], the son of Richard Wagner, were still quite good. But even [[Eugen d'Albert]] and [[Max von Schillings]] irritated the nerves with a German variant of verism. Erotic symbolism can be found in the stage works of [[Alexander von Zemlinsky]] and [[Franz Schreker]]. [[Richard Strauss]] went even further to the limits of tonality with ''Salome'' and ''Elektra'' before he took more traditional paths with ''Der Rosenkavalier''. In the style related to the works of Strauss, the compositions of [[Emil von Reznicek]] and [[Paul Graener]] are shown.

In Italy, opera still dominated during this time. This is where verism developed, an exaggerated realism that could easily turn into the striking and melodramatic on the opera stage. Despite their extensive work, [[Ruggero Leoncavallo]], [[Pietro Mascagni]], [[Francesco Cilea]], and [[Umberto Giordano]] have only become known through one opera at a time. Only [[Giacomo Puccini]]'s work has been completely preserved in the repertoire of the opera houses, although he was also often accused of sentimentality. Despite some veristic works, [[Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari]] was mainly considered a revival of the Opera buffa. [[Ferruccio Busoni]], a temporarily defender of modern classicity living in Germany, left behind a rather conventional, little played work. Thus, instrumental music actually only found its place in Italian music again with [[Ottorino Respighi]], who was influenced by Impressionism.

The term [[Impressionism in music|Impressionism]] comes from painting, and like there, it also developed in music in France. In the works of [[Claude Debussy]], the structures dissolved into the finest nuances of rhythm, dynamics and timbre. This development was prepared in the work of [[Vincent d'Indy]], [[Ernest Chausson]] and above all in the songs and chamber music of [[Gabriel Fauré]]. All subsequent French composers were more or less influenced by Impressionism. The most important among them was [[Maurice Ravel]], a brilliant orchestral virtuoso. [[Albert Roussel]] first processed exotic topics before he anticipated [[Neoclassicism (music)|Neoclassical]] tendencies like Ravel. [[Gabriel Pierné]], [[Paul Dukas]], [[Charles Koechlin]], and [[Florent Schmitt]] also dealt with symbolic and exotic-oriental substances. The loner [[Erik Satie]] was the creator of spun piano pieces and idol of the next generation. Nevertheless, Impressionism is often attributed to the epoch of modernity, if not seen as its own epoch.
[[Hubert Parry]] and the Irishman [[Charles Villiers Stanford]] initiated late Romanticism in England, which had its first important representative in [[Edward Elgar]]. While he revived the oratorio and wrote symphonies and concerts, [[Frederick Delius]] devoted himself to particularly small orchestral images with his own variant of Impressionism. [[Ethel Smyth]] wrote mainly operas and chamber music in a style that reminded Brahms. [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]], whose works were inspired by [[English folk songs]] and [[Renaissance music]], became the most important symphonist of his country. [[Gustav Holst]] incorporated Greek mythology and Indian philosophy into his work. Very idiosyncratic composer personalities in the transition to modernity were also [[Havergal Brian]] and [[Frank Bridge]].

In Russia, [[Alexander Glazunov]] decorated his traditional composition technique with a colorful orchestral palette. The mystic [[Alexander Scriabin]] dreamed of a synthesis of colors, sound and scents. [[Sergei Rachmaninov]] wrote melancholic-pathetic piano pieces and concertos full of intoxicating virtuosity, while the piano works of [[Nikolai Medtner]] are more lyrical.

In the Czech Republic, [[Leoš Janáček]], deeply rooted in the music of his [[Moravia]]n homeland, found new areas of expression with the development of the language melody in his operas. The local sounds are also unmistakable in the music of [[Zdeněk Fibich]], [[Josef Bohuslav Foerster]], [[Vítězslav Novák]], and [[Josef Suk (composer)|Josef Suk]]. On the other hand, there is a slightly morbid exoticism and later classicist measure in the work of the Polish [[Karol Szymanowski]].
The most important Danish composer is [[Carl Nielsen]], known for symphonies and concerts. Even more dominant in his country is the position of the Finn [[Jean Sibelius]], also a symphonist of melancholy expressiveness and clear line design. In Sweden, the works of [[Wilhelm Peterson-Berger]], [[Wilhelm Stenhammar]], and [[Hugo Alfvén]] show a typical Nordic conservatism, and the Norwegian [[Christian Sinding]] also composed traditionally.

The music of [[Spain]] also increased in popularity again after a long time, first in the piano works of [[Isaac Albéniz]] and [[Enrique Granados]], then in the operas, ballets and orchestral works of [[Manuel de Falla]], influenced by Impressionism.

Finally, the first important representatives of the United States also appeared with [[Edward MacDowell]] and [[Amy Beach]]. But even the work of [[Charles Ives]] belonged only partly to late Romanticism - much of it was already radically modern and pointed far into the 20th century.