The Romantic era of Western Classical music spanned the 19th-century to the early 20th-century, encompassing a variety of musical styles and techniques. Part of the broader Romanticism movement of Europe, Ludwig van Beethoven is often seen as the dominant transitional figure composers from the preceding Classical era. Many composers began to channel nationalistic themes more often, such as Mikhail Glinka, The Five and Belyayev circle in Russia; Frédéric Chopin in Poland; Carl Maria von Weber in Germany; Edvard Grieg in Norway; Jean Sibelius in Finland; Giuseppe Verdi in Italy; Carl Nielsen in Denmark; and Bedřich Smetana in what is now the Czech Republic.
A European-wide debate took place, particularly in Germany, on what the ideal course of music was, following Beethoven's death. The New German School—primarily Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner—promoted progressive ideas, in opposition to more conservative composers such as Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn.
