Romantic music is characterized by its emotional expression, dramatic gestures, and use of rich orchestration. Romantic composers often drew inspiration from literature, art, and nature, and their music often reflects a sense of longing, melancholy, and idealism. Some of the most famous Romantic composers include Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Schubert, and Tchaikovsky.
Modern music is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of styles and techniques that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Modernist composers experimented with new forms of musical expression, including atonality, polytonality, and serialism. They also often drew inspiration from non-Western musical traditions, and their music often reflects a sense of fragmentation, dissonance, and anxiety. Some of the most famous Modernist composers include Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Stravinsky, and Bartok.
Also sprach Zarathustra was composed in 1896, which places it at the end of the Romantic period and the beginning of the Modern period. The piece is characterized by its use of rich orchestration, dramatic gestures, and emotional expression, all of which are characteristic of Romantic music. However, the piece also contains elements that are characteristic of modern music, such as its use of atonality and its fragmented structure. Therefore, Also sprach Zarathustra can be considered a transitional work that bridges the gap between the Romantic and Modern periods.