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New democratic ideals influenced aesthetic sensibilities in the 18th century. Formerly, composers preferred to limit musical works to one emotion, called an "Affekt." Each composition had one central theme. After the mid-18th century, a new style became fashionable. Composers juxtaposed two or more, often contrasting, themes in each movement. In the same way the moods and ideas of a single monarch dominated societies during previous generations, the aesthetic preference of those ages was for music organized around single ideas. The Age of Enlightenment brought with it a belief a nation would be stronger and more productive if a variety of viewpoints were represented. Not surprisingly, the Enlightenment musical aesthetic mirrored this preference. Composers brought together a variety of ideas–negotiating and harmonizing their differences. This compositional procedure came to be called "sonata form," which was at the heart of much of the music written throughout the 19th century. Its elemental form consisted of a piece of music divided into several movements. The movements in sonata form present:
The themes and their development take place at various harmonic levels and even in different keys. Resolution of the themes and other material usually settles on a conclusion in the main key. Naturally, there were countless variations of this basic structure. In fact, 19th-century composers almost made a fetish of designing new compositional structures for each piece. Robert Schumann was an ardent believer in this practice. Every new piece needed a new form. If a work was to have life, vitality, and power, it had to have a unique form. Just as no two humans were alike, no two compositions shared the same shape. Often, the new form was no more than a clever adaptation of sonata form. Later in the 19th century, particularly in the hands of more radical composers, it became harder, if not impossible, to detect the presence of the old sonata form. For example, Richard Wagner seemed to have avoided association with any of the old forms. These radical composers were aware of the similarity between literature and music. They often attempted to tell non-musical stories in their compositions. Berlioz’s "Symphonie Fantastique" and Tchaikovsky’s "1812 Overture" are two famous examples. Composers often called these works "tone poems." However, not all tone poems had such a clear story line. It would be very difficult to use words to tell the story of Liszt’s "Les Preludes" or Strauss’ "Also sprach Zarathustra." Even if 19th-century composers had no extra-musical story in mind, they were deeply concerned about heightened effect. Whether the piece was large or small, they wanted to create a profoundly soul-stirring impression on their listeners. This kind of transcendent experience, whether it was in a concert hall or a church, was at the heart of music. It brought the listeners a "divine" experience. This attitude toward the nature of music also helped blur the line between sacred and secular, and hence between the church and concert hall.
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