Ayn Rand described Romanticism as the category of art which recognizes the principle that man has volition. The nature of Romantic music, along with the source of its emotional power, is less apparent than that of other art forms. Although this course does not offer a comprehensive theory of musical esthetics, it selectively examines works by Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Schumann, and Liszt, to identify the major distinctions between Classical and Romantic music. Special attention is also paid to the Enlightenment, with its underlying pro-reason philosophy, as a necessary precondition of Classicism and precursor to Romanticism. The classes presume no musical background.