Final answer:
The Romantic era saw composers using folksongs, dances, and legends to express national identity in their music. This form of Romantic nationalism aimed to reflect and preserve the spirit of a nation through its traditional folk elements. Composers such as Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner were prominent in this movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Romantic era, composers became deeply involved in nationalistic movements by incorporating elements such as folksongs, dances, and legends into their music. This was a deliberate attempt to reflect and preserve the national identity and spirit of their respective homelands. The idea that nations had a unique character found amoung the common people was a central belief of the Romantic movement. This character was manifest in the nation's folk traditions, which were seen as the purest expression of its spirit. As the nineteenth century progressed, Romantic music moved away from universal themes and began to reflect more local and national elements.
Romantic nationalism involved collecting and preserving folklore, tales, and music that expressed the national character. This process occasionally led to what historians have termed "inventing traditions," where new elements were introduced and mistaken for ancient practices. Composers like Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner, as well as Mendlsohn and Puccini, were known for their efforts to inject a sense of national identity into their music. Their compositions evoked the landscapes, stories, and souls of their nations, enhancing the connection between music and national pride.