Which term describes the significant trend in 19th century music with extra musical associations and descriptive titles?

The term "program music" accurately describes the significant trend in 19th-century music that features extra musical associations and descriptive titles. This genre of music is characterized by compositions that are meant to evoke images or tell a story beyond the purely musical elements. Composers often provided titles or subtitles indicating the narrative or thematic content that should be interpreted by the listener.

In the 19th century, program music became increasingly popular as composers sought to connect their works to specific ideas, stories, or emotional landscapes. This trend manifested prominently in pieces such as Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" and Liszt's tone poems, which illustrate narratives through orchestral music. The intentional use of descriptions helped listeners to engage with the music on a deeper level, allowing them to visualize scenes or emotions the composer intended to convey.

In contrast, other terms like exoticism, nationalism, and art song encapsulate different aspects or movements within 19th-century music. Exoticism refers to the incorporation of stylistic elements from foreign cultures, nationalism emphasizes musical elements that reflect the composer's native cultural identity, and art song pertains specifically to the setting of poetry to music, focusing on intimate vocal compositions. While these concepts played important roles in the music of the