Vocal music flourished during the Romantic period as a means of emotional expression. Composers set poems and stories to music in art songs and operas. The document discusses several prominent composers of the Romantic period and their contributions to vocal music, including Schubert and his lieder, Verdi and his operas expressing political themes, Puccini's operas drawing from everyday life, Wagner's innovative music dramas featuring leitmotifs, and Bizet's famous opera Carmen. Vocal music in this period featured a greater range of tones, dynamics, and pitches to convey feelings and stories.