Piano for Beginners 6th ED - 2016 UK

Play in the style of...

T

he Romantic revolution throughout

the 19th Century wasn’t just felt in

music – the desire to express emotion

and creativity swept across the literary

and artistic worlds too – but it may have had its

biggest impact here. The piano was a massive part

of it, thanks to gradual improvements in its form.

Indeed, it could be argued that the piano was the

most important instrument of the Romantic era as it

grew in popularity throughout this period.

While the era’s symphonies grew larger in size

and became more grandiose in scale with more

and more instruments being used, piano solo

pieces started getting shorter and more digestible.

As a result, the piano became a more popular

instrument. These miniatures went by names like

‘Nocturne’ and ‘Etude’, and helped earn the piano

a new audience. Also born out of the Romantic

era was the ‘virtuoso’ movement, of which Franz

Liszt was a big part. A term still used to this day, the

virtuoso would wow the audience with a display of

pure skill on their instrument, which, on the piano,

included scales, trills and arpeggios often played at

break - neck speed.

Musically, the Romantic era focused on longer,

more lyrical melodies, stark contrasts and several

different musical ideas within a movement. It

kept the homophonic sound of the Classical era

but tended to use changes in tempo and time

signatures to hold the listener’s interest.

The next era in classical music ushered in freedom and creativity

The Romantic

period

Inspirational works

Waltz in D-flat major,

Op. 64 No. 1

Artist: Frédéric Chopin

Year : 1847

One of Chopin’s most famous piano

compositions. His distinct style fuses

the simple harmonies of the Baroque

period with the chromatic dynamism

of the Romantic era, brought

together in true virtuoso style.

Six Duets, Op. 11,

No.4 - Valse

Artist: Sergei Rachmaninoff

Year : 1830

Grab a friend and have a go at

playing this fast and furious duet

from this Romantic legend. This

show-stopping melody provides a

fun and lyrical contrast to the sounds

of many other composers at the time.

Sonata in E-Major,

Op. 6

Artist: Felix Mendelssohn

Year : 1826

Every movement in this piece

showcases Mendelssohn’s talent for

writing wonderfully expressive and

fluid music that made him one of

the most popular composers of the

Romantic era.

Works for Piano

Volume 2

Artist: Hans von Bülow (composer)

Mark Anderson (pianist)

Year : 2013 Label: Nimbus

An early student of the virtuoso

Romantic pianist, Franz Liszt, Büllow

is noted for his numerous renditions.

However, this collection, proves he is

a fantastic composer in his own right.

Top pieces from the Romantic era

“The virtuoso would

wow the audience

with a display of skill”

Audio file

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and follow along on your

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