Who were the most influential composers for piano music in the romantic era? What were their most important and influential works?
1. Franz Schubert
Schubert was a prolific composer who wrote over 1200 songs, 12 operas, and over 60 symphonies. He was also an important piano composer and is considered one of the greatest pianists of the romantic era. His most important piano works include:
– Impromptus
– Moments Musicales
– Winterreise
– Schwanengesang (Swan Song)
– Die schöne Müllerin (The Beautiful Miller Girl)
2. Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven is considered one of the greatest pianists and composers of the Romantic era. He was a key figure in the development of piano music, as well as a composer of monumental works for solo piano. Beethoven’s life, his influence on other composers and his most important piano works are discussed below.
Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1770 to Maria and Johann van Beethoven, a musician himself. His parents were well-educated people who encouraged their son’s musical talent from an early age. When he was 8 years old, Beethoven began studying with Franz Riesbeck at the local court where he would later study under Carl Friedrich Abel and Carl Czerny. At age 14, he went to Vienna to study with Antonio Salieri, but left after only a few months because he felt Salieri did not fully understand him as a musician and did not respect his talent enough.
3. Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann (1810-1856) was one of the most important composers in the romantic era. His compositions included a variety of genres including piano, chamber, and vocal music.
His life
Robert Schumann was born on January 27, 1810 in Zwickau, Germany. He was the second of three children born to Anna Maria Walburga and Robert Schumann. Robert’s father died when he was young and his mother had to take up several jobs to support her family. Robert became a student at the Leipzig Conservatory at age 15, where he studied with Carl Czerny. At age 19, he went to Vienna for further studies with Joseph Joachim and Ignaz Moscheles. He returned home in 1831 after his studies were complete and took up a position as organist at St. Mary’s Church in Zwickau. In 1834 he moved to Leipzig where he worked as organist at St Thomas Church and taught piano lessons while continuing his musical studies with Czerny. In 1838 he became a teacher at the Leipzig Conservatory and also began writing music again. In 1840-1841 he composed several piano works including his first two piano sonatas, “From My Life” (Opus 1) in 1840 and “From My Life” (Opus 2) in 1841.
His most important works
In 1840 Schumann composed four short pieces that were originally intended for solo piano: “The Romance of Young Lovers” (in F major), “The Tragic Poem” (in E major), “Cello Sonata No 1” (in B flat major), and “Songs Without Words I” (in D minor).
4. Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt was born in 1811 in Hungary. He moved to Paris at age 14 and became a pupil of Franz Kalkbrenner, one of the most influential teachers of the day.
He composed over 400 piano pieces in his lifetime, but it was his work for solo piano that has been most influential for other composers. His Piano Sonata No. 2, which he began writing when he was 25 years old and completed three years later, is a powerful example of the Romantic era and its influences on later composers.
Liszt’s Piano Sonata No. 2 is a brilliant example of the expressive power of the piano, which is the primary instrument used by Liszt to express his musical ideas. It contains many dramatic chords that are played with forceful dynamics (loudness). This sonata also contains some striking chromaticism (playing notes out of key) that gives it a unique sound not found in any other composition by Liszt or any other composer before him.
Liszt’s Piano Sonata No. 2 also contains two distinct themes: one slow and contemplative, and one fast and passionate. These themes are intertwined throughout the piece to create an overall dramatic mood that reflects Liszt’s own state of mind during this time period.
5. Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin was born in 1810 in Poland. He moved to France when he was 12 years old. At that time, he was a gifted pianist, but he soon found his real passion in composing music. His compositions were highly appreciated and he became one of the most important composers of the romantic period.
His life
Chopin’s family had a high social standing, so it wasn’t hard for him to become a famous composer. He started composing piano pieces while still living with his family in Warsaw and Paris and continued composing during his time at the Conservatoire de Paris, which is why his compositions are often associated with this period of music history.
Why was he influential?
Chopin composed many different types of pieces including piano concertos, waltzes, ballads and sonatas. They were mostly written for solo piano or solo violin because Chopin liked to play both instruments himself. One of his most famous pieces is the Nocturne Opus 9 No 1 in E Minor (Opus Posth), which is sometimes referred to as the “Moonlight” nocturne because it sounds like it was written under moonlight or dusk on a summer evening. It’s one of Chopin’s best-known works and it has been recorded by many famous musicians like Glenn Gould, Vladimir Horowitz and Glenn Close among others!
His most famous piano pieces and songs include:
– Berceuse Opus 19 No 1 (Berceuse) from 1829-1830: This short piece was composed to show off Chopin’s ability as a pianist. It includes two variations on the same theme that sound similar but have completely different melodies underneath them. The piece can be played either by itself or as an accompaniment for another song such as “Swanee River”.
– Polonaise Opus 53 No 1 (Polonaise) from 1830: This is one of Chopin’s most famous pieces. It was composed in honour of the Polish national anthem and it includes a lot of rhythmic patterns. It was originally written for solo violin, but it can be played by pianists as well.
– Ballade Opus 47 No 1 (Ballade) from 1831: This ballad is about a man who is in love with his neighbour. It was originally written for solo violin, but it can also be played by pianists.
– Fantasie Opus 15 No 2 (Fantasia) from 1831: This is a short piece that sounds like a piano concerto. It’s usually played in the key of E Major, but it can be played in other keys as well.
6. Sergei Rachmaninov
Sergei Rachmaninov was born on April 13, 1873 in the Russian city of Tula. He was a composer, pianist, conductor and teacher. His music was greatly influenced by his friend Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The two composers worked together on many occasions and their music is similar in style.
Rachmaninov’s life
Rachmaninov was an extremely talented musician who had many accomplishments to his name. He composed many pieces that were very well-known and he was also a teacher at the Moscow Conservatory from 1909 to 1914.
Why he is influential in the romantic period music
His music had a great influence on the romantic period music piano composition because of his use of tonality, melodies, harmonies and instrumentation. Many of his compositions are based on themes from Russian folk songs such as “The Bells” and “The Ride of the Valkyries”. Rachmaninov is best known for his concertos such as the Piano Concerto No 3 in D Minor Opus 16 and Piano Concerto No 2 in G Major Opus 53, as well as for his songs including “Vocalise” and “My Blue Heaven”.
