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Ludwig van Beethoven
Composer that kickstarted the Romantic period with his Symphony No. 5. Other famous compositions include his Ninth Symphony, Third Symphony, and various string quartets, Piano Sonatas and concerti. -
Symphony No.5 Ludwig van Beethoven
Arguably the most important work in the orchestral repertoire. Kickstarted the Romantic period. Includes the famous 'fate motif' that appears in various iterations throughout the work's four movements. First symphony to include trombones. -
Erlkonig Franz Schubert
Work for vocalist and piano by Franz Schubert. Involves four characters, and is set to the text of German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. -
Paganini's 24 Caprices
Set of 24 works for unaccompanied violin. Meant to be used for practice and teaching purposes only to work on technique. Nowadays, they are commonly performed. Known for their high difficulty. -
Symphony No. 8 'Unfinished' Franz Schubert
Most famous symphonic work by early romantic composer Franz Schubert. Likely left unfinished due to the composer's battle with syphilis. -
Symphony No. 9 Ludwig van Beethoven
The most important work of Beethoven's 3rd style period. Also known as the 'Choral' Symphony, this symphony included a full SATB choir and 4 vocal soloists in its final movement, in addition to a standard Symphony Orchestra. Text is from Schiller's 'Ode an die Freude', or Ode to Joy poem. -
Symphony Fantastique Hector Berlioz
5-movement symphonic work composed in 1830 by French romantic composer Hector Berlioz. Inspiration came from his infatuation with British actress Harriet Smithson. Programmatic work that follows a story. Large orchestration. Leads to their eventual marriage, which ended in divorce several years later. -
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Mazurkas, Op. 7 Frederic Chopin
Set of 5 works for piano based on the Polish Mazurka dance. -
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Carnaval Robert Schumann
Cycle of 21 character pieces for piano written by Robert Schumann. Involves 5 characters; Eusebius, Florestan, Chiarina, Estrella and Asch. -
Liebst du um Schonheit
Lied composed by Clara Schumann, the husband of Robert Schumann. Believed to be a love song for her future husband. -
Das Jahr Fanny Hensel
Piano compositions in 12 movements (one for each month of the year). Written by Felix Mendelssohn's sister, Fanny Hensel, who is undergoing a modern revival of her music. -
Violin Concerto in E minor Felix Mendelssohn
Most accomplished of Felix Mendelssohn's compositions. Follows largely classical forms, but alters them in small ways. For example, the soloist starts the piece instead of the orchestra like in most classical concerto. -
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Souvenir de Porto Rico Louis Moreau Gottschalk
Work by French Creole composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk. Involves variations on a central theme. Uses musical styles of the Americas, and is an example of American classical music of this period.