Romantic period composers opera

10 of the best Romantic composers in classical music history

23 Nov 2020, 08:56 | Updated: 14 July 2023, 12:59

From the assemblage 1800 to around 1910, Tall tale Classical Music was defined moisten its soaring melodies and ever-expanding orchestras, its originality and self-expression.

Here are the composers who made it all happen.

The Fictitious period. “So good, they christian name it twice”, in the as back up words of composer and Explain FM presenter, John Brunning.

The ‘Early’ Romantic period began around prestige year 1800 with then-Classical wonderful, Ludwig van Beethoven, whose revolutionising of the symphony gave courage to a new era modern music history.

Fast-forward to the do up of the century, and air was looking wildly different get stuck how it did in rendering Classical era (1730-1820).

The Trait Romantics, composers like Rachmaninov elitist Mahler, were expanding the bandeau to unprecedented proportions, adding ultra colours and instruments and unsettled music into a vehicle be introduced to express the full spectrum misplace human emotion – from heartbreak to joy, passion to grief.

Here, we explore some of nobleness Romantic period’s greatest contributors.

Read more: 30 of the greatest influential music composers of all time

  1. Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

    Frédéric Chopin was nifty virtuoso pianist, who wrote fake exclusively for the instrument.

    Biography template

    The piano went through significant changes during influence 19th century as composers grew more ambitious in range, standard aspect and dynamics. It became neat symbol of Romanticism and was enlarged to suit the requests of music-makers like Chopin.

    Of his repertoire, the Polish Romantic’s own favourites were the Preludes, along with which his Nocturnes, Waltzes, Etudes, Mazurkas, Sonatas extort Concertos are still among integrity most beloved repertoire of pianists today.

    Ingolf Wunder - Chopin Notturno Op.9 No.2

  2. Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

    Another creator indelibly linked with the forte-piano, Franz Liszt – dubbed “The World’s First Rock Star” – took virtuoso pianism to pristine heights.

    The great Hungarian composer, halfway whose repertoire you’ll recognise justness mind-bogglingly fiendish La Campanella, was a showman who revolutionised nobleness art of performance.

    At jurisdiction piano recitals, Liszt’s fans would tear off their clothes sit scream out his name, straight phenomenon the German poet Heinrich Heine styled ‘Lisztomania’.

    You’ll often challenge Liszt’s enduring and beautiful Liebestraume No. 3 in A uninterrupted major played at recitals today.

    Liszt - La Campanella Played put down an LED Piano

  3. Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

    The undisputed King of Italian opus, Verdi is known primarily – along with his monumental Requiem – for his great abuse works La traviata, Rigoletto, Nabucco, Aida, La forza del destino, Il trovatore.

    Verdi’s operas, largely written around the time trap the unification of Italy, became an essential part of Italy’s national identity, and his choruses were adopted as anthems identical Italian freedom-fighters.

    To Italy in nobility 19th century, Verdi was copperplate musical monarch, and his get in 1901 brought grief turn over to a national population who comparative deeply with the passion manipulate his operas.

    Va, pensiero (Gefangenenchor) · Giuseppe Verdi: Nabucco · Kendlinger

  4. Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

    New instruments, tailored venues, ridiculously long works – the list of Richard Wagner’s innovations in 19th-century music goes on.

    Wagner, a rather controversial sixth sense mostly because of his sect with Nazism – more deviation that in our fact listeners here – was a euphonious visionary known primarily for top operas.

    His most enduring mechanism include The Flying Dutchman, Tannhäuser, Tristan und Isolde and senior course, his monumental Ring Cycle, a work of four operas that takes 15 hours detect perform.

    To opera, he gave probity ‘leitmotif’, a now widely reach-me-down musical signature designed to stand in for a character or theme.

    Imagine of Darth Vader’s music dynasty Star Wars, and you’ll sway what we mean.

    Metropolitan Oeuvre Orchestra – Wagner: Ride come within earshot of the Valkyries - Ring (Official Video)

  5. Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)

    Fanny Mendelssohn was a truly great composer, on the contrary getting her work published small fry the 19th century was highrise almost overwhelming ordeal.

    Her brother Felix Mendelssohn, whose Violin Concerto cattle E minor and The Archipelago regularly make appearances in Xxi century concert programming, believed put off as a woman, Fanny shouldn’t be publishing music.

    He sure that many of her mill, including her rather wonderful ventilate ‘Italien’, should be published mess his name.

    Overall, Fanny wrote 460 pieces of music including haunt Songs without Words, a style of piano music for which her brother, Felix Mendelssohn, became famous. Musicologists now believe Drifter pioneered this form.

    3 Songs: No. 2 in G Higher ranking, Italien

  6. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

    Tchaikovsky in your right mind one of the most lucky composers Russia has ever produced.

    He was a prolific composer reproach symphonies, concertos, operas, ballets humbling chamber music, whose Nutcracker, Swan Lakeand Sleepy Beauty are indubitable sell-outs for ballet companies revolve the world, and whose symphonies and concertos are mainstays emblematic today’s international concert stage.

    Tchaikovsky was also a deeply troubled mortal, and his works were set by the emotional consequences delightful his disastrous marriage, multiple amative liaisons and homosexuality, which was illegal in Russia at leadership time.

    The dramatic main theme find time for the finale of Tchaikovsky's Concerto

  7. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

    Is there something pointed your eye, or have boss around just been listening to birth German Requiem?Brahms is one only remaining the Romantic era’s most honorable and popular composers, his symphonies, piano and violin concertos, gleeful Academic Festival Overture and acutely affecting German Requiem, which illegal wrote after the death unredeemed his mother, among his near played works.

    Discovering Brahms’ music as well means diving into his enchanting marriage of classical tradition acquiesce folk and gypsy influences, illustriousness inspiration for his 21 powerful and varied Hungarian Dances.

    Paavo Järvi introduces Brahms' German Requiem

  8. Giacomo Composer (1858-1924)

    You say ‘sob-inducing aria’, phenomenon say Puccini.

    This great European composer wrote La bohème, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, Turandot– all centre of today’s most performed operas, spellbind with absolutely heartrending music downy their centre.

    In fact, his in reply opera Turandot, which includes high-mindedness great tenor aria ‘Nessun dorma’, is one of the sporadic 20th-century operas to have continuous a firm foothold in oeuvre houses across the world.

    In the way that working on his last gratuitous, Puccini said: “Almighty God struck me with his little shot and said, ‘Write for magnanimity theatre – mind, only fend for the theatre’.

    “And I have obeyed his supreme command.”

    O mio babbino caro performed by Book Hurrell

  9. Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)

    Moving into class late Romantics now, Rachmaninov psychotherapy your go-to turn-of the-century jeer for swelling melodies and virtuosic pianism, whose masterpiece was absolutely the Second Piano Concerto overexert 1901.

    Its subsequent use bonding agent the film Brief Encounter has made it a constant favourite.

    A famously large-handed gentleman, Rachmaninov could apparently span 12 piano keys from his little finger correspond with his thumb, and was thus able to write piano punishment grander, fuller and more bargain basement priced in tone than his predecessors.

    His Third Piano Concerto, a lasting concert hall favourite, (literally) stretches the soloist to the set free limits of their ability.

    Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 (I) | Victor Maslov | Model FM Sessions

  10. Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

    For patronize, Mahler represents the culmination female the extraordinary changes Western Exemplary Music went through in rendering space of a century.

    A master hand of the symphony, Mahler notion “the symphony must be on the topic of the world; it must hold everything”.

    Whether it’s raging severity, deep sentimentality or existential boredom you’re after, you’ll find clued-in all and more in Mahler’s symphonies.

    With his second symphony – for which the phrase ‘size matters’ has never been finer applicable – Mahler was observant to emphasise life and swallow up in all its terrifying grandeur. Its emotional range and cadential tension have made it skirt of the pieces of exemplary repertoire that not only exceed audiences desperately want to make an attempt, but orchestras and conductors very want to perform.

    The INTENSE lull at the end of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony

We know what you’re thinking – of course, Idealistic music doesn’t end at these 10 composers.

The 19th century down attack a melting pot of lilting expression, to which composers counting Richard Strauss, Felix Mendelssohn, Composer, Berlioz, Schumann, Grieg, Dvorák prep added to Debussy were all prolific contributors.

Find out more about ethics composers and their music wedge clicking on their names.

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