Essential Romantic Composers

Essential Romantic Composers

   Music    January 4, 2020  |  2

Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840)

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The most famous and perhaps greatest violin virtuoso of all time, Paganini stretched the limits of the instrument and his works remain some of the most difficult in the repertoire.

Greatest Works:

  1. 24 Caprices for Solo Violin
  2. Violin Concerto No. 2 in B Minor
  3. Violin Concerto No. 1 in D/E-flat Major
  4. Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Minor
  5. The Carnival of Venice
  6. Nel cor piu non mu sento
  7. Centone di Sonata for Violin and Guitar
  8. Violin Concerto No. 3 in E Major
  9. Moses Fantasy
  10. Sonata Concertate in A Major

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8j1x3pTOyo&list=PLEXM-evUYOx_adx5cAiMWxCFdkvHIuKQ_

Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

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Although not as often played as those who followed him, Romantic opera would not be the same without Weber. In addition to his operatic work he composed substantial concerti and orchestral pieces.

Greatest Works:

  1. Die Freischutz*
  2. Euryanthe*
  3. Oberon*
  4. Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor
  5. Symphony No. 1 in C Major
  6. Invitation to the Dance
  7. Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major
  8. Grand Duo Concertant
  9. Trio for Flute, Piano and Cello
  10. Die Drei Pintos*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8GFvzxLq4Y&list=PLEXM-evUYOx-svG91-rLDjVxzVp5JxcZD

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

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Rossini was a hugely influential operatic composer in the early Romantic era. He was both prolific and popular, leading him to be one of the few composers to retire young and rich. Many of his operas and overtures are staples in the repertoire.

Greatest Works:

  1. Il barbiere di Siviglia*
  2. L’italiana in Algeri*
  3. Tancredi*
  4. La Cenerentola*
  5. Semiramide*
  6. Guillaume Tell*
  7. Stabat Mater
  8. La gazza ladra*
  9. Otello*
  10. Armida*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSjyDH4MJCc&list=PLEXM-evUYOx_N4HQakR6aSMsPdaMDy-3A

Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)

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A master of Bel Canto opera, Donizetti’s highly dramatic works influenced the great operatic composers to follow with his beautiful melodies and gripping narratives. He was an extremely prolific composer of many orchestral and choral works as well.

Greatest Works:

  1. Lucia di Lammermoor*
  2. Don Pasquale*
  3. L’elisir d’amore*
  4. Poliuto*
  5. La fille du regiment*
  6. Caterina Cornaro*
  7. Dom Sebastien*
  8. Linda di Chamounix*
  9. La favorite*
  10. Maria di Rohan*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFH0wLG77m4&list=PLEXM-evUYOx_L33Oqt8vMz-98ZJyT90Jy

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

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This early Romantic master followed in the footsteps of Beethoven mastering the symphonic and chamber forms as well as establishing himself as the definitive lieder composer.

Greatest Works:

  1. String Quintet in C Major
  2. Symphony No. 9 in C Major “Great”
  3. Symphony No. 8 in B Minor “Unfinished”
  4. Winterreise
  5. String Quartet No. 14 “Death and the Maiden”
  6. Wanderer Fantasy in C Major
  7. Rosamunde
  8. Piano Quintet in A Major “Trout”
  9. Six Moments Musicaux
  10. Symphony No. 4 in C Minor “Tragic”

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0GOv95iDf0&list=PLEXM-evUYOx8BTHiyVYhr59RSX1TBn6y7

Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835)

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A melodic master, Bellini’s bel canto operas stand out for their long, flowing vocal lines, greatly influencing operatic minds to follow. Although his output was limited, Bellini’s operas were significant in their psychological complexity lurking under the beautiful tunes and epic arias.

Greatest Works:

  1. Norma*
  2. I puritani*
  3. La sonnambula*
  4. Il pirata*
  5. Composizioni da Camera
  6. Beatrice di Tenda*
  7. I Capuleti e i Montecchi*
  8. Bianca e Fernando*
  9. Oboe Concerto in E-flat Major
  10. Zaira*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80iFQqBCCyM&list=PLEXM-evUYOx99WoxdzWGUPZpOJ86df4KJ

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)

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Berlioz was the first great French Romantic who’s music was as big as his ideas. His claim to fame is the incomparable Symphonie Fantastique but is responsible for many other great, large works.

Greatest Works:

  1. Symphonie fantastique
  2. La damnation de Faust
  3. Romeo et Juliette
  4. Te Deum
  5. Les Troyens*
  6. Harold in Italy
  7. Requiem
  8. L’enfance du Christ
  9. Lelio
  10. Beatrice et Benedicte*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK4dz6Gbcdk&list=PLEXM-evUYOx9uEYAm0eOM6YOn9ZHjupLJ

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

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A young prodigy who continued conservative traditions in the early Romantic era. His orchestral and chamber music are especially influential.

Greatest Works:

  1. Violin Concerto in E Minor
  2. Symphony No. 3 in A Minor “Scottish”
  3. Symphony No. 4 in A Major “Italian”
  4. Overture & Incidental Music to A Midsummer’s Night Dream
  5. Songs Without Words
  6. Symphony No. 5 in D Major “Reformation”
  7. String Octet in E-flat Major
  8. Hebrides Overture
  9. Elijah
  10. Symphony No. 2 “Hymn of Praise”

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0tqdhbnpn8&list=PLEXM-evUYOx9o34MstHGC3ke3Kej8CaAp

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

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The greatest piano composer of all time. Chopin understood better than anyone how to manipulate the piano to make it sound like an entire orchestra. On top of that his pieces hold unparalleled thematic density. His short piano works are more powerful than most symphonies.

Greatest Works:

  1. Nocturnes, Opus 48
  2. Preludes
  3. Ballade No. 4 in F Minor
  4. Nocturnes, Opus 27
  5. Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor
  6. Etudes Opus 10
  7. Ballade No. 1 in G Minor
  8. Fantasie Impromptu
  9. Nocturnes Opus 9
  10. Etudes Opus 25

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7mntyrW3HU&list=PLEXM-evUYOx98UT-kGOtGhyiQ3mpNzjTY

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

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An underrated symphonist and crucial voice of the early Romantic era. Schumann is best known for his groundbreaking and virtuosic piano works.

Greatest Works:

  1. Symphonic Etudes
  2. Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major
  3. Symphony No. 4 in D Minor
  4. Kriesleriana
  5. Symphony No. 2 in C Major
  6. Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Major
  7. Carnaval
  8. Fantasiestucke
  9. Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor
  10. Kinderszenen

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIWBd7-AP4Q&list=PLEXM-evUYOx9AIIMUFaFzbSImYs3Q_ouA

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

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Perhaps the greatest pianist of all time, Liszt’s musicianship was matched only in renown by his larger than life personality. Lesser known but equally as important are his integral revolutions in orchestral tone poems.

Greatest Works:

  1. Piano Sonata in B Minor
  2. Transcendental Etudes
  3. Dante Symphony
  4. Les Preludes
  5. Hungarian Rhapsodie No. 2
  6. Totentanz
  7. Faust Symphony
  8. Prometheus
  9. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6
  10. Tasso

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzhYgzl2RYI&list=PLEXM-evUYOx_sANZFchhYpBMW43qJa3v9

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

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One of the most influential composers ever, Wagner led the late romantic era with his epic, sweeping operas. He is famous for using repeated motifs throughout his works to symbolize themes and characters.

Greatest Works:

  1. Tristan und Isolde*
  2. Die Walkure*
  3. Parsifal*
  4. Gotterdammerung*
  5. Das Rheingold*
  6. Lohengrin*
  7. Siegfried*
  8. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg*
  9. Der fliegende Hollander*
  10. Tannhauser*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McoRns-aWQQ&list=PLEXM-evUYOx_c7PY5jGNPtmDBLdqvXCQG

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

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A master composer of opera, Verdi’s works were clever and innovative while maintaining crowd pleasing plots and arias. His style fits in between the Italian bel canto tradition and the brooding dramatic style of Wagner.

Greatest Works:

  1. Rigoletto*
  2. La traviata*
  3. Otello*
  4. Requiem
  5. Aida*
  6. Il trovatore*
  7. La forza del destino*
  8. Don Carlos*
  9. Falstaff*
  10. Macbeth*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gdqQpr12XM&list=PLEXM-evUYOx9-93YZSmfHjprfXHylFA5_

Charles Gounod (1818-1893)

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One of the most influential French composers of his time that cemented the style that future countrymen would continue. He had a large body of work including operas, orchestral and choral music.

Greatest Works:

  1. Faust*
  2. Le Medicin malgre lui*
  3. Romeo et Juliette*
  4. Messe solennelle de Sainte Cécile
  5. Symphony No. 1 in D Major
  6. Requiem
  7. Ave Maria
  8. Symphony No. 2 in E-flat Major
  9. La Redemption
  10. Funeral March for a Marionette

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIQWjSIsDf8&list=PLEXM-evUYOx8WbAS83Bj79R79erqTkQpu

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)

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The most prolific composer of operettas of all time, Offenbach was one of the most popular French voices of his time. Despite this, few of his works are widely played today.

Greatest Works:

  1. Les contes d’Hoffmann*
  2. Orphee aux enfers*
  3. La belle Helene*
  4. Grand Concerto for Cello in G Major
  5. La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein*
  6. Les brigands*
  7. Le papillon
  8. Le voyage dans de lune*
  9. La Vie parisienne*
  10. La Perichole*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF590PPnrv8&list=PLEXM-evUYOx_RXT6eCE4rHF0mAYrzgdDN

Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)

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Perhaps the most original voice of his time, Bruckner’s music has an unmistakable sound and holds incredible power. A fairly divisive figure, and not a very pleasant personality, his epic symphonies, with their proto-minimalist structures, annoyed some but have stood the test of time with their beauty and powerful climaxes. Modern film composers like Hans Zimmer owe him a lot.

Greatest Works:

  1. Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major “Romantic”
  2. Symphony No. 8 in C Minor “Apocalyptic”
  3. Symphony No. 7 in E Major
  4. Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major
  5. Symphony No. 3 in D Minor
  6. Symphony No. 2 in C Minor
  7. Te Deum
  8. Mass No. 2 in E Minor
  9. String Quintet in F Major
  10. Symphony No. 6 in A Major

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCvOXwgOvOo&list=PLEXM-evUYOx_ohm-6yNcVoIrYzBT-TJDC

Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)

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An important Czech composer that helped popularize the country’s musical heritage. Mostly known for his symphonic poem The Moldau, Smetana was primarily an opera composer.

Greatest Works:

  1. Ma Vlast (includes The Moldau)
  2. The Bartered Bride*
  3. String Quartet No. 1 “From My Life”
  4. Dailbor*
  5. Libuse*
  6. String Quartet No. 2
  7. Czech Dances II
  8. The Devil’s Wall*
  9. Dreams
  10. Macbeth and the Witches

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECCWGJ1QvZ8&list=PLEXM-evUYOx-06psp04oMZ_SYTqCEv5Sf

Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)

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“The Waltz King,” Strauss’s music single handedly started a dance craze across Europe with absurdly catchy tunes. He was also a celebrated composer of opera.

Greatest Works:

  1. The Emperor Waltz
  2. The Blue Danube
  3. Die Fledermaus*
  4. Roses from the South
  5. Tales from the Vienna Woods
  6. Voices of Spring
  7. The Gypsy Baron*
  8. Morning Papers
  9. Tritsch-Tratsch Polka
  10. The Treasure Waltz

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAVvBF7m260&list=PLEXM-evUYOx_J5PZ0gCfGUCm1R3u8BGej

Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)

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One of the few great composers whose career was not limited to the musical world, Borodin was an influential chemist in his professional life. But his musical output was similarly impressive being one of the most famous members of the “Russian Five”, bringing classic Russian sound into the classical world.

Greatest Works:

  1. String Quartet No. 2 in D Major
  2. Prince Igor*
  3. Symphony No. 2 in B Minor
  4. In the Steppes of Central Asia
  5. Piano Trio in D Major
  6. Symphony No. 1 in A Major
  7. Petite Suite for Piano
  8. String Quartet No. 1 A Major
  9. Piano Quintet in C Minor
  10. Symphony No. 3 in A Minor

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YVd5efkUnw&list=PLEXM-evUYOx_U0F4Dhb4mRjqxnQDfVDef

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

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The defining character of the middle Romantic period, Brahms kept the tradition of classical era composers alive while simultaneously pushing the boundaries in many ways. Best known for his grandiose symphony and virtuosic concertos.

Greatest Works:

  1. Symphony No. 4 in E Minor
  2. Symphony No. 3 in F Major
  3. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major
  4. Clarinet Quintet in B Minor
  5. Ein deutsches Requiem
  6. Symphony No. 1 in C Minor
  7. Concerto for Violin in D Major
  8. Academic Festival Overture
  9. Hungarian Dances
  10. Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QLuYj2jxoc&list=PLEXM-evUYOx9j1xJgpQ6uZ8dIWrcmMXx6

Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921)

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Starting out as a piano virtuoso and prodigy, Saint-Saens grew to become one of the leading voices in French music. His body of work includes important orchestral, operatic and concerti pieces.

Greatest Works:

  1. Symphony No. 3 in C Minor “Organ”
  2. Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor
  3. Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
  4. The Carnival of the Animals
  5. Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Major “Egyptian”
  6. Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor
  7. Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor
  8. Samson and Delilah*
  9. Danse Macabre
  10. Piano Concerto No. 4 in C Minor

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWCZq33BrOo&list=PLEXM-evUYOx-12PoBtXtnAu24yyYbMq-9

Georges Bizet (1838-1875)

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Bizet is best remembered for his groundbreaking opera Carmen, which to this day is the most recognizable work of the genre. But he is responsible for much more great music including more operas and underrated symphonic works.

Greatest Works:

  1. Carmen*
  2. Symphony in C major
  3. L’Arlesienne Suite
  4. Les pecheurs de perles*
  5. Jeux d’enfants
  6. La jolie fille de Perth*
  7. Roma Symphony
  8. Te Deum
  9. Djamileh*
  10. Ivan IV*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPPzNgBsN6g&list=PLEXM-evUYOx8wkuILsl_jby9Ph9ScHq1y


Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881)

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A member of the Russian Five, Mussorgsky focused on creating a uniquely Russian sound in his works. He is most remembered for his operas and select orchestral works.

Greatest Works:

  1. Boris Godunov*
  2. Pictures at an Exhibition (arr. Ravel)
  3. Night on Bald Mountain
  4. Songs and Dances of Death
  5. Khovanshchina*
  6. Sunless
  7. The Destruction of Sennacherib
  8. Salammbo*
  9. Night
  10. The Nursery

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA-LLi7YZZE&list=PLEXM-evUYOx9ixN_imud09lQ3hQ01pO53

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

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The great Russian romantic was a skilled pianist and composer of many varieties. Although his symphonies and concertos are renowned, his greatest works are his ballets.

Greatest Works:

  1. Swan Lake
  2. Symphony No. 6 in B Minor “Pathetique”
  3. Symphony No. 4 in F Minor
  4. Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor
  5. Symphony No. 5 in E Minor
  6. Sleeping Beauty
  7. The Nutcracker
  8. Manfred Symphony in B Minor
  9. Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasy
  10. Francesca da Rimini

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyHjbijJb6Y&list=PLEXM-evUYOx–zvVPDcmm9lMU3ychPOCZ

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

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The most famous Czech composer of all time, Dvorak was an influential and creative artist excelling at symphonies among other types. He often incorporated old folk music from his homeland into his works.

Greatest Works:

  1. Symphony No. 9 in E Minor “From the New World”
  2. String Quartet No. 12 in F Major “American”
  3. Symphony No. 8 in G Major
  4. Cello Concerto in B Minor
  5. Rusalka*
  6. Piano Trio No. 4 in E Minor “Dumky”
  7. Requiem
  8. Slavonic Dances
  9. A Hero’s Song
  10. Violin Concerto in A Minor

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9RT2nHD6CQ&list=PLEXM-evUYOx-6V7eKxJUXmexpjqUoT0pt

Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900)

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With writer W. S. Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan produced dozens of comic operas that were, and some still are, wildly popular. Lesser known are his orchestral works of which he composed many.

Greatest Works:

  1. The Mikado*
  2. The Pirates of Penzance*
  3. Iolanthe*
  4. H. M. S. Pinafore*
  5. The Yeomen of the Guard*
  6. Patience*
  7. Ruddigore*
  8. The Golden Legend
  9. The Gondoliers*
  10. The Sorcerer*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AtEIuagK-k&list=PLEXM-evUYOx9kzC4w-s2ulWgC0q-j77JI

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

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The composer of some of the most recognizable passages in the classical repertoire, Grieg is hugely responsible for bringing Norwegian culture to the rest of the world.

Greatest Works:

  1. Piano Concerto in A Minor
  2. Peer Gynt
  3. Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Minor
  4. Lyric Pieces
  5. Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folk Song
  6. Piano Sonata in E Minor
  7. Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major
  8. Symphonic Dances
  9. Violin Sonata No. 1 in F Major
  10. Two Elegiac Melodies

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG1csAWYVJ4&list=PLEXM-evUYOx9oIPReEbbM80G5BsYu0cx2

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)

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One of the founding members of The Five, Rimsky-Korsakov helped bring a unique Russian sound to the classical world. He was also a revolutionary orchestrator and music educator.

Greatest Works:

  1. Scheherazade
  2. The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh*
  3. Sadko
  4. The Golden Cockerel*
  5. Russian Easter Overture
  6. Capriccio Espagnol
  7. The Tsar’s Bride*
  8. Trombone Concerto in B-flat Major
  9. The Tale of Tsar Sultan*
  10. Piano Concerto in C-sharp Minor

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEN5ObBND88&list=PLEXM-evUYOx_V1ulDzIwRWu-s-AN2BZT1

Gabriel Faure (1845-1924)

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One of the great French romanticists, Faure’s style was equally influential to his modernist students like Debussy. He is best known for his complex harmonies in piano, vocal and chamber works.

Greatest Works:

  1. Requiem
  2. Pavane
  3. Piano Quartet No. 2 in G Minor
  4. Clair de lune
  5. String Quartet in E Minor
  6. Violin Sonata No. 1
  7. Berceuse
  8. Nocturne No. 4 in E-flat Major
  9. La bonne chanson
  10. Romances sans paroles

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X5_j766tdc&list=PLEXM-evUYOx-5VLgqGyA3Z230aXn4ZQ_S

Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

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Elgar was one of the most significant English composers of the Romantic era. His most famous works are iconic and some of his lesser known pieces were ahead of their time. His style, however, was more influenced by European instead of truly British tradition.

Greatest Works:

  1. The Dream of Gerontius
  2. Enigma Variations
  3. Symphony No. 1 in A-flat Major
  4. Cello Concerto in E Minor
  5. Symphony No. 2 in E-flat major
  6. Introduction and Allegro for Strings
  7. Violin Concerto in B Minor
  8. Falstaff
  9. Salut d’Amour
  10. Pomp and Circumstance Marches

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K55d9a8j8WE&list=PLEXM-evUYOx8V-Zp3Yile8G5QmPtbx4lx

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

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One of the most performed composers today, Puccini’s operas remain immensely popular for their soaring arias and heartbreaking stories.

Greatest Works:

  1. Tosca*
  2. Madama Butterfly*
  3. La Boheme*
  4. Turandot*
  5. Manon Lescaut*
  6. La fanciulla del West*
  7. Gianni Schicchi*
  8. Il tabarro*
  9. Suor Angelica*
  10. La rondine*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkMx0CLWeRQ&list=PLEXM-evUYOx9zxtGfwc_rmVwGlswuZY_x

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

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Mahler was not only one of the leading composers of the late Romantic era but also one of the greatest conductors. His busy career didn’t allow him to compose as much as some of his peers, but his symphony cycle is rivaled only by Beethoven.

Greatest Works:

  1. Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp Minor
  2. Symphony No. 6 in A Minor “Tragic”
  3. Symphony No. 2 in C Minor “Resurrection”
  4. Symphony No. 9 in D Major
  5. Das Liede von Erde
  6. Symphony No. 4 in G Major
  7. Symphony No. 1 in D Major
  8. Symphony No. 8 in E-flat Major
  9. Symphony No. 7 in E Minor
  10. Symphony No. 3 in D Minor

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EJn43FEmjo&list=PLEXM-evUYOx8PSK67OLlZokVMJfktJWMT

Richard Strauss (1864-1949)

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The successor to Wagner who pushed German Romanticism to it’s limits in form, harmony and orchestration. Most known for his operas and epic tone poems.

Greatest Works:

  1. Tod und Verklarung
  2. Salome*
  3. Ein Heldenleben
  4. Der Rosenkavalier*
  5. Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks
  6. Don Juan
  7. An Alpine Symphony
  8. Don Quixote
  9. Elektra*
  10. Metamorphosen

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6M3NdqyXNc&list=PLEXM-evUYOx-c2u8w6IuFAeLI_VuZh0KQ

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

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The great Finnish composer is as much a national hero as he is a revolutionary musical mind. In a time when seemingly everything had been done he managed to define himself with a unique sound.

Greatest Works:

  1. Violin Concerto in D Minor
  2. Symphony No. 2 in D Major
  3. Symphony No. 5 in E-flat Major
  4. Symphony No. 1 in E Minor
  5. Symphony No. 7 in C Major
  6. The Swan of Tuonela
  7. Symphony No. 4 in A Minor
  8. Finlandia
  9. Symphony No. 6 in D Minor
  10. Tapiola

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIafobNq-tU&list=PLEXM-evUYOx_wk5YdzMCcLLQrck5s_7Rk

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

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With his contemporary Holst, Vaughan Williams represented the end of the Romantic movement in England while modernism was emerging. His works often evoke pastoral scenes using lots of folk tunes.

Greatest Works:

  1. The Lark Ascending
  2. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
  3. Symphony No. 2 “A London Symphony”
  4. Symphony No. 6 in E Minor
  5. Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus
  6. The Wasps
  7. Symphony No. 4 in F Minor
  8. Symphony No. 5 in D Major
  9. Job: A Masque for Dancing
  10. The Pilgrim’s Progress*

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOWN5fQnzGk&list=PLEXM-evUYOx8bxyUGbyV5Zl5cxpHb7tdk

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

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Piano virtuoso of the late Romantic period, Rachmaninoff was not an extremely revolutionary composer, but his works are nonetheless masterworks. His body of work includes mainstays in the orchestral and piano repertoire and his pieces are often heavy and brooding.

Greatest Works:

  1. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor
  2. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor
  3. Symphony No. 2 in E Minor
  4. 9 Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 39
  5. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
  6. Six Moments Musicaux
  7. The Bells
  8. Symphonic Dances
  9. Isle of the Dead
  10. 13 Preludes, Op 32

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5mxU_7BTRA&list=PLEXM-evUYOx-_0NigdFZZVOLR0f40jyaF

Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

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One of the last English Romantic composers who greatly influenced the next generation. His suite, The Planets, is one of the most played works in the repertoire, and although his other works are lesser known they are worth a listen.

Greatest Works:

  1. The Planets
  2. Egdon Heath
  3. First Suite in E-flat for Military Band
  4. Choral Symphony
  5. The Cloud Messenger
  6. A Choral Fantasia
  7. Terzetto
  8. A Fugal Concerto
  9. Second Suite in F for Military Band
  10. St. Paul’s Suite

Youtube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtphY-4xjQw&list=PLEXM-evUYOx-cVHiHgJCAkrFObcc99WQx

*=Opera

^=Film Score

Guide to Essential Composers: Baroque-Classical, Modernist

2 Responses

  1. Guide to Essential Composers - Art Glut says:
    January 7, 2020 at 4:23 am

    […] to Essential Composers: Romantic, […]

  2. Guide to Essential Composers - Art Glut says:
    January 7, 2020 at 4:45 am

    […] Guide to Essential Composers: Baroque-Classical, Romantic […]

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