Romantic Music

What this page covers

This unit sits in the Western Classical Music History strand of Music. Most of what it lists is set-work analysis, and a lot of it centers on a few well-known pieces. You will find resources on Berlioz, Chopin, Brahms, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and Elgar, plus broader overviews of the Romantic period and its genres.

Where to start

If you want the big picture first, open the mind maps called Romantic Music and The romantic period, or the flashcard deck Romantic Era. They set the context before you move into single pieces.

Then choose a work:

• Berlioz: the mind map on Symphonie Fantastique walks through all five movements and thematic transformation. The Un Bal map looks closely at form, key, metre and orchestration, including the A major key and 3/8 time signature.
• Chopin: there are many maps and decks on the Raindrop Prelude, covering context, texture, tonality, harmony, melody, tempo, rhythm, structure and dynamics.
• Brahms: the maps on the Piano Quintet in F minor look at the scherzo's themes and bar numbers.
• Other maps: William Tell Overture is here too, with its soloists, key and time signature.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a mind map slowly and cover the branches you think you know. Then take a quiz on the same piece. The quiz Music - Chopin Prelude no.15 in D Flat Major asks about the piece's nickname and its form. Music Quiz Questions - Final links composers to key terms, such as Berlioz and the idée fixe. Where a quiz catches you out, go back to the matching map branch or flashcard deck.

Terms, composers and songs

Flashcard decks cover single composers, Lieder, the Russian nationalists and key terms. They suit short, regular sessions when you want to learn names and vocabulary. Some resources mention GCSE Music and A-level Music, so check that a resource matches your own course.

Make it your own

Choose one piece, work through its map and deck, then build your own set of flashcards or a map in your own words.