LEARNING ABOUT THE ROMANTIC CONCERTO

LEARNING ABOUT THE ROMANTIC CONCERTO

1. SEVERAL CHANGES WERE MADE TO BOTH THE DESIGN AND CHARACTER OF THE CONCERTO DURING THE ROMANTIC PERIOD.

2. OFTEN, AS IN GRIEG'S PIANO CONCERTO, THE SOLOIST ENTERS IMMEDIATELY, THEN SHARING THEMES WITH THE ORCHESTRA

3. ALTHOUGH MOST CONCERTOS WERE STILL WRITTEN IN THREE MOVEMENTS, SOME COMPOSERS TRIED NEW IDEAS.

4. MENDELSSOHN, IN HIS VIOLIN CONCERTO, WROTE LINKING PASSAGES TO JOIN TOGETHER THREE MOVEMENTS.

5. ROMANTIC ORCHESTRA

   • THE ROMANTIC CONCERTO USED A LARGE ORCHESTRA: AND COMPOSERS, NOW CHALLENGED BY THE BRILLIANT TECHNICAL ABILITY OR VIRTUOSO PERFORMERS, MADE THEIR SOLO PARTS INCREASINGLY MORE DIFFICULT.
   • THE ELEMENT OF "POLITE COMPETITION" FOUND IN CLASSICAL CONCERTOS NOW BECAME TRANSFORMED INTO AN EXCITING AND POWERFUL CONFLICT BETWEEN APPARENTLY UNEQUAL FORCES: A SINGLE SOLOIST OPPOSED TO THE WEIGHT AND POWER OF A LARGE ORCHESTRA.
   • HOWEVER, DUE TO THE BRILLIANCE OF THE PLAYER'S TECHNIQUE AND SKILFUL WRITING ON THE PART OF THE COMPOSER, THE SOLOIST ALWAYS EMERGES FROM THE BATTLE WITH FLYING COLOURS.
   • ROMANTIC COMPOSERS USUALLY CHOOSE THE PIANO OR VIOLIN AS THE SOLO INSTRUMENT IN THEIR CONCERTOS

6. DIFFERENCES IN INSTRUMENTS

   • MORE STRINGS
   • MORE AND OTHER PERCUSSION
   • BASS CLARINET
   • HORNS
   • TROMBONES
   • TUBA
   • HARPS
   • PICCOLO
   • DOUBLE BASSOON
   • COR ANGLAIS
   • CONDUCTOR