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Year 10 - Music

The romantic concerto

The concerto through time

Unit Summary

This unit explores the development of the concerto through the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. Lessons focus on typical features and how these evolved in relation to stylistic trends during those periods. It also includes analysis of a series of case studies, exemplifying the developments.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to identify and describe the key musical features of the Romantic concerto, and the ways that it differs from the classical concerto.

Key Notes

  • The Romantic concerto mirrored many typical features of Romantic music.
  • These include more complex textures, chromatic harmony, a larger orchestra and an emphasis on intense, expressive music.
  • Many Romantic concertos are extremely difficult for soloists and are highly virtuosic.
  • Bruch's Violin Concerto reflects many of these typical features.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • chromatic: notes from outside the key; chromatic movement often involves moving by semitones
  • virtuosic: shows off a performer's technical skill
  • rubato: when a performer slightly changes the tempo to add expression
  • cadenza: a solo section in a concerto in which the soloist plays virtuosically

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Romantic music is romantic (i.e. about love).

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

The Romantic concerto mirrored many typical features of Romantic music. These include more complex textures, chromatic harmony, a larger orchestra and an emphasis on intense, expressive music.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'chromatic'

notes from outside the key; chromatic movement often involves moving by semitones.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Romantic music is romantic (i.e. about love). Correction: Romantic music is generally expressive and emotional, but is not necessarily linked to the emotion of love. The emotions can be anything from dramatic and terrifying to dark and mournful. The name comes from a broader artistic movement.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 10 Music guide library.