The Romantic movement began in the late 18th century and was reaction to the reason and rationality of the Enlightenment. Romantic ideals include:
Emphasis on emotion and individualism
Nationalism and folklore influences
Inspiration from nature, literature, and art
Fascination with the supernatural and the exotic
Experimentation with extended chords, non-diatonic harmony, chromaticism, and unconventional modulations
Larger orchestras with new instruments and richer tone colours
Capability of piano extended (pedals, double escapement)
Rules of structure and form broken
Saxophone invented
Music as a means of personal expression and spiritual fulfilment
Popularisation of program music and character pieces
Ludwig van Beethoven
Hector Berlioz
Johannes Brahms
Frédéric Chopin
Claude Debussy
Antonín Dvořák
Franz Liszt
Gustav Mahler
Fanny Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Camille Saint-Saëns
Franz Schubert
Clara Schumann
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Richard Wagner
Giuseppe Verdi
If you wish to suggest an addition or change to this playlist, please use the feedback form here.