In your exam, you might be asked to identify the period of composition for an extract of Music.  You need to know how to identify the period of composition you are listening to (Baroque, Classical or Romantic).  Here are a few tell tale signs you are listening to a piece from the Romantic period.

TOP TIP: If you are asked to identify the period of composition for an extract, the follow up question usually asks you to give reasons for your answer.  The features listed below are ideal answers for this type of question.

Sounds Very Dramatic

Music in the Romantic period was much more dramatic than the Classical period.  This is because composers would try to portray emotions within the music.

Chromatic Chords and Melodies

Large parts of the Romantic concerto were still diatonic, but composers would experiment with chords and notes from outside of the key.  These are called chromatic notes and chords.  This would add dissonance to the music.  Dissonance is when notes clash with one another.  This was sometimes done on purpose to add a sense of expression and drama to the music.

Modulates to other keys

We know that concertos in the Baroque and Classical periods modulated to related keys, so modulation is not a new feature to the Romantic period.  However, composers in the Romantic period would often modulate to unrelated keys, making the modulations sound very dramatic.

Wide Range of Dynamics

The Romantic period made good use of dynamics and dynamic changes.  Again, this was to add a sense of dramaticism to the music.

Doubled Melodies

Doubling the melody means that two (or more) instruments would perform the main melody at the same time.  This created a thicker texture.

Longer Melodies and Phrasing

Melodies and phrasing became longer in the Romantic period.

Prominent Woodwind and Bass

These instruments played a more prominent role and featured more in the Romantic period.

Use of Ornamentation

Ornaments are used in music to make a melody sound more fancy than it actually is.  They are often not difficult to perform, but they add an extra element to the melody; they make it sound fancier.  You need to know about three different types of Ornaments for you exam.  Click Here to find out about ornamentation.

You will NEVER be asked to identify the person who composed the extract used in an exam.  But, you will most likely be asked to identify a suitable composer.  For this type of question you can identify any composer, as long as they are from the correct period of composition.

For the Romantic period, remember one of the following composers...

• Brahms

• Tchaikovsky

If you are asked to identify a suitable composer for the Romantic period and you put one of these composers, you will get the mark no matter who composed the extract of music in the exam.

The Romantic period continued the use of the Cadenza.  Sometimes, a concerto would start with a short solo passage performed by the soloist on their own.  This is also known as a Cadenza.  There could be more than one Cadenza in a movement.

Concertos are normally written in three movements (a movement is like a section of a song) - each movement can be quite long!  There is normally a fast movement, then a slow movement, followed by another fast movement (fast-slow-fast).  In your exam you will never hear an entire movement!  The extract you will listen to will normally be no longer than about 90 seconds.

Each movement of a Romantic concerto will normally contain the following sections...

Tutti

This comes from the Italian word meaning 'all together.'  During this part a Concerto, everybody in the orchestra will be performing together.  However, it was not uncommon for the soloist to not play during the Tutti section in the Romantic period.  This was so a new layer was added to the performance when the soloist started playing during the Solo section.

Solo

During this section, the spotlight is very much on the soloist (the virtuoso).  It is their opportunity to shine!  During this section, the soloist would play a technically demanding part; the correct way of describing this is saying they are performing vitriolically.  Note:  the orchestra still plays during the solo section; the orchestra accompanies the soloist. 

Cadenza

In this section the orchestra stops playing, leaving the soloist (the virtuoso) to play alone.  This was an opportunity for the soloist to really show off their abilities.  The parts played in the cadenza by the soloist were often very technically demanding and virtuosic.  In the Romantic period the cadenza would rarely be improvised.

If you are asked to describe a cadenza, the following will usually get you are mark...

• Virtuosic

• Fast runs

• Scalic

• Use of ornamentation

• Wide pitch range

• Use crescendos and diminuendos

A Romantic concerto will usually have a homophonic texture.  This means it will have a main melody with accompaniment.  This was the main texture used within the Romantic period.  However, there was a wide range of textures used within the Romantic period.  Sections of the orchestra would stop then re-enter so that the texture would go from thick to thin then thick again.  Some concertos also made use of a Polyphonic texture in places.

The YouTube videos below are good examples of Romantic concertos.  Can you identify the solo instrument?  Can you hear any of the features we have spoken about above?