The turn of the 19th century saw the dawn of Romanticism. This artistic and cultural movement was constantly striving for new ideas and new beginnings, during a particularly turbulent time in social, political and natural history. Browse our sheet music and scores, and explore all the romantic masters and their works today.
The reason and order of the classical period were balanced out in the romantic period by emotion and imagination. The word romanticism is derived from the French literary terms roman and romantique. Programme music uses melodies and instrumental colours to tell a story, to take the listener on a musical journey. The most prominent of all program music is undoubtedly the symphonic poem, created, explored and developed by composers such as Franz Liszt and Bedřich Smetana.
Compared to the Classical Period, the melodies of the romantic period became less and less regular and symmetrical, and the harmony more and more chromatic and dissonant. As the romantic period progressed, the possibilities of traditional tonality became more and more exhausted, and the beginning of the 20th century saw the departure from classical structure and form, and the movement towards modern and contemporary classical music.
In order to broaden the sound palate which set the mood and atmosphere for the romantic period, new instruments began to appear in the orchestra, and voices began to be deployed, choirs and soloists began to be introduced into traditional instrumental works. Throughout the 19th century, the fashion was expansion, both in music for Symphony Orchestra and in Choral Music, the forces grew and grew, far beyond the imagination of any of the classical composers of the previous century.
In the 19th century, Opera flourished, be it Italian verismo, French "Grand Opera", or Wagner’s new world of music theatre. The most important opera composers of the 19th century were Giacomo Meyerbeer, Gioacchino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, Vincenzo Bellini, Jacques Offenbach, Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi.
for: Piano
Item no.: 356357
for: Violin [flute], piano
Item no.: 356264
for: Violin, piano
Item no.: 356260
for: Piano
Item no.: 356245
for: Piano
Item no.: 356239
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 356230
for: Piano 4 hands
Item no.: 356228
for: Piano
Item no.: 356222
for: Piano
Item no.: 356203
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 768232
for: Salon orchestra
Piano part for conductor, Parts
Item no.: 1112004
for: 2 flutes (duet)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 393360
for: String orchestra; percussion ad lib.
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 369200
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 273373
for: Clarinet, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 396748
for: 2 trumpets (B-flat), horn (F), trombone, tuba
Score, Parts
Item no.: 362446
for: Mandolin, guitar
Item no.: 393917
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393889
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393850
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score
Item no.: 393841
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393836
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393827
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393814
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score
Item no.: 393686
for: 2 guitars
Item no.: 393682
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393669
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score
Item no.: 393666
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393644
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393629
for: Guitar, piano
Item no.: 393625
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393596
for: Piano
Item no.: 1356768
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 462751
for: 2 violins, 2 violas, cello
Score, Parts
Item no.: 462750
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 460311
for: Violin, cello
Item no.: 101631
for: Violin, cello
2 Performance scores
Item no.: 101630
for: Voice (high), piano
Item no.: 200042
for: Clarinet, piano
Item no.: 200183
for: Flute, guitar
Music score
Item no.: 102684
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 102367
for: Violin, guitar
Item no.: 462539
for: Accordion
Item no.: 102242
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 102236
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 102223
for: 1–2 accordions
Item no.: 102157
for: Akkordeon-Solo, Handharmonika-Solo, Akkordeon-Orchester:I, II, III,IV, basso, Handharmonika-Orchester: I, II, III,IV, Bass (F-B), Schlagzeug, Pauken
Item no.: 102048
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 100445