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: Male choir (TTBB), piano
Score
Item no.: 1111887
for: Flexible Octet
Score
Item no.: 1090561
for: Choir, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 288311
for: Orchestra
Score
Item no.: 288309
for: Women's choir [children's choir] (SSA), piano
Score
Item no.: 287895
for: String orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949670
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949587
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949546
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949539
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949535
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949526
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949520
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949512
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949511
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949497
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949453
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949451
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949448
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949443
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 951726
for: GCH (3) STR ORG
Score
Item no.: 457413
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 977483
for: Alto
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1204578
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 966211
for: Voice, piano
OTHER
Item no.: 263869
for: Double bass, piano
Book
Item no.: 962619
for: Chamber orchestra
Score
Item no.: 259966
for: Libretto
Lyrics
Item no.: 1356380
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1356363
for: Choir
Score
Item no.: 388796
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1356348
for: Solfege
Buch
Item no.: 264175
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1207169
for: Voice, piano
Book
Item no.: 966037
for: Wind ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 365563
for: Horn, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 194202
for: Guitar
Score
Item no.: 259609
for: Voice, piano
Book
Item no.: 965747
for: Guitar
Score
Item no.: 391136
for: Guitar
Score
Item no.: 832706
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 962098
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 912355
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 909626
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 999533
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1000682
for: Fanfare
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1000095
for: Fanfare
Score
Item no.: 1000041
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 257659