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: Symphonic orchestra
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Item no.: 949522
for: Symphonic orchestra
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Item no.: 949506
for: Symphonic orchestra
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Item no.: 949470
for: Symphonic orchestra
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Item no.: 949468
for: Symphonic orchestra
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Item no.: 949435
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
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Item no.: 935579
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
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Item no.: 938541
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1060836
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1060772
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
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Item no.: 1009482
for: Mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
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Item no.: 1009481
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1059516
for: Mixed choir, piano
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Item no.: 1043784
for: Choir
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Item no.: 1043542
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
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Item no.: 1043372
for: Mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
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Item no.: 1043263
for: String orchestra
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Item no.: 977803
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1016518
for: Guitar ensemble
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Item no.: 1102799
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1068607
for: Concert Band and Vocal Soloist
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Item no.: 1068285
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1068284
for: Concert Band and Vocal Soloist
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Item no.: 1068077
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1067948
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1067506
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1022671
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1011488
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1016102
for: Voice, concert band
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Item no.: 1015318
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1356232
for: Flute, orchestra
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Item no.: 1690189
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
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Item no.: 1160653
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1132115
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1062004
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1061913
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1060636
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1060000
for: Concert band
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for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1062528
for: Concert band
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for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1064090
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1065998
for: Concert band
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Item no.: 1065635
for: String orchestra
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Item no.: 1201835
for: Horn, orchestra
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Item no.: 1201713
for: Voice, orchestra
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Item no.: 1201451
for: String orchestra
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Item no.: 1201397