Early Romantic Piano Music for the AmusTCL

The Early Romantic Period is roughly from 1800-1850. This PDF teaches you how to write in the piano style of the time, emulating such composers as Chopin, Schumann and Burgmuller.

This course is aimed at students studying for the Trinity Diploma in Music Theory, AmusTCL.

We explore the harmony of the era, look at the position of the piano and piano music within a historical context, and examine tactics and techniques for analysing piano music and writing it for the diploma exam.

Topics include:

• Defining the Romantic period
• Brief history of the piano
• Romantic harmony
• Motifs and their adaptations
• Chromatic chords
• Modal interchange
• Mediant progressions
• Substitute cadences
• Unresolved dominants
• Writing for piano, including textures, overtones, consecutives and accompaniment styles
• Analysis (questions, with answers provided)
• Method for tackling the exam question
• Checklist, FAQs and suggested reading