# Advice on the Early Romantics



## Totenfeier (Mar 11, 2016)

This is my weakest area of classical appreciation, apart from Modernism, which is for another day. Early Romanticism is, for me, a murky fog dotted with faint names such as Schubert, Schumann (both of them), Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn. I feel that I'm missing something important, but don't quite know how to begin.

Please share with me your experience of coming to appreciate this body of work. Is there a way in that is better than the alternatives? I have Rubinstein's Chopin Mazurkas and Nocturnes, and just recently picked up Schubert's Symphonies 4, 6 &9 and Mendelssohn's Symphony #4 and the Overture and Incidental music to _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, which last I have heard before but forgotten about. Any thoughts?


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## Ekim the Insubordinate (May 24, 2015)

There are a wealth of excellent works in this area. Schubert's 8th and 9th Symphonies are masterpieces. His Lieder as well - try the Lieder cycle "Die Winterreise" or "der Erlkönig." And his "Death and the Maiden" string quartet no. 14 in D minor is incredible.

Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor is a wonderful work. Liszt's Piano Sonata in B Minor is a standout work of his. For Mendelssohn, his Violin Concerto is essential. For Chopin, I would add his Polonaises, particularly the 3rd and 6th.

Those are my recommendations. Of all those composers, I love Schubert the most. His late piano sonatas are also phenomenal. His total collection of Lieder is voluminous - and there are a lot of wonderful works amidst them. He also wrote some very beautiful masses.


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

Try Onslow string quartets and quintets - excellent!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto is one of the greatest concertos. I wouldn't want to miss that one!

The Liszt Piano Sonata in B minor is a great work. You might wish to try that one also.

A beautiful work for soprano, clarinet and piano is Schubert's The Shepherd on the Rock (Der Hirt auf dem Felsen). Very melodic and accessible.


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## Ekim the Insubordinate (May 24, 2015)

Here are some great recordings:
Liszt Piano Sonata - Claudio Arrau on Phillips
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto - Heifetz/Munch, Boston - this is paired with the Beethoven Violin Concerto, and is an amazing album
Schubert Death and the Maiden String Quartet - Takacs Quartet, paired with his Rosamunde String Quartet
Schubert Symphonies 8 and 9 - Munch


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Berlioz and Weber are missing.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

For Schumann:

His symphonies, chamber music and his oratorio Das Paradies und die Pieri.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I can prioritize my favorites in the group you listed;

Schubert
Chopin
Mendelssohn and Schumann (a tie)
Liszt.

So I'll stick with my favorite - Schubert.

*The String Quintet in C* - my choice for the most beautiful piece of music ever written. I like the Alban Berg Quartet performance among others.
*Trout Quintet* If you want to feel the joy of music making, watch the Christopher Nupen video of The Trout.
*Octet*
*Quartets 13 and 14*. 14 is the most popular but I like the first two movements of the 13th more. I had a lot of trouble coming to grips with 15. Finally did with the Quartetto Italiano recording 
*Symphonies 8 and 9*. The earlier symphonies are worth listening to, but not to start. Munch is a good choice
*Last 3 piano sonatas* Or maybe the *Impromptus *to start with
And you should definitely sample the lieder, although it may not be your cup of tea. I have a huge box set by Fischer-Dieskau, but I suggest you start with one of the recordings made by Emmy Ameling.


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## Razumovskymas (Sep 20, 2016)

Although maybe not that early but you shouldn't forget Liszt's orchestral work. To me compared to contemporary orchestral works (Schumann, Brahms...) they stand out in transparency, coloring, originality and sheer playfulness

-Totentanz
-Mazeppa
-Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe
-Les preludes
-Ungarische Rhapsodie #1 
-piano concerto's 1 & 2
........


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

I don't know any magic gateway to exploring the time period. What types of music do you like in the Baroque, Classical, and later Romantic time periods? Try finding similar works to those in the other periods you are exploring. If you like piano music, you may as well listen to just about everything Chopin wrote.

I have listed some favorites of mine from most of the composers you mentioned in your first post and a few others. I'm not sure where you draw the lines, but Schubert is the same period as Beethoven according to Wikipedia. I can give you plenty of Beethoven recommendations if you need them.

Schubert:

Ave Maria
Symphony No. 3
Symphony No. 5
Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished"
Wanderer Fantasy
Four Impromptus, D 935

Rossini:

William Tell (the full opera if you have time, as it is tops, but the overture is justly famous)
Thieving Magpie Overture
Il Turco in Italia Overture
L'italiana in Algeri Overture
Otello (entire opera)

Hummel:

Piano Concerto No. 3
Piano Concerto No. 2
Piano Concerto No. 4
Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 50
Rondo Brilliant for Piano and Orchestra

Crusell:

Clarinet Concerto No. 2
Clarinet Concerto No. 3
Sinfonia concertante in B-flat Op. 3
Divertimento in C, Op. 9
Concertino in B-flat for bassoon and orchestra

Ries:

Piano Concerto No. 3
Piano Concerto No. 9
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 2
Piano Concerto No. 5

Mendelssohn:

Symphony No. 4
Symphony No. 5
Songs without Words, Op. 19
Allegro Brillante, Op. 92
A Midsummer Night's Dream Scherzo

Liszt:

Piano Concerto No. 1
Piano Concerto No. 2
Totentanz
Etudes d'execution transcendante (Alice Sara Ott's version is my favorite so far)
Grandes Etudes de Paganini S 141

Chopin:

Piano Concerto No. 1
Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2
Nocturne No. 8, Op. 27
Scherzo No. 2, Op. 31
Fantasie-Impromptu, Op. posth. 66

Wagner (I don't know too much of his music, but check the opera forum for TONS of recommendations):

Ride of the Valkyries
Die Meistersinger Overture

Schumann, Robert:

Piano Concerto
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 4
Grand Sonata No. 1, Op. 11
Waldszenen, Op. 82

Other:

Henry Litolff: Concerto symphonique No. 4


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I have a real fondness for the early Romantics. There's a freshness, impulsiveness, intimacy and exhilaration in the music of Weber, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Chopin and Berlioz that really conveys the excitement of a new cultural sensibility. If I had to pick a few works that leave the Classical era decisively behind and open up new worlds of the imagination, I'd choose Weber's _Der Freischutz,_ Mendelssohn's _Midsummer Night's Dream,_ Berlioz's _Symphonie Fantastique_, and Chopin's _Piano Sonata #2_, but many others would do as well.


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## Alfacharger (Dec 6, 2013)

Etienne Mehul should be considered. I found this recording of his Symphonies and a couple of Overtures scrappy but highly rewarding. According to the liner notes a paper in Paris noted that he was the first romantic composer. A quote from a concert advert..

"Some say Étienne Méhul was as important as Beethoven in dragging music kicking and screaming into the Romantic age."

http://www.oae.co.uk/event/mehul-the-first-romantic/










Oh I almost forgot Marschner...






Another link on Mehul..

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/09/etienne-mehul-french-composer-romantic-vanguard


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## Totenfeier (Mar 11, 2016)

bharbeke said:


> I don't know any magic gateway to exploring the time period. What types of music do you like in the Baroque, Classical, and later Romantic time periods? Try finding similar works to those in the other periods you are exploring. If you like piano music, you may as well listen to just about everything Chopin wrote.
> 
> I have listed some favorites of mine from most of the composers you mentioned in your first post and a few others. I'm not sure where you draw the lines, but Schubert is the same period as Beethoven according to Wikipedia. I can give you plenty of Beethoven recommendations if you need them.
> 
> ...


Wow! My many thanks for such a rich vein of suggestion!


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

Something else I would ask is how you are listening to your music. If you want to explore an area of classical music with just the cost of your time, you can find almost anything for free on a streaming service like Spotify or YouTube. You can also look at the suggested videos on pages of pieces you already like on YouTube.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Here is a site i used to go on to check stuff out. They also have works by period. This folder is for Romanticism.

http://www.classical.net/music/rep/lists/rom.php


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## Totenfeier (Mar 11, 2016)

bharbeke said:


> Something else I would ask is how you are listening to your music. If you want to explore an area of classical music with just the cost of your time, you can find almost anything for free on a streaming service like Spotify or YouTube. You can also look at the suggested videos on pages of pieces you already like on YouTube.


You're forcing me to reveal dark secrets here, but my two primary sources for music are Youtube, and the bins at my local Goodwill store, where I can find some really excellent classical CD recordings by known artists and orchestras in pristine condition for $1.50-$3.00.


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

I hadn't considered Goodwill. We have a nice secondhand media store in Arizona called Bookman's that will sell for about half price, but I haven't seen bargains as low as $3. I'll try to remember to check the local Goodwill for classical music next time I'm there.


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## Totenfeier (Mar 11, 2016)

Just by way of example, here are some titles I've gotten in just the last month or so:

Vaughn Williams: Symphonies 8 & 9/Flourish for Glorious John, Leonard Slatkin, Philharmonia, RCA Victor Red Seal

Fantasies, Ayres and Dances: Elizabethan and Jacobean Consort Music, The Julian Bream Consort, RCA Victor Red Seal

Honegger: Symphonies 2 & 3 "Liturgique," Karajan/BPO, DG

Debussy: La Mer/Nocturnes/Jeux/Rhapsodie pour Clarinette et Orchestre, Boulez/Cleveland, DG

Debussy: Estampes/Etude No. XI pour les Arpeges Composes/Suite Bergamasque/Children's Corner/La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin/L'Isle Joyeuse/La Plus que Lente, Alexis Weissenberg, DG

Mahler #1: Mehta/NYPO & #10 (Adagio): Szell/Cleveland, Sony Essential Classics

Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 20-23, Annie Fischer, Sawallisch/Philharmonia; Boult/Philharmonia, Seraphim (EMI)

So, yeah. All of the foregoing cost me eleven bucks. And the cases are usually open, so you can check for wear (and to make sure the right CD is in the right case!). Not a scratch or blemish on any of them since - to be brutally honest, frank and stereotypical - the average Goodwill shopper will leave the classical CDs alone, in search of more congenial musical fare.


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

Alfacharger said:


> Etienne Mehul should be considered. I found this recording of his Symphonies and a couple of Overtures scrappy but highly rewarding. According to the liner notes a paper in Paris noted that he was the first romantic composer. A quote from a concert advert..
> 
> "Some say Étienne Méhul was as important as Beethoven in dragging music kicking and screaming into the Romantic age."


Excellent taste! Méhul's grievously under-rated; how could the composer of the Chant du départ and La Chasse du jeune Henri be neglected? _Uthal_ is a beautiful little opera - and short!

Marschner, too. Dramatic overtures, and an influence on Wagner: 



.

What about Weber, Hoffmann and Spontini?


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

Mendelssohn: Try:

_Midsummer Night's Dream_ - comes close to perfection; 
The Hebrides Overture - dramatic
Symphony #3
Octet, Op. 20

Berlioz:

Le corsaire overture
Le carnaval romain overture
Le roi Lear overture
La symphonie fantastique
Harold en Italie
Roméo et Juliette
La damnation de Faust (légende dramatique)
Les Troyens (opera)
Benvenuto Cellini (opera)
Béatrice et Bénédict (opera)

If Beecham or Davis are conducting, buy it.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Alfacharger said:


> Etienne Mehul should be considered. I found this recording of his Symphonies and a couple of Overtures scrappy but highly rewarding. According to the liner notes a paper in Paris noted that he was the first romantic composer. A quote from a concert advert..
> 
> Oh I almost forgot Marschner...


Mehul´s first symphony is great:






Heinrich Marschner´s Der Vampyr was the first opera set in Japan:


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## Ekim the Insubordinate (May 24, 2015)

I guess I am confused here - for someone trying to get into early Romantic works, I'm not quite sure why we are pushing some more obscure composers and lesser known works. They may all be worthy of hearing, and deserving of attention, but if someone is just trying to break into the music of this era, isn't it better to first acquaint them with the giants, and then once they become familiar with the music and come to appreciate it, at that point direct them to the other works?


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## Totenfeier (Mar 11, 2016)

Hey, I'll take anything I can get. I can always make and prioritize a list. It's all good (except that now I have to pop over to the Expressions That You Hate thread in the Community forum for that last one).


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## JAS (Mar 6, 2013)

Ekim the Insubordinate said:


> I guess I am confused here - for someone trying to get into early Romantic works, I'm not quite sure why we are pushing some more obscure composers and lesser known works. They may all be worthy of hearing, and deserving of attention, but if someone is just trying to break into the music of this era, isn't it better to first acquaint them with the giants, and then once they become familiar with the music and come to appreciate it, at that point direct them to the other works?


I think a mix is healthy and may even help a listener to appreciate "the giants" even more as well as providing a more well-rounded experience. (And it must be admitted that some lesser works are extremely enjoyable.) On the other hand, I would recommend that if one suggests a work, that its "general" status be indicated at the same time.


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

Schumann's four symphonies-irrespective of period etc they are quite simply great pieces of music.......any list which does not include the 2nd is flawed!


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

I'm quite a fan of Schumann's symphonies even if they aren't particularly respected. I prefer the 1st and 3rd though. Of course, when it comes to early romantics, it's hard to ignore the many enjoyable works from Schubert. I quite enjoy Mendelssohn's famed Scottish and Italian symphonies (probably higher preference for the former than the latter as a whole).

EDIT: Don't forget about Liszt's symphonic poems too. They aren't his best known works, but they may be his best works.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

No mention yet of Schumann's Piano Quintet? One of the major Romantic chamber works.


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