The Romantic Period: 1820-1900
Chopin (1810-1849)
Frederic Chopin was born in Poland and was considered to be a child prodigy by the time he was eight. He toured Warsaw at a young age and began to compose his own music by the time he was twelve.
Chopin moved to Paris at a later age and would remain there for the rest of his life. He is considered the master of the piano for his generation with over 200 emotional and influential piano works composed during his short life.
Brahms (1833-1897)
Johannes Brahms was born in Germany and was very influenced by fellow composers Beethoven and Robert Schumann. Brahm's 1st symphony which took him ten years to write is often referred to as "Beethoven's Tenth".
He wrote a number of choral, symphonic, and chamber works but pianists remember him for the Waltzes and Intermezzos that he wrote for solo piano.
Liszt (1811-1886)
Franz Liszt was born in Hungary and was a composer, conductor, and virtuoso pianist. His passionate and turbulent life was the embodiment of the Romantic era.
Liszt was known for his showmanship in which he dazzled many people, especially women. His works were innovative in their approach to form, and the technical demands represent the highlight in 19th century virtuosity.
Debussy (1862-1918)
Claude Debussy was born and spent his life in France. His work was known for breaking traditional formats and was influenced by the music of exotic cultures. His music along with composer Ravel was termed Impressionistic which also referred to the movement in fine art. This style was considered less formal and evoked feelings or impressions of something.
Debussy wrote choral, orchestral, ballet and keyboard music. One of his most famous piano works was Claire de la Lune.
The music of this period was characterized by strong nationalism. Composers tended to express their emotions more in the music of this period.