Musical Expression of Classicism & Romanticism

(online piano)

The differing means of expressing classicism and romanticism are:

Classical Expression		Romantic  Expression
Limited Volume Changes		Extreme Volume Changes
Steady pace throughout (like a clock)		Pace speeds up & slows down (rubato)
Continuous flow of notes		Sudden stops & starts / Silences
Minor chords used infrequently		Minor chords used more frequently
Consonance		Dissonance / Chromaticism
Tonal Certainty		Tonal Ambiguity

            A method classical era composers liked to use to emphasize order and logic was to 

            play a phrase and repeat it immediately.  This can be done in several ways...

      1.   Play a phrase (maybe 2 bars long) and then repeat it exactly.   Many times one section (e.g. the 

            strings) would play the first one and another section (e.g. the woodwinds) would play the second 

            as if they were having a conversation.

       2.   Play a phrase and then play its inverse.  For instance, Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - the first 

             nine notes move in an upward pattern, the second nine notes move downward in an inverted pattern.

        3.  Play a phrase, repeat that phrase, play a variation of the phrase, and have a fourth pattern that 

              resolves the variation.