Piano: Baroque Era to Romantic Era - Innovations and Evolutions

The Eras of Classical Music

Classical music is generally separated into five eras: the Baroque time period (1600-1750), the Classical time period (1750-1830), the Romantic time period (1830-1890), the Impressionistic time period (1890-1930), and the Modern time period (1930-present).  In this post, I will be comparing how the music played on the piano changed from the Baroque time period to the Romantic time period.  

The Baroque Era

During the Baroque era, the version of the piano used at the time was the harpsichord.  The harpsichord wasn't capable of playing at different volumes, so dynamics weren't included in music at the time.  Any dynamics that are found in the sheet music of pieces composed for the harpsichord during the Baroque time period were added in later after the development of the piano.  The harpsichord also only had 60 keys, making it have a smaller range than the piano which has 88 keys.  Due to this, the range of the pieces composed at the time was smaller than the pieces composed after the development of the piano.

The Baroque time period of music was the first time in musical history that melodies actually existed.  Minuets, gavottes, and bourrees dominated the majority of music played on the harpsichord.  Most of these pieces had ABA format.  There was a specific melody in the initial A section, followed by a B section with a different melody, and then it returned to the A section.  There was very little ornamentation and articulation used at the time.  Instead, counterpoint pieces were often composed and played on the harpsichord.  The word "counterpoint" literally means "note against note."  Instead of most piano music today, where the right hand plays the melody and the left hand plays an accompaniment, both hands play different melodies in counterpoint pieces.  

"Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by Johann Sebastian Bach

The "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" was written sometime between 1703 and 1707 by Johann Sebastian Bach.  Bach was a German composer during the Baroque time period that lived most of his life in Leipzig.  The word "toccata" literally means "to touch."  These pieces were often used to demonstrate the skill of the performer.  The toccata begins high on the keyboard and then progresses down the keyboard.  There are several arpeggios and block chords used throughout the piece that demonstrate Bach's technical skills.  

The word "fugue" means "to chase."  Fugues are a type of composition that is constructed of one or two "subjects" that are repeated or imitated successively.  They almost sound as if an initial question is asked and then the music provides answers.  You can practically hear the conversation that is taking place in the music.  The fugue in "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" has four distinct parts.  The fugue begins with a "question," and then the second part of the piece introduces the "answer."  The third section of the piece imitates the "question" again, and the fourth part imitates the "answer" again.  In a fugue, you can generally hear the main "subject" throughout the piece.  The composer will often alter it slightly to keep the listener engaged but still provide a level of repetitiveness.  You can almost hear the "question" and "answer" talking back and forth in the rearview mirror as the piece is ending.  

Trills

Music in the Baroque era of classical music did not usually contain much ornamentation.  However, in "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor," there are some trills within the dramatic introduction.  Trills are musical ornaments.  Musical ornaments are embellishments, or notes that are added in to give the piece more depth that aren't necessary for the melody.  In a trill, two adjacent notes are played back and forth at a very fast pace.  These trills help keep the listener engaged during the striking opening to this piece.

Tempo

Music during the Baroque era of classical music often have several tempo changes throughout each movement.  We see that her in the "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor."  At the beginning of the piece, the tempo is adagio.  Adagio is a slower, walking pace.  The music then transitions into prestissimo, which is a very fast pace.  Later in the piece, we go back to the adagio tempo.  After that, we return to the prestissimo pace.  Towards the end of the piece, we go back to the adagio pace.  It ends with a molto adagio pace, which is dramatic and slow.

Fermatas

There are several dramatic holds during the piece.  These are known as fermatas.  A fermata is when you hold a note for longer than its original value.  Bach makes use of these fermatas throughout the piece.  This provides a more pronounced effect and keeps the listener engaged as they eagerly wait for the music to start back up again.

The Romantic Era

The Romantic era of classical music was a time when the composers used music to demonstrate their emotions.  Music was a form of art used to demonstrate one's self.  During this time period, the composers expanded upon the emotional content of music at the time.  They used the music to communicate with the audience.  

Due to the romantic composers valuing self-expression over form, they often broke the "rules" associated with the classical music that came before this time period.  There was less of a focus on structural form.  On top of breaking the existing "rules," composers of the Romantic era created their own "rules" such as having melodies that don't resolve, excessive use of rubato (dramatically adjusting the tempo), as well as unusual chord progressions.  

"Un Sospiro" by Franz Liszt

"Un Sospiro" was written by Franz Liszt sometime between 1845 and 1849.  Liszt was Hungarian composer during the Romantic era that spent most of career performing throughout Europe.  The title of the piece, "Un Sospiro," literally means "a sigh."  I feel that this is a very fitting title for this piece.  The sound makes the listener just relax and "sigh."  "Un Sospiro" is considered an etude.  An etude is a piece of music that involves the hands crossing over one another as they play frequently.  The melody of the piece and the arpeggios switch back and forth between the hands throughout the entire piece.  

Key Signature Changes

"Un Sospiro" has sections played in the key of D flat major, A major, and F Lydian.  The piece originally begins in the D flat major key.  It then shifts into the key of A major.  After that key change, the piece changes into the key of F Lydian.  The F Lydian scale is the C major scale, but instead of starting and ending on C, it starts and ends on F.  The piece then shifts back into the key of A major before ending in the key of D flat major.

Dynamics

"Un Sospiro" is full of impressive dynamic changes.  The arpeggios played throughout the piece are constantly altering between cresendo and diminuendo, increasing and decreasing in volume.  This allows the listener to feel the emotions of the performer coming out in the music throughout the piece.  Shortly after the piece shifts into the key of A major, the piece is played "piano," which means softly and quietly.  It then progressively gets louder until it reaches "fortissimo," which means very loudly.  When the piece shifts back into the D flat major key signature at the end of the piece, the piece is played "pianissimo," which means very quietly.

Tempo Changes

This piece has several dramatic tempo changes.  It originally starts with a tempo of allegro, which is a fairly fast pace.  There are several ritardandos, dramatic slowing of the tempo, throughout the piece that helps to convey the emotions of the performer.  The tempo is increased to presto, an even faster pace, over halfway through the piece until the end.  After the tempo increase, the piece has several dramatic ritardando as well as acceleration sections.  These tempo changes keep the listener engaged with the piece.  

The Baroque Era to the Romantic Era

There is a huge difference in the sound of the music produced during the Baroque time period versus that produced during the Romantic time period.  The music composed during the Baroque era is more structured and formatted.  The music composed during the Romantic era, on the other hand, places much more of an emphasis on the emotional sound of the music.  I feel that comparing the differences in the sound of these two eras demonstrates the versatility of the piano.  The piano is capable of producing multiple different sounds and in turn generating different emotional responses in the listeners.  I feel that comparing the music composed for the piano in each of these different eras of classical music, as well as music composed for the piano today, shows how flexible the piano is as an instrument.

Sources:

Mello J.  26 October 2022.  Piano in the Baroque Period: Invention and Evolution.  Spinditty.  

Linton S.  6 January 2022.  The 4 eras of classical music: a quick guide.  Classic FM.  

20 March 2019.  The Romantic Period of Music.  String Ovation.

7 June 2021.  Romantic Period Music Guide: 5 Iconic Romantic Composers.  MasterClass.

Williams N.M.  2 July 2013.  The Liszt Un Sospiro Amplified.  Grand Piano Passion.

13 May 2015.  Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565.  Professor Carol.