160054 PS Piano music in the 19th century (ca 1830-1860) (2017S)

The seminar is designed as an introduction and overview of the piano music of the 19th century. The students will be confronted with the most important works of the era and questions about form, harmony and the technique of piano playing will be discussed. The virtuoso compositions of the "romantic" composers such as Schumann, Liszt and Chopin will be in the centre of the class. However, the origins of this virtuosity, represented through Kalkbrenner, Hummel and Moscheles will also be highlighted. Furthermore, composers who are not that renowned like the great Liszt-counterpart Thalberg and Clara Wieck/Schumann are being put into consideration, too.
The key issue of the seminar lies on musical analysis, especially of the sonata-form since late-Beethoven and on motivic developments and harmonic progressions, e.g. Liszt’s sonata in b minor. Apart from the sonata, new genres such as the opera-paraphrase, fantasia and cyclical compositions are treated. Finally, contemporary reception of this music shall be mentioned in order to emphasise the ramifications and the fascinating panorama of this time.

Additional to the thematic content of the class, methods of scientific practices such as quotation and research will be taught.