🎹 The Romantic Music Challenge
This challenge is about sharing the music you love!
Over five weeks, you’ll learn a short Romantic-era (or Romantic-style) piano piece, focusing on expression, color, and musical intention rather than speed or volume. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s connection — to the music, and to your own sound.
You can play along quietly on your own, or share your progress through words or video with the community. At the end, we’ll celebrate together with a February 13 Romantic Watch Party.
How It Works
Choose one short piece (or a short excerpt)
Romantic or lyric in spirit
Work on the same piece throughout the challenge
Suggested Repertoire (Beginner → Intermediate)
Beginner
Burgmüller – Arabesque, Ballade
Schumann – Melody (Album for the Young)
Tchaikovsky – Morning Prayer
Grieg – Arietta (Lyric Pieces)
Gurlitt – Romantic-style character pieces
Late Beginner / Early Intermediate
Chopin – Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4
Mendelssohn – Songs Without Words (easier selections)
Schumann – Träumerei
Grieg – Lyric Pieces (various)
Clara Schumann – selected short works
Intermediate
Chopin – Nocturne in E minor (posth.)
Chopin – Waltz in A minor (posth.)
Mendelssohn – Songs Without Words (Op. 19, 30)
Fauré – Romance sans paroles
Brahms – Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 (excerpt)
Short excerpts are always welcome.
To sign up for notifications, please follow this link!
72 replies
-
Is this the correct place to discuss the challenges we encounter? Because I'm one page in and already dreading the experience of learning/memorizing a new piece. It's a process that I've never enjoyed. But I'm adopting a new way to look at it now: I try to see it as getting acquainted with the piece. Like when a romance begins I suppose 😅. I'll see if this works to make the process more palatable.
-
I wish I had the time to learn one of Earl Wild's marvelous transcriptions of Gershwin's songs. Maybe next year. One work I do have "under my belt" is the beautiful Intermezzo, Op. 118 No. 2 by Brahms, supposedly written for Clara Schumann. I just can't think where to excerpt the piece; it seems a bit brutal to try to cut it short. I have also just started on a piano transcription of "Autumn Leaves" as covered by Eva Cassidy transcribed by Miranda Shvangiradze. I'll see if I can have that ready in time.
-
I think I will learn traumerei for this!
Looking forward to focusing on expression through this short piece. Of course seeing Horowitz perform this was wildly inspirational but I just simply haven’t taken the time out to learn this one. -
Thinking of playing "Of Foreign Lands and People" by Schumann.
-
I’ll be working on Liszt’s Consolation No 2 in E major
-
The great Italian composer Luciano Berio passed away in 2003. On October 24, 2025, he would have turned 100 years old, but it seems to me that the day came and went without much fanfare. Belatedly, I will do my part to honor his memory by learning and playing a little piece he wrote in 1965 in a surprisingly and unabashedly romantic, lyrical style: "Wasserklavier" (water piano). It is very short - two pages of music, two minutes long - but the delicate layering of sound and subtle rhythmical intricacies make it suitably challenging for five weeks if one wants to do its exquisite beauty justice.
-
I’m heavily indebted to the music I started and half-dropped during the Chopin challenge last year, so I might take an idea from there, but the final piece to focus on is not clear yet.
-
I am in progress with Polonaise-Fantasie, Chopin op 61. Take this challenge to come forward. I like these kind if activity. It always speeds me up. 😄
-
I’ll do some Rachmaninoff!
-
I’m going to try the Fauré that was suggested. This is the first time I’m participating and I’m looking forward to the experience.
-
I’m thinking of playing a few of Brahms Handel Variations for the challenge.