š¹ The Romantic Music Challenge
This challenge is about sharing the music you love!
Over five weeks, youāll learn a short Romantic-era (or Romantic-style) piano piece, focusing on expression, color, and musical intention rather than speed or volume. The goal isnāt perfection. Itās connection ā 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, weāll 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 ā Intermediate)
Beginner
BurgmĆ¼ller ā Arabesque, Ballade
Schumann ā Melody (Album for the Young)
Tchaikovsky ā Morning Prayer
Grieg ā Arietta (Lyric Pieces)
Gurlitt ā Romantic-style character pieces
Late Beginner / Early Intermediate
Chopin ā Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4
Mendelssohn ā Songs Without Words (easier selections)
Schumann ā TrƤumerei
Grieg ā Lyric Pieces (various)
Clara Schumann ā selected short works
Intermediate
Chopin ā Nocturne in E minor (posth.)
Chopin ā Waltz in A minor (posth.)
Mendelssohn ā Songs Without Words (Op. 19, 30)
FaurĆ© ā Romance sans paroles
Brahms ā Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2 (excerpt)
Short excerpts are always welcome.
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25 replies
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I'd like to play the Nocturne in B-flat by Pederewski -- it's slow-ish and lyrical, about 4 minutes in duration. Thank you for organizing another nice challenge/event.
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This is so motivating. Better than studying alone!
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I think I might learn Scriabin's Op. 11 No. 11 for this one. :D
I was sad to miss out on the Beethoven challenge. December was a bear of a month; I barely had time to practice. But I have high hopes for January!
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When I read the line āThis challenge about sharing the music you loveā, I felt drawn to learn and play the Florence Price Sonata second movement. (Itās been on my list for a while) Itās not Romantic Era of course, but a very romantic piece I would say. Iāve noticed that we should keep it short for this challenge, so I will find a short and fitting excerpt to work on colors, expression and musical intention.
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I think Iāll learn my first Chopin: Prelude in A, opus 28 no. 7.
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Iād like to learn Chopin Preludes in E major and C# minor
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I'll play either Rachmaninoff Etude Tableau Op.33 #3 in c minor, the Etude Tableau op.33 #5 in d minor, or the Rachmaninoff prelude op.23 #6 in E Flat.
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Iām currently working on Chopinās Nocturne, Op. 27, No. 2 in D-flat major. , could you please indicate the maximum excerpt length we should follow (e.g., less than 3 minutes or 4 minutes)?
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I'll play the most romantic piece that I can find.
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I am practicing Tchaikovsky Romance op 5 but if itās too long I can do Faure Romance instead!
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I'd like to learn the famous Eighteenth Variation from Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini op. 43, in the piano solo transcription by Michael Voleridge.
It's a very, very romantic piece by the composer often called "the last Romantic". It's short (about three minutes long).
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Schumann Melody. I came in at level 3 from taking the quiz and this is rated as level 3, so I will give it a go and I like that there is a lesson to go with it. I put it in writing here, so more likely to consistently work on it. Schoeder's Greatest Hits album includes it, so it has gotta be a good one. thanks ya'll!
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I'm working on the Chopin e minor nocturne, Op 72. I might join in.
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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 š . I'll see if this works to make the process more palatable.
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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.
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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 havenāt taken the time out to learn this one. -
Thinking of playing "Of Foreign Lands and People" by Schumann.
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Iāll be working on Lisztās Consolation No 2 in E major
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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.
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Iām 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.