If you’ve been to a classical music concert, you’ve probably heard pieces from the Romantic era, which lasted from about 1800 to 1900. Many of the most loved and frequently performed works come from this period.
During this time, music became richer, more complex, and more emotional as composers broke away from the strict rules of the Classical period.
This article will look at 10 of the greatest Romantic composers, some of their beautiful works, and the innovations they introduced, like program music, changes in opera, and the rise of virtuoso composer-performers.
1. Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Ludwig van Beethoven bridged the Classical and Romantic eras. He started with Mozart and Haydn’s traditions but later created larger, more complex works. He pioneered program music — instrumental pieces that convey specific ideas or scenes.
The Romantic era drew inspiration from nature, literature, legends, and national identity. Many of Beethoven’s works reflect this, like his Sixth Symphony (the Pastoral Symphony), which depicts rural life with bird calls.
Beethoven sadly lost his hearing and was completely deaf by 1814, yet he continued to compose. His late string quartets are now considered masterpieces.
Related: Read our list of facts about Beethoven here.
2. Fanny Mendelssohn (1805–1847)
Due to the concerns of her family and the social expectations of women during the 19th Century, Fanny Mendelssohn found it difficult to work publicly as a composer. Many of her pieces were published under the name of her brother Felix, another great Romantic composer.
A keyboard prodigy, most of Fanny’s 460 compositions include the piano. She also wrote over 250 Lieder (German songs that set poetry to music), including Italien, which was a favorite of Queen Victoria.
Related: Learn more facts about Fanny Mendelssohn here.
3. Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
A piano virtuoso, all of Frederic Chopin’s beautiful, sensitive music featured the piano. This instrument became the main keyboard instrument during the Romantic era, growing bigger and more powerful, which allowed composers to write more dynamic and expansive pieces.
Chopin tried out new forms of music that emerged in the 19th century, including ballades and nocturnes (musical pieces that suggest the peaceful feeling of nighttime). Famous among these are Ballade no. 1 in G Minor, op. 23, and Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 9, no. 2. He was also well-known for his mazurkas and polonaises, which were influenced by Polish folk music and dances.
The composer spent much of his life in Paris. Despite his success, Chopin battled poor health and died of tuberculosis at just 39.
Related: Next, see our list of Chopin’s best Nocturnes here.
4. Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
Robert Schumann was a talented pianist, but he was forced to focus on composition after a hand injury left him unable to play with his right hand.
In addition to orchestral works, an opera, and many piano pieces, he helped advance the German Lied (art song) and created “character pieces” for piano, like Carnaval, op. 9 and Fantasiestücke (Fantasy Pieces), op. 12.
He also worked as an influential music critic; he founded the journal Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, supporting other composers like Chopin and Brahms.
5. Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Franz Liszt, a close friend of Chopin, is famous for being one of the best piano players of his time.
Known for his impressive performances and stage presence, his concerts were wild events where he played his own difficult pieces and piano versions of other works, often causing the audience to fight over his scarves and gloves and rip off their clothes.
The Hungarian composer also wrote several programmatic music inspired by art, like his Années de pèlerinage, which took ideas from Italian paintings. Other works of his that you might be familiar with are the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, the Dante Symphony, and the Mephisto Waltzes.
6. Richard Wagner (1813–1883)
Italian opera was dominant for years until Carl Maria von Weber, a late Classical/early Romantic composer, helped create a uniquely German style of opera.
Richard Wagner built on this by emphasizing drama as the key element in a blend of music, visual art, dramatic art, and poetry. One of his major innovations was the leitmotif, a musical phrase representing a specific character, now commonly used in film music.
Wagner’s famous “Ride of the Valkyries” is part of his epic opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, which takes about 15 hours to perform in full. His later works, full of adventurous harmony and the bold use of chromaticism, paved the way for 20th-century modernism.
7. Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)
After working as a composer and organist, Giuseppe Verdi had his operas staged at La Scala in Milan, but they received mixed responses.
After two of his children died in infancy, followed by his wife Margherita, who was just 26, Verdi almost gave up composition.
However, he persevered and created passion-filled operas such as Rigoletto, La Traviata, Aida, and Il Trovatore, establishing himself as the king of Italian opera.
Though he tried to retire, he made a surprise comeback with three late masterpieces, including the celebrated Requiem.
Verdi was also associated with the Risorgimento movement for Italian unification and was mourned as a national hero when he died from a stroke in 1901.
8. Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Johannes Brahms is often mentioned alongside Beethoven and Bach as one of the “Three Bs” of Western music. Born in Hamburg, he spent much of his career in Vienna, like many key composers of the 18th and 19th centuries.
His music is seen as a continuation of Beethoven’s legacy, whom Brahms greatly admired, while some of his compositions had influences from German and Hungarian folk themes.
Brahms’ body of work includes chamber pieces like the Clarinet Quintet, various works for piano and strings, and four symphonies. A famous one is the Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, op. 68; this piece took over 14 years to complete and is sometimes called Beethoven’s Tenth because the composer’s style influenced it.
9. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was the first Russian composer to make an impact on the international stage. His ballets — Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker — continue to sell out performances even today.
Other acclaimed works include his 1812 Overture, which commemorates the Russian military defense against Napoleon; his First Piano Concerto; and his Sixth Symphony, the Pathétique, which alludes to his rather traumatic personal life.
10. Gustav Mahler (1860–1911)
Gustav Mahler was a key composer who connected the Germanic Romantic tradition to the modernist sounds of the 20th century.
He was celebrated as one of the greatest conductors of his time, but his compositions were initially not fully appreciated. This was partly due to prejudice — Mahler, born to Jewish parents in Bohemia, faced antisemitism in Vienna and later had his music banned across much of Europe by the Nazis.
Today, he is beloved for his epic symphonies, which capture the full range of human emotions and experiences. Famous titles are Symphony no. 2, also known as the Resurrection Symphony, and Symphony no. 8, sometimes called Symphony of a Thousand.
Related: Read more about the greatest composers of the 20th century here.
Summing Up Our List Of Great Romantic Period Composers
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the most important composers of the Romantic period.
Each of these virtuoso performer-composers created groundbreaking program music, helped revolutionize German and Italian opera, and wrote technically challenging pieces.
And if you go to a classical concert, there’s a good chance you might hear more beautiful music written by these Romantic greats.
