Besides working on your personal research (contextual essay) on a topic of your choice we will cover in our lessons the following topics:

History:  we focus on the nineteenth century

Chapters from AHWM: 25, 26, 29, 30, parts of 28

From the perspective of developments in the nineteenth century we cast a glance into the twentieth century

Composers: Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, Grieg; Wagner, Wolf, Bruckner, Strauss; Fauré, Debussy.

Harmony: we will study characterstics of romantic harmony 

• chromaticism and enharmonicism 
• typical chords, turns and modulations
• the use of chromaticism and enharmonicism for different purposes by a variety of composers, such as obscuring tonality (Wagner c.s.) introduction modal elements (Fauré), new octave divisions and scale patterns (Debussy)
• 1800-1850, functional tonality expanded (concentric chromaticism)
• 1850-1900, romantic harmony approaching its boundaries; possibilities are exhausted, new directions are being explored

Analysis

Modified use of traditional form, form means, form principles in comparison with the 18th century:

• continued development of existing form types and procedures
• development towards more "fluid" forms 
• continued development of working with themes and motives
• emerging of developing forms besides sequential and balanced forms
• new relations within tonal structures
• length and proportions of musical form
• organic thinking and designing; aiming for unity in diversity