A FORMAL ANALYSIS OF FOUR SELECTED
PIANO CONCERTOS OF THE
ROMANTIC ERA by MELINDA ANN ERICKSON, B.M.

A THESIS
IN
MUSIC LITERATURE
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

MASTER OF MUSIC

Approved

Accepted

August, 1974

Oop-Z

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am deeply indebted to Dr. Paul F. Cutter for his direction of this thesis and to Dr. Thomas Redcay for his helpful criticism.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ii

CHAPTER
I.
II.

INTRODUCTION

1

BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4 IN G MAJOR
Introduction
First Movement: Allegro moderato
Second Movement: Andante con moto
Third Movement: Vivace

III.

CHOPIN PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 IN F MINOR OP. 21
Introduction
First Movement: Maestoso
Second Movement: Larghetto
Third Movement: Allegro vivace

IV.

49
51
58
60

BRAHMS PIANO CONCERTO IN B FLAT MAJOR OP. 83
Introduction
First Movement: Allegro non troppo
Second Movement: Allegro appassionato
Third Movement: Andante
Fourth Movement: Allegro grazioso

VI.

30
32
39
43

SCHUMANN PIANO CONCERTO IN A MINOR OP. 54
Introduction
First Movement: Allegro affettuoso
Second Movement: Intermezzo: Andantino grazioso
Third Movement: Allegro vivace

V.

10
12
21
24

CONCLUSION

67
69
78
84
87
93

BIBLIOGRAPHY

99

111

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The term concerto was used as far back as the two Gabrielis (1587),
Banchieri (1595), and Viadana (1602) to distinguish their works--motets for choir with instrumental participation called "concerti ecclesiastici"-from the then current style of a capella choral music.

In purely instru-

mental music the term came to mean contrasting performing bodies playing in alternation, one of the most typical traits of Baroque music.

The

history of the