The Late Romantics

The 19th century was an enormously fertile period in classical music, a time when conventional notions of form and harmony were pushed in bold, even discordant, new directions. Generally defined as starting sometime around 1850, the Late Romantic period saw composers pushing further away from the conventions of the Classical era toward music that was singular, idiosyncratic and challenging. From the folk-influenced styles of Dvořák and Tchaikovsky to the operatic heft of Wagner and Mahler, this is the music that paved the way for modernism's radical shake-ups and formed the foundation for 20th-century Hollywood film composition. Our editors regularly update this playlist. If you like a piece, add it to your library.