Writing very 'romantic' music?

Hey,

I've just become Obsessed with Prokofiev's Violin concerto in D Major - The 3rd movement (moderato)

Very beautiful piece.

First section of the movement is this very romantic sounding melody line which sends shivers up my spine.

Is anyone familiar without the ins and outs of such music and how one achieves such an effect?

Is it the use of particular colour notes or chord extension?

I know that it is definitely that Very high solo violin which creates a lot of the effect, but what melodically makes this so - almost - stereotypically romantic?

Chris :-)

I personally like very 'romantic' music.

honestly, i would just look at the score to that piece, or any other piece thats you feel is "romantic" and see what they do.

Just buy "How To Write Romantic Music" by Eugene McSap

Just buy "How To Write Romantic Music" by Eugene McSap

Lol thanks for the EXTREMELY helpful information. I just placed order on amazon.



lol

Prokofiev is not usually considered romantic. So maybe you are referring to something else - expressive melodic line, minor key harmonies, something else. Maybe there is a better expression than romantic that actually implies either candle-lit dinners for two or an exaggerated emotionalism and an obsession with the supernatural.

If you want romantic, just through a G+7(#9) chord in whatever you're writing.




Kidding.




I actually have no clue. I would a ssume that romantic music would be somewhat slow, psossibly in a major key, I but I don't care for major keys or slow music. Maybe I'm to young to write a romantic piece.
Maybe you actually have to experience romance first. Ah well...

~Kal

Yes, you are right albyth. Romantic really isn't a good term for what I'm talking about.

It isn't even particularly romantic.

It is that very early-Stravinsky harmony and melodic stuff.

Just gorgeous.

I think it is the way the melody interacts with the lush minor-harmony chords.
It seems to modulate every two bars nearly in the section I'm thinking of.

I just had a look at the chord progression:

For first 3 bars of the melody:
Gdim alternating in quavers with a Gminor (6/3) chord.

One bar of Bbm7
One bar of Dbdim7/E (natural) or something like that - alternating in quavers with Cminor
one bar Ebm7 alternating with Gminor
one bar Ab7 alt with Fminor
Abm7 alt with Cmin

etc.

Not a major chord in sight (excluding the Ab7 base triad)

Does the above mean anything to any of you?

lol

Chris :-)

to comment on your Stravinsky example there is a pattern in the minor chord prgressions, the chords are moving by major third motion...for example Ebm7 to Gm belong in distant keys from eachother, hence the exotic sound

Based on the harmony you seem to like, I'd suggest doing harmonic analysis of these

Prelude and Liebestod (from Tristan und Isolde) - Wagner
Prelude To The Afternoon of a Faun - Debussy
Verklarte Nacht - Schoenberg
Sonata No. 5 - Scriabin

gotta love mediant and chromatic mediant modulations.