In his concertos Beethoven joined in a sort of human expression that seems almost universal: a discourse of the individual and the group, or of leader and followers who sometimes work together in harmony and sometimes appear pitted one against the other (early definitions of the concerto, indeed, were divided as to which was the main idea of the genre cooperation or conflict). In his concertos Beethoven typically cast himself as leader; the concerto was for him mainly a youthful preoccupation intimately bound up with his prowess and ambition as a public pianist. The hope is that a wide-ranging consideration of the historical context will serve to cast new light upon the music itself, which remains the central focus of this study."

To that end, the editor has ranged widely throughout the gamut of forms and genres typical of the Romantic period. The symphony is reprenseted by one early and one late work; literature of the piano includes several sonatas and short lyric pieces; the virtuoso performer is acknowledged in a Liszt paraphrase and a Brahms concerto. Examples of chamber music, the tone poem, and the oratorio are all included. The lied is introduced through works by Schubert, Schumann, and Hugo Wolf. The opera is lavishly represented by excerpts from Rossini, Wagner, Verdi, and Musorgsky masterpieces. For each of the thirty-eight selections in this anthology, the very best edition currently available has been reproduced. Wherever possible, Professor Plantinga has included complete pieces; given the mammoth proportions of many nineteenth-century works this has not always been practical. All texts have been given in the original language and in English translation.