Conservative and Radical Progressive Compositional Styles in the Music of Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, and Franz Liszt

The objective of this study is to examine the piano music of Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, and Franz Liszt to demonstrate conservative and radical progressive compositional techniques that these composers use. I examine their approaches through the lens of each composers’ treatment with several elements of composition: - Virtuosity and Technique - Sonata Form in the Piano Sonata - Tonality - Harmonic Structure This body of work evolved from my performance preparation of selected piano works by these composers for the recital portion of my degree. Prominent composers from the early to middle part of the Romantic era are often placed into two categories as composers: Conservative or Radical Progressive. In the case of Schumann and Mendelssohn, they are often labelled as conservatives, whereas Liszt is regarded as a radical progressive. The principal argument of this thesis concludes that Schumann must not be labelled as a conservative, but a progressive. Although he shared conservative idealisms in his public writings, his compositional approach in these four aspects does not reflect this. For example, Schumann employed a similar technique to Liszt using unconventional transitions between distantly related harmonies; a technique I characterise as functional enharmonic equivalents. This thesis shows that Schumann’s approach is original and unique, moving past the barrier of conservativism. Thus, his grouping with the conservatives should be reevaluated.