Romance, Dance Fantastique

Both the opus 29 works are of a showstopping character and they possess undeniable artistic qualities. The Romance in G major (6/8, Andante molto cantabile), with its lyrical character and drawn-out melody, points unequivocally to vocal, song prototypes for this genre, as also evidenced by the composer’s reference to the model of reprise-type ternary form. Contrasting with the Romance’s cantilena songfulness is the lively Danse fantastique that follows it. This piece requires considerable technical proficiency of the performer and truly virtuosic form.

Essentially adhering to the key of B major (2/4, Vivace), it is close in formal terms to a rondo. The repeated refrain, which may be seen as a humorous allusion to an operetta galop or even a cancan, undergoes modification through variation over the course of the work, and its melody is heard in both the violin part and the piano part. Distinguished among the ‘couplets’, meanwhile, is a lyrical episode (B minor, un poco più sostenuto) which, after the tempo accelerates (the return of Tempo I), may trigger associations with Gypsy music.