The 19th century was a period of music of much change. Within that era there were two main periods; these are Classical and Romantic. There are many differences within these periods and they can be explored through such concepts of music as pitch, structure and dynamics and expressive techniques. Even the title of the piece I studied was typical to the Romantic period. The word Elegie means a song of lament or an instrumental composition of a mournful character. The piece was written as a musical outpouring of grief for the composer’s late wife. The Romantic period uses a much larger range of notes; this can be seen clearly in the Elegie by Gabriel Faure. Throughout this piece it goes from the very lowest note playable on the cello (C) to some of the highest, often within a short period of time. Classical music tries to emphasis the grace and beauty of a melody often using singable and clearly defined musical phrases. The contour or movement is often quite different between these two styles. Romantic music tends to be more changeable and unpredictable as composers were led by their emotions. The melodies in the Elegie confirm this through its rapid changes in contour. There is a lot more chromaticism in the B section, This is a feature typical of the Romantic period. Music became much more emotional and free in the Romantic period. Composers used speed changes and sudden dynamic markings with more freedom as 19th century music was able to break rules in order to express themselves better. Performers of Romantic era music are encouraged to play using rubato: a rhythmic freedom made by varying the tempo. In Elegie, the wide contrast of dynamics can be seen in the image below. Within a period of two bars it changes from ff to ppp. Examples of typical Romantic period expression markings that are found in the Elegie include: cantabile espressivo and dolcissimo. The piece I studied, Elegie, is in a modified ternary form, but it did not a