Romance

A lyrical, song-like piece typically of moderate length and gentle character. The term suggests love or tenderness, and the music is usually melodically prominent with unobtrusive accompaniment.

The romance appears across many national traditions as a vocal form before migrating to the piano. Schumann, Fauré, Sibelius, and Rubinstein all wrote piano romances. The form occupies a middle ground between the simplicity of a song and the elaboration of a fully developed character piece.