Character Piece

A character piece is a short solo work, usually for piano, that conveys a single mood, scene or idea rather than following an abstract design. The form flowered in the Romantic era, when *Felix Mendelssohn*'s "Songs Without Words" established the lyrical miniature for domestic and salon performance and *Robert Schumann* filled cycles such as "Kinderszenen" and "Carnaval" with titled portraits and dances. *Edvard Grieg*'s ten books of "Lyric Pieces", *Frédéric Chopin*'s nocturnes and *Gabriel Fauré*'s barcarolles extended the type, which remains a staple of teaching and recital programming.