From: Lily
Category: Piano
Instrumentation: piano solo
Duration: 6+ minutes
Difficulty: Advanced
Publisher: Alymar

Romance Without Words / Romance sans paroles is a highly romantic solo piano work written in the style of a Chopin nocturne. The themes are drawn from Act I, Scene II of Lily, transforming operatic material into an intimate instrumental work.

The piece is episodic in form, with developmental writing woven between lyrical melodic statements. Romantic in character and expansive in expression, it reflects Baxter’s ability to carry the emotional world of the opera into solo piano writing.

Premiered in Rome, Italy on May 8, 2011, by Elitza Harbova.

Written for advanced pianists, Romance Without Words / Romance sans paroles calls for expressive rubato, tonal depth, lyrical phrasing, and a strong sense of long melodic line.