The term romance (Spanish romance/romanza, Italian romanza, German Romanze, French romance, Russian романс) has a centuries long history. Beginning as narrative ballads in Spain, it came to be used by the 18th century for simple lyrical pieces not only for voice, but also for instruments alone. During the 18th and 19th centuries Russian composers developed the French variety of the romance as a sentimental category of Russian art song.

The Oxford Dictionary of MusicThe Oxford Dictionary of Music, Michael Kennedy, editor, 1985 (New York: Oxford University Press), sub "Romance". states that "generally it implies a specially personal or tender quality.

Georges Bizet's "Je crois entendre encore" from The Pearl Fishers (1863) is labelled a romance in the score.

As for instrumental romances, Mozart subtitled the second movement of his piano concerto no. 20 in D minor (K.466) "Romanze" and his Horn Concerto has a romanze and Rondo. Robert Schumann was particularly fond of the title for lyrical piano pieces.

Some instrumental music bearing the title "Romance":

• Beethoven's two Romanze for violin and orchestra, no. 1 G-dur, Op. 40, no. 2 in F-dur, Op. 50 takes the form of a loose theme and variations.
• Antonín Dvořák's Romance in F minor, Op. 11, for violin and piano
• Clara Schumann's Drei Romanze for violin and piano, 1853 (link)
• Robert Schumann's Romances, Op.94.

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