What Purpose Does Cross-Stringing the Piano Serve?

The advantages of cross-stringing is that the case of the piano can be smaller, the bass strings can be longer and the placement of the bass strings is in the center of the piano case, where they receive more resonance than when placed at the side. Cross-stringing is criticized by some as producing a "murky" sound.

Which genre influenced the melodic style of Chopin nocturnes?

They are typified by a tuneful and ornamented melody, with a left-hand accompaniment based on flat or broken chords. This tunefulness and the rich and refined ornamentation point to the vocal character of the melodic line, bringing to mind the bel canto Italian operatic style (Chopin was a great admirer of Bellini).

Which composer brought the orchestral lied to maturity?

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) exhibits Romantic tendencies principally in his songs. Like Haydn with the symphony and string quartet, and Mozart with the piano concerto, Schubert is credited with bringing the lied into full maturity.