Frédéric Chopin (jan 1, 1810 – jan 1, 1849)

Description:

a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leading musician of his era.

Chopin
A. Chopin’s Career: From Warsaw to Paris
1. Recognized for his talent at a young age, Chopin traveled at a young age.
2. He hoped to follow in the steps of Paganini, but never won popular success on that scale. Instead, Chopin won his fame in prominent European families.
3. In Paris Chopin made his public persona through his publications.
4. He died in Paris of tuberculosis, the most Romantic of all diseases.

The Pinnacle of Salon Music
1. Chopin cultivated a refined manner that allowed him to move among the wealthy.
2. Improvisation was an important aspect of his performance, and he later tried to write it down.
3. Most of his music is for piano solo.
4. He was one of the first to use the term “rubato.”
5. Most of Chopin’s compositions are character pieces: nocturnes, études, ballades, rondos, scherzos, and impromptus. He also has a number of dances.
6. The wide range of pieces, from large-scale works to miniatures, allows for a full picture of the enigmatic composer.

The Chopinesque Miniature
1. Chopin’s preludes are expressive performance pieces that demonstrate his penchant for improvisation.
2. Like those of Bach, Chopin composed a prelude in each major and minor key.

Nationalism as a Medium
1. The Polish dances, mazurkas and polonaises, are the most obvious Polish works by Chopin.
2. The moods and emotions of these works vary tremendously.
3. The mazurkas date from different periods in his life, and the style differs in each.
4. The polonaises are more heroic, as are the scherzos and ballades (and a few nocturnes).
5. The Ballade in G Minor demonstrates a goal-oriented overall shape through such narrative techniques.
6. The Ballade in G Minor is associated with a Polish Revolt, and some writers have
linked it to the “story of Poland” and its eventual independence.

N.B: Chopin had an affair with George Sand (Aurora Dudevant)

KEY TERMS
Rondo: a musical form with a recurring leading theme, often found in the final movement of a sonata or concerto.

Rubato: the temporary disregarding of strict tempo to allow an expressive quickening or slackening, usually without altering the overall pace.

Scherzo: a vigorous, light, or playful composition, typically comprising a movement in a symphony or sonata.

ballade: a setting of a literary ballad, a narrative poem, in the musical tradition of the Lied, or to a one-movement instrumental piece with lyrical and dramatic narrative qualities reminiscent of such a song setting, especially a piano ballad.

nocturne: a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. Historically, nocturne is a very old term applied to night Offices and, since the Middle Ages, to divisions in the canonical hour of Matins.

polonaise: a slow dance of Polish origin in triple time, consisting chiefly of an intricate march or procession.

mazurka: a lively Polish dance in triple time.

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