Frederic Chopin “The Poet of Piano”

1. Frederic Chopin“The Poet of Piano” By Maki Okubo

2. Chopin’s Life • Born on March 1, 1810 in ZelazowaWola, Poland, into a middle-class family. • He published his first composition by the age of 7 and began performing soon after. • Entered the Warsaw Conservatory at 16 • His name became known outside of Poland when his Variations, Op. 2, for piano and orchestra on Mozart's "La ci darem la mano" — written when he was 17 — were published in 1830 • Moves to Vienna • In 1831, he moved to Paris where he socialized and acquainted with other high society members and was a well known piano teacher. • He falls in love with an author named, AuroreDudevant also known as George Sand. They are together and live in her estate for 8 years. • Chopin dies in 1849 at the age of 39 from tuberculosis.

3. Chopin’s Music • Chopin is responsible for making the the romantical era the piano’s golden age. He is one of the most influential composers of that era. • He wrote well over 200 works including: 
58 Mazurkas
19 Waltzes
27 Etudes
21 Nocturnes
17 Polonaises
2 Piano concertos
26 Preludes • All of his works, without exception, involve the piano, whether solo or accompanied. They are predominantly for solo piano but include a small number of works for piano and secondary instruments, including a second piano, violin, cello, voice, and orchestra. • Several melodies of Chopin's have become well known; because of their unique melodic shape. They are instantly memorable and easily recognized. • Chopin was the first to write Ballades, he invented the genre.

4. Fun Facts • When Schuman heard him perform for the first time, he instantly became a fan. He declared, “Hats off gentle men… a genius!” • Chopin was greatly inspired by Bach. He urged his piano pupils to practice Bach every day to strengthen their fingers and exercise their minds with the mathematical music • It seems it's not just musicians are inspired by the great composer. A maker of fine vodka has borrowed the composer's name as a universal mark of quality.

5. Chopin: “Grande Valse”, Op. 42 in A flat major • Date: 1840 • Genre: Waltz • What to Listen For: • Melody: Modal steps with embellishments, turns, and arpeggios • Rhythm/Meter: 6/8 feel, triple meter, waltz • Harmony: Root chord chord, for the bass clef, melody supported by turns and arpeggios • Texture: Light waltz texture, polyphonic • Performing Forces: Solo piano • Form: // A-A-B-C-B-D-B-E-B // A-A-B-C-B //, waltz and variations. • Expression: Ritards or decrescendos at the end of 8 bar phrases in a dance-like style

6. Listening Guide Introduction0:00 Slow chordal accompaniment added to trill. A section0:11 6/8 rhythm, super imposed over 3/4 time signature 0:22 A section repeated. Up one octave

7. B section0:33 Straight 8th note runs and arpeggio’s C section0:44 Waltz on the dominant0:58 Section B repeated D section 1:08 1:24 Section B repeated

8. E Section1:34 Key change, wanders slight tempo change 2:10 Bridge2:19 Section B repeated 2:28 Section A repeated2:39 Section A repeated, up an octave2:53 Section B repeated in a variation, with cadenza 3:03 Section C repeated with cadenza3:20 Section C repeated 3:38 Section B repeated