Chapter 17 Romantic Piano Music

The Nineteenth-Century Piano By 1800 keyboard had been extended Both high and low notes added 88 keys as in today’s pianos Felt hammers replace leather ones Provided greater depth of tone Cast iron frames made, helped increase volume Standard size took up too much room in parlor of middle-class home Upright pianos developed about 1840 Increased demand for pianos and piano music

Chopin and Liszt Two most prominent romantic- era pianists and composers Chopin born in Warsaw, Poland,1810 Liszt born in Hungary, 1811 Their personalities were polar opposites Liszt loved playing to large audiences Dramatized his playing – turned piano sideways so his hands could be seen memorized his music Chopin didn’t like performing to large audiences, preferred intimacy of salon Frédéric Chopin, 1829 Franz Liszt, 1858

Portrait of Franz Liszt painted by Henri Lehmann in 1839 Born in Hungary, 1811 Moved to Paris in 1827 1830s, liason with Marie d’Agoult (Daniel Stern): 3 children; daughter Cosima married composer Richard Wagner In 1848, moved to Germany, assumed position of music director at court in Weimar 1861, moved to Rome to pursue religious training, given title of abbé, composed religious works Died in 1886 at age 74 Portrait of Franz Liszt painted by Henri Lehmann in 1839

Liszt’s Music Piano music includes brilliant showpieces requiring extensive virtuosity Transcendental Études Hungarian Rhapsodies Liebesträum (Love Dream) Works for piano and orchestra 2 concertos Hungarian Fantasia Totentanz (Dance of Death) Developed new genre called symphonic poem or tone poem Single-movement work that tells a story Best-known is Les Préludes Liszt at piano, based on an old photograph. From Century Magazine, 1886

The only known photograph of Frédéric Chopin, 1849 Born in Poland, 1810 Father French, mother Polish Frédéric gave public concert at age 7 By age 15 he had published compositions Gave performance in Paris in 1831, so well received that he remained there Relationship with author George Sand (Aurore Dudevant) helped introduce him to the intellectual elite of Paris Developed tuberculosis, died in 1849 The only known photograph of Frédéric Chopin, 1849

Chopin’s Music Known for solo piano music Used rhythms from Polish dances: mazurka, polonaise Composed études (study pieces) 2 piano concertos A few chamber works for piano and other instruments Some songs based on Polish poems with piano accompaniment Stylized rendition of joint portrait of Frédéric Chopin and George Sand by Eugene Delacroix

Featured Listening: Nocturne, op. 9, no. 2 by Frédéric Chopin Composed in 1831 Solo piano music Andante tempo Three themes that are repeated and embellished Nocturne is a “night piece” and is gentle and reflective Listen to the entire nocturne: Listening Guide Example from CD 1, track 37, p. 181

Listening Guide: “Erlkönig,” a transcription by Franz Liszt Composed in 1838 Solo piano music Fast tempo Through-composed form Quadruple meter Compare the piano transcription by Liszt to Schubert’s original lied (CD 1, track 36, pp. 171-173) Listen to this selection on CD 4, track 12, pp. 181-182

Other Romantic Piano Music Robert Schumann Character pieces (short) one mood, emotion, or idea romantic titles “Butterflies,” “Carnaval” Large works 3 sonatas Fantasy in C Minor Concerto in A Minor symphonic études (study pieces) Clara Schumann Multimovement sonatas Chamber works with piano Songs for voice and piano Focused on performance