Frederic Chopin The Romantic Composer By: Kristianna Wright

Birth Controversial date of birth ◦ Debate between whether it was on February 22 nd, or March 1 st ◦ Family celebrated it March 1 st Born in the town of Zelazowa Wola, Poland Family moved to Warsaw, Poland

Musical Prodigy Parents were both musicians ◦ Dad- violin, flute. Mom- piano ◦ His mom taught piano lessons in their home His first teacher was Ludwika Chopin Started to play the songs he heard, and make up his own melodies at age 6 At age 7, he started publicly performing, as well as formally studying. He’s known as the “poet of the piano”

Love Life Maria Wodzińska, his first love, but her mother refused to allow them to be married Amandine Aurore Lucille Dupin was her real name, she went by George Sand &feature=related &feature=related ◦ Preview to Fantasie-Impromptu He had no heirs to pass his name down to

Revolutionary Written in response to Poland uprising against the Russians in November of 1831 Excellent example of Romanticism and how composers put extreme feelings into pieces they composed, and the use of personal events as inspiration for their pieces Piano solo ◦ First 30 seconds

Listening Guide Revolutionary :00 Theme A: Five note chord is played in the right hand, and a quick sixteenth note run follows in the left hand :05 Another three chords, followed by the same run of the left hand :08 Three more chords, then the left and the right hand play the same descending run that was played twice before, with a variation as it gets to the end :17 Theme A is continued, with the left hand playing continuous arpeggios, and the right hand chords as the melody :26 Theme A' is played, where the melody is changed, but it is still part of theme A :33 Theme A is returned :44 Theme A'' is played, where it's another variation on the melody, building up to Theme B

:51 Theme B, with the runs in the left hand different than previously played 1:13 Theme A is returned, with the chord played in the right hand, and the descending run played in the left hand 1:31 The ascending chords in the right hand melody line has a rhythm change, from the sixteenth-dotted eighth-sixteenth chord, to a triplet feel; this elaboration continues on the melody of Theme A 1:59 Theme C is introduced, the arpeggios changing drastically in the left hand, and the melody taking a turn in the right hand. 2:15 Ascending run in the left hand, leading to the ending of the song, with different variations of Theme A being played 2:31 Both the left and right hands playing the descending run of the beginning of Theme A, all the way down to the last chords of the piece

Fantasie-Impromptu Best-known piece written by Chopin Piano Solo Cross-rhythm pattern ◦ 16 th notes in treble cleff ◦ Triplet notes in bass cleff

Listening Guide Fantasie-Impromptu :08 Introduction: Beginning chord in the left hand, then arpeggios of the left hand, (sextuplets) (six notes for every beat) :14 Theme A, with sixteenth notes played in the right hand, and triplets in the left, which is seen throughout the whole piece. :26 Theme B, The melody is played on the down beat of the right hand :32 Continued Theme B (Theme B'), but the melody switches to the "e" of each measure (1-e-and-a 2-e-and-a), or the second sixteenth note of every beat in the right hand. It decresendos, to theme A :45 Theme A is repeated :54 Theme A is varied, making it Theme A' 1:01 Chord, then a descending chromatic scale, then a descending type run into the Largo part of the piece 1:12 Largo part of the piece is introduced, which is Theme C, slow arpeggio up, then down, repeated, then the right hand comes in with the melody, which is very sweet, and smooth

1:41 The melody repeats itself 1:51 Melody changes, and it continues 2:20 The second melody variation of this section is repeated again 2:57 The second melody variation is again repeated, with a dimenuendo, which leads into Theme A again. 3:24 Theme A starts again 3:38 Theme B repeats 3:44 Theme B' repeats 3:57 Theme A repeats 4:12 Descending chromatic scale again, and same as previous which lead into Largo section 4:21 Instead of going into the Largo section as before, it varies off of the pattern just played with swings between piano and forte 4:38 Melody of the Largo section is reintroduced, but in the bass clef, and played by the left hand, with the right hand playing sixteenth notes in the treble clef, all the way to the end, ritardando-ing, and staying piano the whole while. Ending with two rolled chords at pianissimo

Raindrop Listening Guide Raindrop Prelude Piano Solo :00 Theme A, melody in the right hand, eighth notes played in the left hand, this theme is played twice :34 Theme B is introduced, then repeated. It has a minor feel to it, in comparison to theme A 1:20 Theme A comes back, with a different 7 note interlope than before 1:55 Theme C is introduced, melody in the left hand, repeated G# eighth notes in the right, key change from five flats to four sharps (from D flat to E). (piano) 2:23 Theme C is repeated, with the right hand having an octave chord of G# (piano, but crescendo-ing), and occasional notes in the middle emphasizing the melody of the left hand 2:43 Theme C', Fortissimo, melody in the chords of the left and right hand combined, not counting the continuation of the octave chords the right hand is also playing 2:59 Theme C is repeated twice, second time having the right hand octave chords, with notes in the middle as emphasis on the left hand melody 3:43 Theme C' is repeated 3:59 The repeated G# prevails, but the melody changes, so this is Theme D, melody is in the right hand chords, not the repeating G#, and repeats half of itself before changing slightly at 4:44 4:44 Like in theme D, but the chords are a bit different leading back up to Theme A 5:04 Theme A, except before it repeats, it has a 10 note interlope, rather than 7 5:32 Right hand, one note melody, descending 5:40 Winding down towards the end, melody still in right hand, ends with a chord

Piano Concertos Chopin composed two piano concertos Concerto number 2 is actually the first one composed, but the second one published, thus giving it the 2 nd number They weren’t his forte, so he generally stuck with his own piano solos

Piano Concerto no. 2 ( _Concerto_2_in_F_minor%2C_3rd_movement.ogg ) _Concerto_2_in_F_minor%2C_3rd_movement.ogg :01 Piano comes in, introduces the main theme, with strings in the back ground. :15 Strings and low brass take over as the piano drops out, continue to play, building on the original theme, the high brass comes in strong towards the end with the last three notes before piano comes in :23 Piano takes over again, plays a variation of the first melody, strings in background :40 Beginning of a short call and response between the strings and brass, and the high woodwinds :48 Trumpets comes in, and call and respond with the rest of the symphony :55 Ends this section of call and response with two strong short chords, fake ending 1:00 piano comes back in with a different variation, with trills, and uses the complete range of the piano 1:14 Clarinet soloist takes over the melody, with the piano playing a lot of quick, soft notes in the back, and strings coming in at 1:18 1:21 Piano continues to play background, a flute soloist comes in and plays the exact same line, but at a fifth interval higher, strings come in again at 1:24 1:28 Piano starts out alone, then the base notes are played by both the piano and the lower strings as the melody line, and a flute is heard holding out a note 1:38 Strings have melody for a few bars, then it goes to a flute, all the while the piano is doing crazy stuff in the back ground, which goes to the foreground, as the flute stops playing, strings still in background 1:52 Clarinet takes over for a few notes, then it moves to the strings, then the flute continues to play which leads into

2:07 Percussion instrument, with low winds and strings, which leads into the piano taking back over, percussion instrument very prominent throughout this part; strings interrupted for a few seconds 2:19 Repeat of percussion instrument/piano part, added a variation, with the strings in too 2:40 Becomes more lively, staccato, and detached piano and strings play 2:47 Switches to legato, piano and strings continue to play, piano with lots of trills 3:03 Brass comes in for a second, piano continues 3:13 Clarinet plays a few bars, piano continues to play its intricacy, with strings, melody in the lower voices 3:36 strings drop out for 6 seconds, while piano does its thing, then strings come back in 4:01 melody changes, theme B, piano playing, strings in back ground 4:30 descending run by the piano 4:35 Lower voices come in strong for a measure, then it goes back to piano 4:49 Clarinet comes in with the melody, piano plays softly in the background 5:00 Another descending run by the piano 5:06 Return to theme A by the piano, strings in the back ground 5:20 Strings, brass, and woodwinds play melody

5:28 Theme A continues, but is different (varied), played by the piano 5:45 Becomes louder, cresendos, piano still playing 6:06 Orchestra takes over again, same call and response, as well as same trumpet part, as earlier in the piece 6:21 Very big chord, then the French horn takes over in a cute little melodious arpeggio 6:32 Piano comes back in, with all its fast runs, strings emphasizing certain parts in the back ground 6:50 Grows to a climatic part, then diminuendos, strings and piano still play 6:59 Quick chord played by strings, then piano grows, and does an ascending run, and strings come in and emphasize the final notes of the ascension 7:07 Energetic part, quick moving notes played over and over by the piano, as previous in the section, Theme B 7:21 Piano drops a dynamic level, and the music calms down 7:30 The music starts to build back up, played in the piano and the low strings 7:34 Piano plays octaves all the way up the piano, then resolves and goes back into playing normally 7:43 Orchestra is fully in now, plays a chord, drops back out and piano continues, but calm and sweetly 7:57 The sweetness, and retard ends, and the piano goes back to playing fast, with very contrasting dynamics between notes, and not as sweetly if you will, but still very melodious 8:05 Brass is back in, same with orchestra and woodwinds, but predominantly brass is heard, playing the closing chords of this piece

The End