2.  Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was a half Polish-half French composer & virtuoso pianist of the early Romantic period.  Chopin wrote almost solely for the piano. His etudes, preludes, nocturnes, & ballades are all frequently played today.  Many of his songs were written in a Polish style, especially his mazurkas and polonaises, both traditional Polish dances.

3.  Chopin was a shy & delicate person who preferred more intimate gatherings & music.  Rather than performing in big concerts like Paganini & Liszt, Chopin performed in salons (private gatherings at rich, aristocratic houses). Here, he met & befriended many famous artists like Victor Hugo, Delacroix, Liszt, & Berlioz.

4.  Chopin’s pieces are usually soft, graceful, & relatively short. They express delicate emotions.  His beautiful pieces are famous for their voice-like “singing” melodies & surprising (but never disturbing) harmonic changes.  Though he was an outstanding pianist, Chopin’s music is not usually virtuosic & never shows off.

5.  One of 3 Nocturnes, written when he was 20.  In compound, 12/8 meter; sounds like a waltz.  Left hand: plays widely-spaced arpeggios in 8 th notes.  Right hand: plays a graceful, singing melody that becomes more and more ornamented throughout the piece.  Form: AABABA coda

6.  Try to follow along with the music in the video.  Call out Section A, B, and the Coda as you hear them.  Point out any interesting things you see in the score afterwards (rhythms, ornaments, etc.  http://youtu.be/YGRO05WcNDk http://youtu.be/YGRO05WcNDk  https://youtu.be/w2vLEQno9Ks https://youtu.be/w2vLEQno9Ks