1. Chopin’s “Nocturne in E Major”

2. Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin ( ) 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’s Style
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 Style
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 & rarely shows off.

5. Chopin: “Nocturne in E Major”
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 8th notes.
Right hand: plays a graceful, singing melody that becomes more and more ornamented throughout the piece.
Form: AABABA coda

6. Listening Activity 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.