Transcript File

Frederic Chopin
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Birth, Childhood, Education, & Death
• Chopin was born on February 22, 1810 according to
baptism records, but he was born on March 1, 1810
according to his parents.
• He was born in Poland.
• He died in Paris, France.
• In his childhood, he was a prodigy on the piano.
• From 1823-1826, Chopin attended the Warsaw Lyceum,
and in 1826 he began to study music theory, figured bass,
and composition.
Family Background
• For a living, Chopin’s father taught French at Warsaw
Lyceum.
• Chopin had 3 sisters.
• His sisters’ names were Ludwika, Izabela, and Emilia.
• His sister, Ludwika, also played piano.
• Chopin never got married, but he had many rocky
relationships.
• Since he never got married, he never had any children.
Music
• Chopin played the piano.
• He started playing piano when he was 6, and he published his 1st
composition when he was 7 years old.
• Chopin composed:
21 nocturnes,
27 etudes,
26 preludes,
2 piano concertos,
17 polonaises,
19 waltzes, &
58 mazurkas.
Chopin in the Romantic Era
• Chopin lived and composed during the Romantic Era.
• The Romantic Era was an era during the 19th century.
(The 1800s.)
• During this era, the Industrial Revolution was happening.
• The music during this time period is generally marked by
lyricism, fantasy, and emotional expression.
• Another composer during this time period was Franz
Liszt.
Chopin’s Accomplishments & End
• Some of his jobs were he performed concerts in Vienna and
Paris, and he also taught piano.
• Some accomplishments in his career:
He had students turn out to be professional piano players.
He got hired by royalty and wealthy French people.
He played for a private audience including Queen Victoria.
• Chopin was always prone to chest infections since he was young,
so it wasn’t a surprise when he passed away at age 39 of
tuberculosis.
• A quote by Chopin is, “Simplicity is the final achievement. After
one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is
simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.”
Chopin’s Music
• 3 major works written by Chopin are:
1. Minute Waltz Op. 64 No. 1
2. Funeral March
3. Fantasie Impromptu Op. 66
• The Minute Waltz was dedicated to Delfina Potocka who
was one of Chopin’s students and muse.
• This work is unique from this time period because it is a
solo work for the piano, not anything else.
Minute Waltz Op. 64 No. 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Oo
X6ZTUd3Vo
• This piece makes us feel
happy/major; it is very bouncy. It
also has a nice contrast in dynamics.
The Importance of Chopin
• We study Chopin because he was a major composer in the
romantic era, and he was a strong influence on composers who
came after him.
• He did ballades and other types of piano works before any other
composers did.
• We should remember that he was a main composer that
influenced the music that came after him.
• He influenced composers after him by showing what elaborate
and popular solo piano works could be composed.
• What we have learned about his composer that I didn’t know
was he was short-tempered.
• We also learned Chopin was 5’7 and weighed only 88 pounds.
Resources
1. www.yahoo.com
2. www.musicallyspeaking.com
3. www.biography.com
4. www.npr.org
5. www.kidsmusiccorner.co.uk
6. www.52composers.com