They were written by him throughout his life as a sort of diary. "He wrote two concertos, four ballades, twenty-four etudes, but fifty-seven mazurkas. "My favorite pieces by Chopin (and most likely his as well) are the mazurkas," Yoder says. His understanding of the fluidity of tempo in rubato, his sensitivity to the beauty of the sound in cantabile, his revolutionary approach to a technique based on naturalness and flexibility, and his aesthetics based on the honesty of sharing deep feelings characterizes his unique style and makes him a pioneer of new pianistic idiom."Ī quick and general breakdown of Chopin's varying genres: He composed ballades (single-movement piano pieces), sonatas (solo pieces usually written in three or four movements), mazurkas (Polish folk pieces), waltzes (dance music in triple meter, often written in 3/4 time), nocturnes (composition inspired by the night), études (short compositions to demonstrate the skill of a player), scherzos (light, playful compositions), and many, many more styles. "Often (as with his scherzos and sonatas), he adopted classical forms and poured into them a new spirit. "Chopin's music was based on a classical tradition of composition and he always pledged his allegiance to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and others," Yoder says. " Franz Liszt said, 'the atmosphere in which Chopin saw the light of day and was brought up, like a secure and cozy nest, was filled with a sense of harmony, tranquility, and hard work those examples of simplicity, piety and delicacy were always the most sweet and dear to him.'" "The Chopin we know wouldn't have been if not for the superb upbringing of family, the high level of education he received from his insightful teachers, the influence of his friends and the general political and intellectual atmosphere in Poland before he left his home for Paris at the age of 19," Yoder says. In 1832, he found a new home in Paris, France. In 1929, he made his debut in Vienna, and over the next few years, played for audiences throughout Poland, Austria and Germany. After three years there, studying under Polish composer Josef Elsner, Chopin moved on again, thanks to his parents' recognition of his unique mastery and talent. By age 16, he had several original piano compositions of varying styles under belt, and his parents enrolled him in the Warsaw Conservatory of Music. ![]() They hired professional musician Wojciech Zywny to provide their young son piano lessons, but Chopin quickly outgrew the kid-level classes.īy the time he was 8 years old, Chopin was fully writing his own compositions and performing for audiences in salons. By age 6, Chopin was already playing the piano and toying with composition, so his parents jumped at the opportunity to hone his early talent. His parents, Justyna Krzyzanowska and Nicholas Szopen, moved to Warsaw soon after their son's birth when Nicholas found a job as a tutor for aristocratic families. Libby argues that no one before or since Chopin has contributed as many significant piano works and writes that Chopin's impact on other musicians is "entirely out of proportion to the number of concerts he gave - only 30 public performances in 30 years of concertizing." In his surprisingly short career, Chopin managed to leave a lasting mark on the classical genre and the music world at large.īorn on March 1, 1810, in Zelazowa Wola, Poland, Fryderyk Franciszek Szopen, who went on to be known as Frédéric Chopin, developed an early ear for music. ![]() Writer Ted Libby may have said it best in his 2010 NPR article celebrating 200 years of the musical genius Frédéric Chopin. ![]() Getty Images/ZU_09-Getty Images/Howstuffworks In his short, 39-year lifetime, Frédéric Chopin wrote two concertos, four ballades, 24 etudes, 57 mazurkas and many other pieces of music, including sonatas, waltzes, nocturnes, études and scherzos.
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