Download The Nineteenth Century Piano Piece

The Nineteenth Century Piano
and its Literature
The Development of the Piano
The Piano in 1800
The Piano in 1820
The Piano in 1850
The Piano in 1875
The “Concert” Grand Piano 2006
The Piano
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Popular in the home for “amateurs”
Instrument for virtuosos and musicians
Piano Literature
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Short, lyric pieces
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Nocturnes
Preludes
Impromptus
More descriptive titles
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Wild Hunt
The Little Bell
Programmatic titles (suggesting an image)
Frederick Chopin
(1810-1849)
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Mother: Polish
Father: French
Aurore Dudevant
“George Sand”
Chopin and Piano Music
“poet of the piano”
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Entire compositional output dedicated to the
piano
Literature includes:
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Études (virtuosic and technical study pieces)
Meditative nocturnes (night pieces), preludes, and
“nationalistic” dances, i.e., mazurkas, polonaises,
waltzes
Sonatas
Piano Concertos
Modern Piano Style
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One of the most original artists of 19th century
His musical life centered around the piano
“Everything must be made to sing”
Repertoire
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Nocturnes (night pieces) Adopted from John
Field
Preludes
Études (study pieces)
Waltzes
Mazurkas, Polonaises
Ballades, Scherzos
Sonatas
Concertos
Polonaise in A Major
Op. 40, No. 1 (Military)
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1838
Ternary form
“Allegro con brio” tempo
Listen for:
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3-part dance form
Use of traditional polonaise rhythm
Brilliant pianistic writing
More lyrical trio (B), played with rubato (robbed)
Prelude in E Minor
Op. 28, No. 4
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1839
From set of 24
Tempo: Largo
Listen for:
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Simple, conjunct melody
Chromatic harmony
Rubato
“Single” part form (through-composed)
Ends pianissimo
Franz Liszt
(1811-1886)
Liszt’s Music
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Symphonic poems – A ONE-MOVEMENT
work with a literary or pictorial program
Thematic transformation
Piano pieces – Creator of modern piano
technique
The Little Bell
(from Transcendental Etudes)
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1839-39; revised 1851
Influence of Paganini
Sectional, with variations
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A-B-A’-B’-A”-B”-A’”
Allegretto, in 6/8 meter
Full range of piano
Very difficult “virtuosic” work
Program Music
“The painter turns a poem into a painting; the musician sets a picture to music”
Robert Schumann
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Program music – Instrumental music with
literary or pictorial association supplied by the
composer
Absolute music – Music for music’s sake
Four types:
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Concert overture
Incidental music to a play
Program symphony (multi-movement work)
Symphonic poem (one-movement work)