Download Chopin - Melinda Walker

Frédéric François Chopin
“Second Mozart”
BY MINDY WALKER
A Legend is Born
 Born March 1, 1810
 Nick name Frycek
 Born unto Nicholas and
Justyna
 Wrote his first
composition on
the piano by the age
of seven
Nicholas Chopin (father) Emigrates to Poland
 Chopin is the second oldest child
 Has older sister Ludwika
 Two younger sisters named
Izabela and Emilia
Piano Talent Goes Further
 Chopin’s mother teaches him the basics on the piano
 Realizes the potential Chopin has
 Family puts Chopin in professional lessons
 Passes piano teacher in talent
 Allows imagination and fingers to do all the work
The Second Mozart
 Age ten Chopin was given the name, “Second Mozart”
 Age 14 began to compose Mazurka in A minor which is
titled The Jewish
 Wojech Zywny gives lessons to Chopin from the ages of
16-21
 Beginning of knowing Chopin was going to make history
Moves the Family to France
 Age 19 begins performing solos in Warsaw
 Plays two concertos with pride
 Russians invade Poland pushing
his family to Paris, France
Franz Liszt
 Chopin considered a French
composer now
 Meets Franz Liszt in France
 Become composer partners
 Eventually become rivals
and go their separate ways
A New Love
 Age 26 Chopin’s wedding
engagement is called off
 Meets George Sand and may
have been the reason for the
break up
 Sand has children who
accompany her and Chopin
Past Becomes Present
 Begins feeling effects of asthma and tuberculosis that he
was diagnosed with at a young age
 Sand is a smoker and
attends parties that could
affect Chopin
 May have been the reason
for Chopin and Sand to
break up to obtain a smokefree environment
The Long Stretch of His Career
 Age 35 tuberculosis takes a toll on Chopin
 Begins feeling weak and sickness gets worse
 Still performs in Paris and London
 Continues writing music
 Understands his illness is going to take away his
career or even his life
Funeral Planning
 Age 38 in the month of February Chopin becomes even more ill
 Starts planning funeral services
 Wants body opened up and heart cut out when he passes
 Didn’t want to be buried underground and had his heart sent in an
urn back to Warsaw, Poland
 Mozart’s composition, Requiem to be played
 Chopin’s own composition named Suffocation or also known as
Prelude in E-Minor (Op. 28, No. 4) to be played as well
The Last of Frédéric Chopin
 October 17, 1849 Frédéric François Chopin loses
battle to his illness
 Funeral isn’t until
October 30, 1849
 Held at Church of
Madeleine
Prelude in E-Minor (Op.28, No.4)
 Composed this piece around the age of 20
 Most memorable composition
 Darker piece that may have been written describing
the way he felt
 Also known as Suffocation
 Played at his funeral
Nocturne in E-Flat Major (Op.9, No.2)
 Published in 1833
 Romantic song
 Most popular from one of three sets of Nocturnes
 Influence may have been directed to a piano
manufacture’s wife
Prelude Op.28, No.15
 Composed in 1838 in Vallemossa, Majorca
 Also known as Raindrops
 Had a vision while playing the piano in a monastery
Suffocation (2:43)
 Largo tempo then cut in half after 2:25 into the piece
 Pianissimo throughout
 Timbre is cold and sad
 Form shows repetition
 Melody is conjunct and in E-minor
 Overall a very sad and soft composition
Nocturne in E-Flat Major (4:30)
 Andante tempo
 Form is repetitive and shows contrast
 Rhythm is medium fast, smooth and upbeat
 Melody is in major
 Feeling as if a butterfly is fluttering, lands, flies and lands again
 Timbre is higher octaves and sounds peaceful
 Texture is soft and slow movement to your ears
 Uses of mezzo forte, forte and pianissimo
Raindrops (6:25)
 Tempo in adagio
 Movements with single left hand and alternating with single right hand movements
 Texture is smooth and soft
 Timbre is peaceful and continuous
 Melody contour is arch
 Harmony is consonance
 Pianissimo, mezzo forte and forte used
 Feeling as if a rainstorm is happening
Bibliography
 Huneker, James. Chopin: The Man and His Music.
The Floating Press, 2009.
 Sanchez, Juan Jose. Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9,
No. 2. 9 Setember 2012.
 Shelokhonov, Steve. Frédéric Chopin Biography. 2009.
 Yu, Fred. Our Chopin. 12 October 2008. 20 February
2014.