The Music of Chopin
By: Mr. Emerlindo C. Matienzo
Marikina High School
MUSIC OF THE ROMANTIC PERIOD
(1820 – 1910)
• Romantic period was a time of
expansion. Industrial revolution
broke down and capitalism and
socialism grew. There was
already an advancement in
science and technology: Darwin
for his “Origins of Species”, and
the Morse’s telegraph was
invented.
The important names in literature were
Byron, Keats, Longfellow, Allan Poe; in
painting, Delacroix, Friedrich and
Gericault; and in music, Chopin, Brahms,
Bizet, Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Schumann,
Verdi, Liszt etc.
The keynote of the Romantic spirit was
freedom: political, economic, religious,
personal and artistic. The common
purpose is the free expression of man’s
feeling about himself, about humanity and
about the world in which he lives.
The music of the Romantic period
constitutes the largest part of the
music still played today and is usually
better known by the public than that of
any other period. During this period
instrumental music gained ascendancy
over vocal music but because of the
appealing, haunting and often sinkable
melodies of the instrumental music,
20th century musicians were inspired to
use the melodies of the music of the
romantic composers.
One of the leading composers of the
romantic period is Frederic Chopin
(1810-1849), from Poland. His music is
among the greatest ever written for the
piano, such as his etudes, nocturnes,
preludes, concertos, ballades,
polonaises, waltzes and mazurkas. All
his compositions include the piano and
most of his music is for the piano alone
that’s why he was known as the “Poet of
the Piano”. The piano was the most
important instrument of the period.
FREDERIC CHOPIN
Chopin, Frederic Francois, Chopin
was born in Zelazowa-Wola, near
Warsaw, probably on March 1, 1810. A
child prodigy, Chopin played the
piano in public when he was only 8
years old. He began to compose soon
afterward. Chopin studied at the
Warsaw Conservatory from 1826 to
1829 before leaving Poland in 1830.
He settled in Paris in 1831, and,
except for some travel, lived there the
rest of his life.
Chopin was a master of small musical
forms. His works for solo piano include
three sonatas, four ballades, four largescale scherzos, about 40 mazurkas in a
Polish 3/4 dance rhythm, and about 15
polonaises in a stately Polish dance
rhythm. His other solo pieces include
more than 25 etudes, 18 waltzes, a
barcarole, a berceuse, a bolero, a
fantasia, a tarantella, and several rondos.
The fantasia is perhaps his greatest
single work. His etudes are valuable for
their music and for use in teaching piano.
“Etude No 3 in E” is another work of Chopin
which was known to many as “No Other
Love”. An Etude is a study. It’s a piece that
develops technical skill and sometimes
composed for public performance.
An example of Chopin’s nocturne is
“Nocturne in E flat”. The melody became
popular because of the song “To Love
Again”. A Nocturne is a piece which is
supposed to suggest the atmosphere of the
night. It’s a small piece without fixed form
and dreamy and romantic in character.
Polonaise, waltz, and mazurka are all dance
forms in triple meter but with different rhythmic
patterns. Chopin’s polonaises and mazurkas
reflect this great love for his country.
Chopin’s music is individualistic and easily
understood. His melodies are lyrical and he is
fond of using ornamentations. Chromaticism is
also an important factor in his music.
In 1837, Chopin began a famous love affair with
George Sand, a French woman novelist. The
affair ended with a quarrel in 1847. He was then
seriously ill with tuberculosis. He died on Oct.
17, 1849.
Listen to Frederic Chopin’s
Etude No. 3 in E
ASSIGNMENT
• BIOGRAPHY OF FRANZ LISZT