Music 1010
SEMESTER PRESENTATION BY CHARIS SMITH
Frederic Chopin
Romantic-Era Composer and Pianist
The Life of Frederic Chopin
Early Life
 Born on March 1, 1810 in Zelazowa Wola, Poland
 Studied piano with Wojciech Zwyny in Warsaw, as a child
 Age Six: he could play the piano and compose songs
 Age Eight: Gave first piano concert and outgrew abilities of his piano teacher
 1826: Chopin had composed many pieces that caused hos name to be well
known
 1829: Parents sent him to Vienna for a broader musical experience
The Life of Frederic Chopin
Early Adulthood
 1832: Settled in Paris, center of European
culture and Romanticism
 His music became highly regarded among elite
Parisian performers
 Became friends with other artists such as, Franz
Liszt and Hector Berlioz
 Focused on teaching, composing, and private
performances
The Life of Frederic Chopin
Adult Years
 1835: Engagement to Maria Wodinski
 1837: Engagement broken off by
Wodinski family
 1838: Began relationship with George
Sand
 1839: Diagnosed with Tuberculosis,
relationship grew turbulent, music
became more rich and complex.
The Life of Frederic Chopin
Final Years
 1847: Relationship between Chopin and Sand Ends
 1848: Began teaching lessons and giving private
performances
 1848: Declining health, Sister moves in with him
 October 17, 1849: Dies at age 38
Works
20 Nocturnes
25 Preludes
17 Waltzes
15 Polonaise
58 Mazurkas
27 Etudes
Accomplishments
Credited with originating the modern piano
style
Reinvented a form, the Scherzo
Invented the Ballade
Invented the Sonata
Contributed more significant works to
piano’s repertoire than any other person in
history
Music History
1.Ballade No. 1 in G Minor
2.Mazurka in B-Flat Minor
Music History
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor
Ballade: Associated with French poetry, as a music form
Sometimes called Chopin’s greatest musical composition
First version written in 1831, during early years in Vienna
Final version not finished until 1835 or 1836
Reflection of Chopin's loneliness and longing for family
Inspired by the poem, Konrad Wallerod
Different structure than other ballads
Music History
Mazurka in B-Flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4
 Mazurka originated in Mazovia Province of Northern Poland
Lively folk dance
In triple time with syncopated first beat
One of Chopin's 69 Mazurkas published in 1835
Long with clearly defined sections
In triple meter
Listening Guides
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor
i. 0:00- The piece begins with introduction
ii. 0:11- ascending melody
iii. 0:24- Introduction to Theme A. Calm mood.
Monophonic texture.
iv. 0:36- Dynamics of music is very soft. Mood
is soft. Texture is monophonic.
v. 0:51- Changes to Homophobic texture.
Mood is calm.
Listening Guides
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor (cont.)
vi. 1:00- Theme B Begins. The melody is smooth
with calm mood. Homophonic texture.
vii. 1:30- The Dynamics change from soft to loud
viii. 2:00-The texture is homophonic. Mood is calm.
ix. 2:25- A descending melody is repeated several
times. The tempo speeds up.
Listening Guides
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor (cont.)
x. 2:37- The dynamics change from soft to loud. The tempo becomes very fast.
The dynamics become loud. The mood feels angry and chaotic.
xi. 2:58- The tempo becomes slow. The texture is homophonic. The mood is sad
or confused.
xii. 3:07- Ascending melody. The tempo is moderate. The mood is calm. The
texture is Homophonic.
xiii. 3:30- The mood is calm. The tempo is very slow.
Listening Guides
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor (cont.)
xiv. 3:58- The tempo quickens. The dynamics are soft. The mood is calm.
There is a wide melodic range.
xv. 4:15- Theme A repeats.
xvi. 4:35- Dynamics are louder than softer. The tempo is fast. The texture is
homophonic.
xvii. 5:00- The melody repeats itself several times. The texture is
homophonic. The tempo is fast. The dynamics are loud.
Listening Guides
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor (cont.)
xviii. 5:17- Series of descending scales.
xix. 5:23- The melody is a long descending scale.
xx. 5:40- The tempo is very fast. The mood is angry and hectic. The dynamics are more soft
than loud.
xxi. 5:55- The dynamics change from moderate to loud. The tempo is very fast. The texture
is homophonic.
xxii. 6:15- Theme B is re-introduced. The tempo slows.
Listening Guides
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor (cont.)
xxiii. 6:36- The melody has a wide range.
xxiv. 6:45- The mood changes to clam. The Tempo becomes very slow. The dynamics
change to soft.
xxv. 7:23- The dynamics are soft. The texture is homophonic. The tempo is slow. The
mood is calm.
xxvi. 7:40- The melody repeats itself several times. The texture is homophobic.
Listening Guides
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor (cont.)
xxvii. 7:58-The tempo increases to very fast. The dynamics become very loud. The
mood is angry or upset. The texture is homophonic.
xxviii. 8:22- There is a wide melodic range. The tempo is fast. The dynamics are loud.
The texture is homophonic.
xxix. 8:30- The melody is an ascending scale.
xxx. 8:33- There is a long, melodic descending scale. There is a wide melodic range.
The tempo is moderate
Listening Guides
Ballade No. 1 in G Minor (cont.)
xxxi. 8:43- The mood changes to calm. The texture is
homophonic. The tempo is very eslow. The dynamics
are very soft.
xxxii. 8:57- The tempo is very slow. The texture is
homophonic.
xxxiii. 9:14- The piece ends. The texture is
monophonic. The tempo is very slow.
Listening Guides
Mazurkas in B-Flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4
i. 0:00- Piece Begins.
ii. 0:01- Introduction. The melody decreases chromatically. The
texture is monophonic.
iii. 0:09- The texture shifts to homophonic. The tempo is slow.
The mood is calm.
iv. 0:14- The harmony shifts from minor to major. The mood
remains calm. The dynamics are moderate, but more soft than
loud.
Listening Guides
Mazurkas in B-Flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4 (cont.)
v. 0:18- The harmony shifts back to minor. The tempo speeds up and becomes quite fast.
vi. 0:30- The tempo slows. The texture is homophonic. Moderate triple meter.
vii. 0:40- The tempo speeds up. The mood becomes more lively/happy.
viii. 0:55- There is a descending melodic scale along with the tempo slowing. The dynamics are more soft
than loud. The texture is homophonic.
ix. 1:22- The harmony shifts from minor to major. The texture is homophonic. The tempo becomes quick.
The mood is calm.
Listening Guides
Mazurkas in B-Flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4 (cont.)
x. 1:58- There is a wide melodic range. The mood is lively/happy. The texture is homophonic.
The dynamics is loud.
xi. 2:05- The tempo slows drastically.
xii. 2:10- The texture is monophonic. The tempo is very slow. The mood is calm. Very soft
dynamics.
xiii. 2:34- The dynamics shifts from soft to loud. The tempo shifts from slow to fast. This
pattern repeats itself several times.
xiv. 3:00- The texture is homophonic. The tempo is moderate. The dynamics repeatedly shifts
from soft to loud several times.
Listening Guides
Mazurkas in B-Flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4 (cont.)
xv. 3:22- The dynamics grows louder. The texture is homophonic.
xvi. 3:30- The tempo rotates from slow to fast and repeats the pattern several
times. The dynamics shift from soft to loud repeats the pattern several times.
xvii. 3:53- The harmony shifts to minor from major. The mood is lively/happy.
xviii. 4:00- Moderate triple meter with accents on the 3rd beat.
Listening Guides
Mazurkas in B-Flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4 (cont.)
xix. 4:16- The tempo becomes very slow. The texture is
homophonic. The mood is calm and almost sad.
xx. 4:40- The tempo is very slow. The Dynamics are soft.
xxi. 5:00- Homophonic texture. The tempo slows down greatly.
xxii. 5:06- The piece ends.
Works Cited
1. Baker, Theodore. The Concise Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of
Musicians. 8th edition. New York: Schirmer Books, 1994.
2. Libbey, Ted. "The Life and Music Of Frederic Chopin". NPR
Music, 2 March 2010. http://www.npr.org.
3. "Frédéric Chopin." 2014. The Biography Channel website. Feb 23
2014. htp://www.biography.com/people/frédéric-chopin.