Frédéric Chopin

Born in Poland, Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849) was a child prodigy who began performing in aristocratic homes at age eight. While on tour in 1830, political upheaval in Warsaw made it impossible for him to return home, so he settled permanently in Paris, France. After a successful debut concert there, Chopin soon earned a good living by teaching upper-class ladies and by publishing his compositions. Presenting only a few public concerts in his life, he preferred playing in salons (elegant drawing rooms of the French elite). He died of tuberculosis at the age of 39 after years of illness.

Chopin’s Keyboard Works

Most of Chopin’s more than 200 piano pieces are still performed today. Chopin created a new keyboard style with unusual harmonies that support vocally inspired melodies. His use of pedal created sounds not previously heard on the piano. Each of Chopin’s études explores a technical problem. At the same time, their artistic quality has made them part of the standard repertoire. Many of the études have nicknames, such as the “Revolutionary” étude (which has a turbulent left-hand accompaniment, a dramatic melody, and powerful chords inspired by the capture of Warsaw) and the “Butterfly” étude (which contains a right-hard part that seems to flutter across the keyboard).

Page from Chopin’s Polonaise, Op. 53

Composer and pianist John Field (Irish, 1782–1837) influenced Chopin and other Romantic composers. A student of Clementi, Field composed works called

nocturnes (night pieces), which were short, expressive, and song-like. Chopin, the “poet of the piano,” was inspired by Field and composed his own nocturnes, which revealed

feelings of sorrow and nostalgia.

Background: Early 19th-century Paris

Chopin

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