Frederic ChopinCreated by

Birth, Childhood, Education, & Death

• Chopin was born on February 22, 1810 according to baptism records, but he was born on March 1, 1810 according to his parents.

• He was born in Poland.

• He died in Paris, France.

• In his childhood, he was a prodigy on the piano.

• From 1823-1826, Chopin attended the Warsaw Lyceum, and in 1826 he began to study music theory, figured bass, and composition.

Family Background

• For a living, Chopin’s father taught French at Warsaw Lyceum.

• Chopin had 3 sisters.

• His sisters’ names were Ludwika, Izabela, and Emilia.

• His sister, Ludwika, also played piano.

• Chopin never got married, but he had many rocky relationships.

• Since he never got married, he never had any children.

Music

• Chopin played the piano.

• He started playing piano when he was 6, and he published his 1st composition when he was 7 years old.

• Chopin composed:

21 nocturnes,

27 etudes,

26 preludes,

2 piano concertos,

17 polonaises,

19 waltzes, &

58 mazurkas.

Chopin in the Romantic Era

• Chopin lived and composed during the Romantic Era.

• The Romantic Era was an era during the 19th century. (The 1800s.)

• During this era, the Industrial Revolution was happening.

• The music during this time period is generally marked by lyricism, fantasy, and emotional expression.

• Another composer during this time period was Franz Liszt.

Chopin’s Accomplishments & End

• Some of his jobs were he performed concerts in Vienna and Paris, and he also taught piano.

• Some accomplishments in his career:

He had students turn out to be professional piano players.

He got hired by royalty and wealthy French people.

He played for a private audience including Queen Victoria.

• Chopin was always prone to chest infections since he was young, so it wasn’t a surprise when he passed away at age 39 of tuberculosis.

• A quote by Chopin is, “Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.”

Chopin’s Music

• 3 major works written by Chopin are:

1. Minute Waltz Op. 64 No. 1

2. Funeral March

3. Fantasie Impromptu Op. 66

• The Minute Waltz was dedicated to Delfina Potocka who was one of Chopin’s students and muse.

• This work is unique from this time period because it is a solo work for the piano, not anything else.

Minute Waltz Op. 64 No. 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=OoX6ZTUd3Vo

• This piece makes us feel happy/major; it is very bouncy. It also has a nice contrast in dynamics.

The Importance of Chopin• We study Chopin because he was a major composer in the

romantic era, and he was a strong influence on composers who came after him.

• He did ballades and other types of piano works before any other composers did.

• We should remember that he was a main composer that influenced the music that came after him.

• He influenced composers after him by showing what elaborate and popular solo piano works could be composed.

• What we have learned about his composer that I didn’t know was he was short-tempered.

• We also learned Chopin was 5’7 and weighed only 88 pounds.

Resources

1. www.yahoo.com

2. www.musicallyspeaking.com

3. www.biography.com

4. www.npr.org

5. www.kidsmusiccorner.co.uk

6. www.52composers.com