Frederic Chopin (1810-1849, aged 39)
Chopin, the great Polish musician and composer, stayed with the piano throughout his life. Almost all his creations were piano music. He was Known as the "romantic piano poet". He often performed to raise funds for his compatriots and performed for nobles abroad. In 1837, he sternly refused the position of "chief pianist to His Majesty the Emperor of Russia" awarded to him by Tsarist Russia. Schumann called his music like "a cannon hidden among the flowers", announcing to the world: "Poland will not fall." Chopin lived a very lonely life in his later years, and painfully called himself a "Polish orphan far away from his mother." Before his death, he asked his sister Ludwika to transport his heart back to his motherland.
Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849) was born in Zeryazowa Volia, a suburb of Warsaw. His father, Nikolay Chopin, was originally a Frenchman who later moved to Poland and participated in the 1794 uprising against the invaders led by Polish national hero Kostyushko (1746-1817). After the failure of the uprising, he lived in Warsaw and relied on teaching and other jobs to make a living. Later, he opened a boarding school at home. From then on, he no longer participated in political affairs and just wanted to live in peace. However, he maintained close contacts with people in the cultural circles in Warsaw, which had an impact on the young Chopin's ideological growth.
[Edit this paragraph] Life
Chopin was born on March 1, 1810 in Zelazowa Wola, a suburb of Warsaw. My father was originally from France and was a French teacher in a middle school in Warsaw. Later he opened a boarding school for the children of nobles from other provinces who came to Warsaw to study. Her mother was Polish and worked as a housekeeper in a family of aristocratic relatives. Chopin learned piano from a Czech musician W. Zivny when he was young. He could write music scores at the age of 7 and began to perform in public at the age of 8. In 1824, he studied music theory under J.A.F. Elsner, a German musician and director of the Warsaw Conservatory of Music. After graduating from high school in 1826, he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory of Music and began his early creative activities. He graduated from the conservatory in 1829. At that time, the Polish national movement was reaching its climax. The national struggle against foreign slavery and for freedom and independence had a profound impact on the young Chopin's thoughts and cultivated his national feelings and patriotic enthusiasm. In March 1830, Chopin performed his early masterpiece "Piano Concerto No. 2" (F minor) in Warsaw. In October of the same year, he performed another masterpiece "Piano Concerto No. 1" (E minor) at his farewell concert in Warsaw. minor), all were successful. On November 2, Chopin left Warsaw with a handful of Polish soil presented by his friends, went abroad for further studies, and left his motherland forever. While staying in Vienna in early December, he learned about the uprising in Warsaw. He was anxious that he could not participate in the uprising. At that time, he wanted to return to Poland to participate in the struggle, but was dissuaded by his friends and failed to realize it. At the beginning of the next year, when he was traveling to Paris and passing through Stuttgart, he learned the sad news that the uprising was suppressed by Tsarist Russia and the fall of Warsaw. He was deeply shaken. These all left a deep mark on his creations at that time. After arriving in Paris, he gave up his plan to go to London and settled in Paris, engaging in piano teaching and creative activities. Here, in addition to having close contacts with Polish expatriates in exile in Paris, he also met many important figures in the Western European art world, including the Polish exiled poet A. Mickiewicz, the German poet H. Heine, and the French painter E. De Lacroix, Italian musician V. Bellini, Hungarian musician F. Liszt and others. The impact of these contacts on Chopin's spiritual life cannot be underestimated, especially the relationship with the French female writer George Sand, which had a profound impact on Chopin's thoughts and life. They lived together from 1838 to 1846 when their relationship broke down, and they lived together for eight years. From the time he arrived in Paris in the early 1930s to the mid-1940s, Chopin's thoughts and art were highly mature and he achieved extremely fruitful results in creation. From 1846 onwards, Chopin's creation began to decline. There are many reasons for this: several setbacks of the Polish national movement in the 1940s, Chopin, who had always had enthusiastic expectations for it, suffered a heavy mental blow and fell deeply into disappointment and depression; with George The breakdown of the love between Sang and Sang, the deaths of relatives and close friends in his hometown, and the deterioration of his health all caused deep trauma to his body and mind, aggravating his sadness and loneliness. In 1848, the weakened Chopin went to England to stay for a while and engaged in short-term teaching and performance activities. There he gave his last concert to the Polish expatriates abroad. After returning to Paris, his health deteriorated sharply. He died in his Paris apartment on October 17, 1849. On his deathbed, he asked that his heart be transported back to his native Poland for burial.
Chopin's creation can be divided into four periods, namely the Warsaw period, the Warsaw Uprising period, the heyday in Paris, and the late period.
Late period (1846～1849) During this period, Chopin's creation showed an obvious trend of decline. "Fantasy Polonaise" (1846) is an important work of this period. Although you can no longer hear the high and heroic sound like "Polonaise in A flat major" here, its music is due to its emphasis on The impassioned and impassioned passages sung out of some longing for the future of the motherland and the nation are still very contagious.
"Mazurka in G minor" (1849) and "Mazurka in F minor" (1849) are Chopin's last two works. The former is a kind and tender song, expressing the last attachment to life; the latter expresses the last longing for the motherland and relatives in a touch of sadness.
[Edit this paragraph] Masterpieces handed down from generation to generation
1. "Nocturne"
"Nocturne" was first created by the British composer Fielder (1782-1837) . He uses the form of beautiful melody accompanied by calm chords to express the tranquility of the night and the dreamy mood. Chopin inherited this form and greatly developed and innovated it. Chopin's "Nocturne" contains quite a variety of artistic conceptions, even passionate dramatic images. What is surprising is that no matter how complex and exciting the music is, it still retains the overall feeling of "night". Because Chopin gave "Nocturne" a new look, later generations regard "Nocturne" as one of the unique symbols of Chopin's creation.
Almost every one of Chopin's 21 nocturnes is so charming. Among them, the most familiar one may be No. 2, "Nocturne in bE major". Its main theme has already been deeply rooted in people's hearts: the middle section begins with a chant-like chord progression, which is calm and majestic, and contains inner power. This power started out as fragments, gradually accumulated, and the fragments became larger. Finally, it turned into an overwhelming explosion of octaves played in unison from top to bottom. At this time, I was really in the "dark night" and my heart was in the "day". . After the explosion in the middle section, "Night" could no longer calm down. When the first section reappeared, the same melody used a completely different accompaniment with a completely different texture. The original strict rhythm now turned into an uneasy triplet, and the music became The sorrow and sorrow cannot be subsided for a long time. After adding an extended ending, it reluctantly quieted down, and finally disappeared into the extended sound, but the heavy heart left behind never disappeared.
2. "Preludes"
Chopin wrote 24 "Preludes" in 24 major and minor keys. There have been various comments about these pieces of music. Some think it is the prototype of "Etude", or even a draft, some think it is a musical motto, and some think it is an improvised musical idea, similar to a "musical moment". Some pianists treat the 24 pieces as a suite and play them continuously from beginning to end, and some recombine them according to their own understanding. Indeed, these works are long and short, with different tastes and techniques, and are colorful from any angle.
We know that Chopin refused to publish some of his works during his lifetime, and later generations recognized them as musical treasures after they were published. Judging from this, Chopin was very serious about officially publishing his works. Since Chopin published these "Preludes" in 1839, I'm afraid they were not drafts. In fact, as time goes by, people cherish these "Preludes" more and more. Here are two of them that are often played.
No. 15 "Prelude in bD major", also known as "Raindrop Prelude". Here again I encountered someone else naming the music. It is intriguing to say that title music is one of the characteristics of Romantic music, but Chopin, the great Romantic composer, never added a title to his works to explain the music content. He also resented others naming his music. It can be seen that romantic music fundamentally lies in the temperament of the music itself, not in its reputation. Chopin's objection to a specific name illustrates the broad generality of his music. Therefore, when we appreciate those named pieces of music, we can only use the name as a medium for understanding and a way to get started. There is absolutely no need to limit our freedom of association and experience. For example, the name of the song "Raindrops" is obviously a bA (#G) sound in the accompaniment part. It keeps on the steady rhythm of eighth notes almost from beginning to end, just like raindrops dripping from the eaves. The ticking sounds are endless, andante:
The sound of raindrops brings out the tranquility, and a noble and beautiful song rises in the heart. With the sound of raindrops, my thoughts slowly turned heavy, and a minor tune appeared in the bass area. The sound of raindrops turned into a loud bell, and my mood became excited. Finally, it returned to the silence at the beginning, and ended with the sound of raindrops.
No. 24 "Prelude in D minor", some people call it "Prayer during Thunderstorm". There is indeed an atmosphere of thunder, rain and lightning here, but "praying" does not mean this. This work was written at the same time as the "Revolutionary Etude", and it was also the stormy waves aroused in Chopin's heart by the Tsarist Russian army's capture of Warsaw. Therefore, the nature of the music is similar to the "Revolutionary Etude". The difference is that here there is only anger, and it is "too late" to linger in sorrow; here there is impassioned and unyielding, and there are no tears. The bass of the left hand roars like this from beginning to end, like thunder, like a war drum:
The tone of the theme is firm, bold, and heroic: the impact reaches the end, and the last three times slam the tonic D in the lowest range of the piano to express the composition. His unyielding, steel-like will.
3. "Mazurka"
"Mazurka" is another unique creative field of Chopin. In the entire piano music literature, when mentioning "Mazurka", the first thing that comes to mind is Chopin. Other composers also have "Mazurkas". But only Chopin wrote a large number of "Mazurkas" that shine with special brilliance. Among Chopin's own works, "Mazurka" is also very special.
First, this batch of works has the most fragrant Polish soil. In addition, this is one of his less dramatic and tragic areas of creation.
Mazurka is a folk dance from Mazuvia, Poland. Its music is all in three beats, and the typical rhythm is:
In addition, Kuyawiak dances and Obelek dances are also in three beats. Chopin's "Mazurka" was created by combining the characteristics of the above three dances. The typical rhythm of the mazurka is often revealed in Chopin's "Mazurka", but Chopin uses it superbly, far from rigidly repeating folk rhythms. Melody, Chopin was a genius who absorbed the essence of folk music and created it according to highly professional artistic standards. Harmony, mode and more are Chopin's unique creations. Despite this, the Polish folk style of "Mazurka" has not weakened; on the contrary, it stands gracefully in the garden of piano music with a more elegant and poetic style. Critics say that "Mazurka" is Chopin's vivid feeling for his hometown, land, people and the glorious spirit of the people, and is the "whole soul" of the Polish people.
Because "Mazurka" is such Polish music, a Polish pianist said that only Poles can play it well. However, one thing that the Chinese are proud of is that the 5th Chopin International Piano Competition was held in Warsaw in 1955. Chinese pianist Fu Cong not only won third place, but also won the best performance of "Mazurka" award.
[Edit this paragraph] Category works
1. Waltzes (Waltzes)
I believe children must have heard of Chopin’s famous waltz! These waltzes were created by Chopin when he was in Vienna. They used the three-beat rhythm of the Viennese waltz, added beautiful melody and lyricism, and also demonstrated high-level piano skills. Therefore, Chopin's waltzes are suitable for listening and playing, but not suitable for dancing. oh!
◎Waltz No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 18
◎Waltz No. 3 in A minor, Op. 34-1
◎No. 6 Waltz in D flat major "Puppy" Op. 64-1
"Puppy Waltz" is a piece of music that describes George Sand's puppy chasing its tail. Because the piece is very short, it is also called "Minute" (Minute)
◎Waltz No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 64-2
◎Waltz No. 8 in A flat major, Op. 64-3
p>◎Waltz No. 9 in A flat major, Op. 69-1
◎Waltz No. 10 in B minor, Op. 69-2
◎Waltz No. 14 Op.Posth in e minor
2. Piano Concertos
Chopin doesn’t like orchestral instruments very much, so his Piano Concerto (a piece based on piano with orchestral music) There are only two songs. The second movement of Concerto No. 2 is a beautiful "love letter" to your first love. You can listen to it!
◎The first movement of Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
◎The second movement of Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
◎ The third movement of Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
3. Nocturnes (Nocturnes)
Nocturnes are a form of music first created by the British pianist and composer Field, with beautiful Mainly melody. Chopin was influenced by him, and the first nocturne also had melody as the main theme, but later nocturnes added richer content, not just beautiful melody, so they are Chopin's unique style of nocturne.
◎Nocturne No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 9-1
◎Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 9-2
4, Etudes
Those who learn piano will definitely play Chopin’s etudes! These pieces employ a high degree of piano technique, including rapid octaves, continuous parallels in thirds and sixths, etc. However, these etudes are not just for teaching, but are also artistic. The performer must take into account technique, rhythm, melody, harmony and the emotional expression of the music, so they are still very popular among music fans.
[Edit this paragraph] Evaluation
The high ideological value of Chopin’s music is that it reflects one aspect of the general trend of the European bourgeois national movement in the 1930s and 1940s, shouting out The angry and rebellious voice of the oppressed and enslaved Polish nation. Chopin's music has a strong Polish national style. He has a very serious attitude towards national folk music, and is opposed to seeking novelties. At the same time, he is not bound by it, and always strives to understand its characteristics and recreate them. In this way, he not only improved the artistic level of the folk music genre, but also maintained its pure style and never lost its distinctive national and folk characteristics. He had a deep understanding and mastery of the experience and achievements gained in music creation methods in Western Europe at that time, and used it as the starting point for his own creation, so that his music had a rigorous and complete art form that was deeply connected with the classical tradition.
However, Chopin was never bound by tradition and dared to boldly break through tradition and innovate. This is particularly reflected in his deep exploration and enrichment of the potential artistic expression of a series of musical genres such as preludes, etudes, ballads, nocturnes, impromptu pieces, and scherzos, giving them new social content. His melodies are highly expressive of emotion and full of personality, his harmonic language is novel and bold, and his piano texture is delicate and full of color. All these factors merged to form a novel and unique "Chopin style", which contributed to the historical development of European music.
Frederick Chopin (1810-1849)
Federico. Chopin was born in Zelazowa Wala, a suburb of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. His father was a French educator and his mother was an educated Polish woman. Chopin loved music since he was a child. He performed a concerto on stage at the age of eight and was hailed as a genius. Under the guidance of his mentor Elsner (composer, violinist, and director of the Warsaw Conservatoire at the time), Chopin began performing concertos at the age of fifteen. He published works and often participated in concerts. He went to Berlin to perform at the age of eighteen and visited Vienna at the age of nineteen. After returning to Warsaw, he was already a talented musician with a far-reaching reputation.
In 1830, he decided to go to Paris to study the art of piano in depth. On the eve of leaving his motherland, the teacher gave him a cup of Polish soil, which Chopin kept with him until his death. During his journey, he played continuously throughout Germany and Vienna. When he arrived in Stuttgart in September of the following year, he heard the news of the failure of the Polish revolution. Full of grief and indignation, he wrote "Revolutionary Etude". Poland collapsed in 1795 and became part of the Russian Empire. An independence movement took place in 1830. Due to the failure of the Polish revolution, Chopin gave up the idea of ??returning to his motherland and planned to open up his own world in Paris and help the revolutionary movement.
In 1835, Chopin traveled to Dresden and Leipzig and met Mendelssohn and Schumann. In 1836, he fell in love with the female writer George Sand. Soon his lung disease worsened. In 1838, he and George Sand went to Majorca to rest. Later, the two lived together in Paris and Lyon. In 1847, the two parties had a lot of trouble due to disagreements, ending this famous love affair in history.
In 1848, he fell ill and traveled to England to perform. Shortly after returning to Paris the following year, he died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-nine.
Chopin's works, except for seventeen Polish songs, piano trios and cello music, are all piano music. Among such works are two piano concertos and three piano sonatas.
Chopin’s contribution to nationalist music was his sixty machaokas and twelve polonaises. Both dances are in three beats. Macauca has a moderate speed and comes from folk celebration music; Polonaise is elegant and was originally the soundtrack for palace celebrations in the 16th century. Chopin brought the Horse Dance into the concert, and once again showed the majesty and grandeur of early Polish court life in front of people. It is a reminder of past national glories and has become a characteristic of past national lifestyles.
During the Romantic period, Chopin held a very unique historical position as an outstanding composer of Polish national music style. In the history of European music development in the 19th century, national music styles occupied a dominant position. Although there are musical styles from the Polish tradition in all Chopin's works, the Polish national style is more concentrated in Chopin's mazurkas. In the mazurka, Chopin used the most beautiful Polish melodies that are still admired by the world today, making today's musicians truly aware of the unique Polish style in his music for the first time.
On March 1, 1810, Chopin was born in a small village called Zelazowa Wola, 50 kilometers west of Warsaw. He showed extraordinary musical talent at an early age. Father NICOLAS Chopin was originally a Frenchman and came to Poland in 1788 when he was 17 years old. It is not clear why he came to Poland, but he probably actively participated in the popular resistance movement led by Polish general TADEUSZ KOCIUSZKO in 1794 and fought for the freedom of the country he moved to. In 1800 he became French teacher to the daughter and wife of the regional governor Starosta. In the autumn of 1802, NICOLAS Chopin accepted the invitation of Countess LUDWIKA SKARBEK to take on the education and teaching of her children, and lived with her family in Zelazowa Wola. Here he met Miss TEKLA JUSTYNA KRZYANOWSKA, a distant relative of the Countess. They married on June 2, 1806, and their second child, FRYDERYK, was born in 1810. In the same year, Chopin's family moved to Warsaw.
When Chopin was six years old, he already showed extraordinary musical talent, and his family hired the famous piano teacher Mr. WOJCIECH for him. He not only fully demonstrated the beauty of music to the young Chopin, but also made him familiar with the works of a large number of music masters. His teaching was full of interest and wisdom, which established Chopin's personality and creativity as a pianist. Chopin's first performance was a charity concert held at the Radziwi Family Palace when he was only 8 years old.
The Warsaw Daily News in 1818 wrote: "Not only can he play the most difficult piano works perfectly and easily, but he can also create interesting dances and variations." Later, Chopin often appeared in the residences of dignitaries.
Later Chopin's parents realized that even the greatest musical genius could not succeed without professional education. Therefore, they decided to provide systematic professional education to Chopin. After graduating from LYCEUM in Warsaw in 1926, Chopin entered the Warsaw Conservatory of Music and studied under the famous music educator and composer Mr. JOZEF ELSNER. It was during that period that Chopin composed most of his piano and orchestral works, including the Variations in B flat major Op. 2, the Polish Melody Fantasia in A major Op. 13, the Rondo in F major Op. 14, Piano Sonata No. 4 in C minor, Violin and Cello No. 8 in G minor, as well as Polonaise, Mazurka and Waltz. ELSNER quickly recognized Chopin's extraordinary musical talent, and he actively guided and protected his creativity and innovation. In Chopin's second-year report he wrote: "Extraordinary ability", and a year later: "Extraordinary ability, musical genius".
After graduating from the Warsaw Conservatoire, Chopin began to want to develop his musical talents in the major musical centers of Europe. By chance he chose Vienna, where both achieved great success as composer and pianist. In the review of "ALLGEMEINE THEATERZEITUNG" in 1829, it was written: "Chopin conquered everyone because people not only discovered his musical talent... It can be said that he is a musical genius from the originality of his performance and creation... ...His playing is definitely not a show off of skills, which is the difference between an artist and a poser. It allows us to see a real artist from this unknown young man." Some other comments also wrote: "Great work", "beautiful performance", "indescribable skill", etc. These were the first international recognitions of Chopin's musical talent.
At the age of 20, Chopin became famous in Warsaw for his piano concertos in E minor and F minor. Soon thereafter he decided to go abroad. In this country under alien rule, the political situation is constantly tense and revolution is about to break out. This situation was very detrimental to the development of his music career, so he began his artistic journey in December 1830. The farewell party was attended by his family, first love KONSTANCJA, Professor ELSNER and some friends. Chopin did not realize that he was about to leave his motherland forever. From that moment on, he would always be accompanied by endless nostalgia in a life filled with countless joys and pains.
In Paris, his second hometown, Chopin quickly made friends with a group of artists at the time, including Liszt, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Schiller, etc. He mainly creates, teaches, and occasionally attends concerts. He didn't want to be a pianist, because being a pianist in the 19th century meant using various performance skills to please the audience and gain fame and fortune. Chopin wanted to show his listeners the true beauty of music. His playing was so different from the generally accepted playing style that he was often compared to pianists of his time. This comparison usually favors Chopin. The outstanding British pianist and conductor CHARLES HALLE once said, "Compared with Chopin, KALKBRENNER is just a child." HEINRICH HEINE said, "Liszt eclipses all pianists except the piano master Chopin."
Through these, it is not difficult to see that Chopin possessed extraordinary piano skills, and he could become a dazzling star on the piano stage. Yet he would rather play for an audience of artistic ability who could truly understand his music. In addition to these, Chopin only held 30 public concerts in his life. Those who have attended Chopin's "Study" concerts strongly believe that only in such private concerts among friends can great artists interpret the true meaning of music and develop their artistic talents.
Chopin is already well-known as a composer. The most favorable proof is that Chopin's creative artistic achievements are constantly being accepted and spread by more and more audiences around the world. He is an extraordinary composer who used his extraordinary artistic talent to create extraordinary artistic achievements. He is also the only composer to focus exclusively on one instrument. Although the music groups in Warsaw, including even Professor ELSNER, suggested that he could compose some operas and orchestral works, Chopin believed that at such a young age, only through the piano could he truly achieve the artistic goals he pursued. He expressed his musical ideas through different musical forms, including polonaise, mazurka, waltz, nocturne, sonata, prelude, ballade, piano concerto, rondo and variations, etc. He was a great composer of that era with independent style and poetic spirit. After a concert in England in 1848, London's "Daily News" wrote, "In his works, Chopin's outstanding creative talent and his ability to express his works are displayed. The uniqueness of his music style is We have never heard such beautiful and exciting music that no master has ever achieved before.
After a long period of illness, Chopin died in Paris, France in 1849. But the heart he left behind in Poland and every musical work expresses his passion for his motherland. Before he died, he said to his sister: "Please take my heart back to the motherland. I want to sleep underground in the motherland."
[Edit this paragraph] "Bring my heart back to the motherland"
"Bringing My Heart Back to the Motherland" - Lesson 3, Part 6, Jiangsu Education Edition. At the beginning of the 19th century, Poland was carved up by European powers, and nine-tenths of its territory fell into the hands of Tsarist Russia. The Polish people have since fallen into the abyss of being bullied and oppressed. Chopin, a young and talented musician, was full of grief and anger and had to leave his homeland.
One day in November 1830, a thin mist filled the Vistula River. The 20-year-old Chopin said goodbye to his relatives and left the capital Warsaw in a carriage. On the outskirts of the city, the carriage was suddenly stopped by a large group of people. It turned out that Chopin's teacher Esner and his classmates came to see him off. They stood on the roadside and sang "Even if You Are Far Away", a farewell song specially composed for Chopin by Esner. Esner held Chopin's hand tightly and said: "My child, no matter where you go, never forget your motherland!" Chopin nodded movedly. At this time, Esner held up another sparkling silver cup and said to Chopin affectionately: "This is filled with soil from our motherland, Poland. It is a special gift from us to you. Please accept it!" Chopin! Unable to bear it any longer, tears of excitement filled my eyes. He solemnly took the silver cup filled with soil from the teacher's hand, looked back at the city of Warsaw in the distance, then boarded the carriage and galloped away.
On the days when he left his motherland, an uprising broke out in Warsaw against the rule of Tsarist Russia. However, the uprising soon failed. Chopin was devastated when he heard the news. He turned his passion into notes and wrote the famous "Revolutionary Etude". The exciting melody expresses the cry and struggle of the Polish people.
Chopin missed his motherland day and night. He poured all the pain of national subjugation and worries about the future of his motherland into his music creation. He encouraged himself to work, work, and work. He often shut himself in a dark room, lit a candle, and composed and played the piano all night long. Time is passing, but he has no concept of time at all.
Chopin lived in Paris, France for 18 years. Chopin traveled around for the sake of his motherland and his livelihood. Fatigue, coupled with worry and anger, caused Chopin's original tuberculosis to relapse. In October 1849, he finally lay down on his hospital bed. When he was dying, Chopin held his sister Ludwika's hand tightly and murmured: "After I die, please take my heart back. I want to sleep underground in the motherland."
In this way, Chopin died in a foreign country with the hatred of subjugating his country. He was only 39 years old at the time.