Page 166 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

164

SIMPLICITY

IS THE FINAL

ACHIEVEMENT

PRÉLUDES (1839), FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN

hile Chopin was one of evocation of moods. Every one
IN CONTEXT the supreme composers of his compositions includes the
W of the early Romantic piano, and the vast majority are
FOCUS period, he was in some respects for piano alone, yet within this
Solo piano music
untypical of the age he has come precisely defined area the breadth
BEFORE to embody. Unlike fellow musicians of his musical thought is vast.
1812 John Field, an Irish Robert Schumann and Franz Chopin created an unparalleled
composer based in Liszt, Chopin had little interest in intensity of melody, harmony, and
St. Petersburg, publishes using music to express narratives expression. Writing in a style that
the first Romantic piano piece inspired by Romantic art and seemed to represent the soul of
to be called a “nocturne.” literature, or in producing grandiose
works with huge orchestras in
1833 In Paris, Chopin’s the manner of Hector Berlioz. Chopin plays for Prince Radziwiłł
during a trip to Berlin, in 1829. The
Nocturnes, Op. 9, are the Instead, Chopin perfected his art same year, he composed the Polonaise
composer’s first nocturnes within circumscribed confines, brillante for the prince (a cellist) and his
to be published. tending toward brevity and the daughter (a pianist) to practice.
1834–1835 Robert Schumann
composes Carnaval, a collection
of 21 piano movements, one of
which is titled Chopin.

AFTER
1892–1893 Brahms publishes
four collections of small piano
pieces, including intermezzos,
fantasias, and capriccios.
1910–1913 Debussy, who
described Chopin as “the
greatest of us all,” writes his
two books of Préludes.

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