By : Eric Overby

1. Frederic Chopin By : Eric Overby Music 1010-043

2. Biography • He was born February 22, 1810 in Zelazowa, Poland. • His parents were Nicholas Chopin and Justyna Krzyzanowska . • The couple had four kids together with Frederic being the only boy.

3. Musical beginnings • As a young man Chopin was compared to Mozart • At the age of 7 Chopin composed a polonaise.

4. Musical teachers • Chopin began taking music lessons from a violinist by the name of Wojciech Zywny. • He later was taught by a music professor named Josef Elsner.

5. Musical endeavors • After having grown old of the music in the Poland, a young Chopin sought to seek the musical exploits of other countries. • After a brief visit to France Chopin found himself in Austria where he played at the Kurtnertortheater, where, accompanied by an orchestra he became more well known.

6. Chopin’s Homecoming • Frederic Chopin later returned to Warsaw where he concentrated most of his work on composing music. • In this span of a few years he played many concerts at the local Warsaw Theater and also introduced two of his more well known pieces. • He composed two concertos one in F minor and the other being in E minor. Chopin gave sort of a farewell performance on October 11th of 1830 while being accompanied by K. Gladkowska

7. Paris, France • This directed Chopin to a place where most of his musical success occurs and that is Paris. • His reputation was growing in Paris and as he brought letters of recommendation from fellow musicians he was immediately received by the musical milieu.

8. Musical Friends • While in Paris some of Chopin’s acquaintances were also famous musicians. Such as Liszt, Mendelssohn, Berlioz, and Franchomme.

9. Relationships • While in Paris Chopin became acquainted with a family that he had know from his homeland by the Wodzinksi’s and soon became romantically involved with their daughter Maria • Chopin described his love for her and also for her musical abilities. • Maria’s parents, disturbed by the bad state of the health of her fiancé who was seriously ill in the winter, and especially by his irregular lifestyle, viewed him as an unsuitable partner for their daughter.

10. Relationship Continued • Chopin travelled to London to forget his heartbreak from his engagement. • This worked in many ways as he soon found love in the way of an author that goes by the surname Georges Sands. • She was a mother of two and well known writer that provided the attention Chopin so desired.

11. Productive Years • The couple often found solace in Sands manor house where they spent many winters together. • He continued to work intensively and composed a number of masterpieces: the series of 24 preludes, the Polonaise in C minor, the Ballade in F major, and the Scherzo in C sharp minor. • Chopin found this to be one of his more successful places.

12. Death of Chopin • His health was always a problem and it soon grew worse. • In 1949 Chopin’s body was deteriorating from the pulmonary tuberculosis that ailed it. He later died of this. • He was buried in Paris with his heart being entombed to this day in a pillar of the Holy Cross church in Krakowskie Przedmiscie.

13. Composition History Polonaise No. 6 in A flat major Op.53 “Heroic” • Frederic Chopin was never fond of naming his compositions and that is why most include certain numbers. I feel the title heroic fits the song well. • In the time of his life when he was involved with sands who later became a caretaker to him. This piece represents the romantism that was Frederic Chopin.

14. Composition History Prelude No. 15 in D flat major Op. 28 “Raindrop” • This piece is noted as repeating the A-flat sound throughout its entirety and creates the sound of raindrops. • Some, though not all, of Opus 28 was written during Chopin and George Sand’s stay at a monastery in Valdermosa, Majorca in 1838

15. Listening GuidePolonaise No. 6 in A flat major Op.53 “heroic” • 0:20 the piece is played marcato with various notes creating a tone of trouble in the water. • 0:53 the piece continues in a fortissimo nature as the song maintains the same tone. • 1:19 the notes increase from a lower sound to that of a higher sound. The dramatic mood of the song creates a sense of frenzy. • 1:44 The crescendo of notes is played rather fervently and rolling sound is created with the notes. • 2:12 the tempo slows a little bit but the notes are still being played marcato and fortsiisimo. • 2:33 the notes are played increasing fast and blending together. The volume maintains the fortissimos sound and being played on the higher end of the sound. • 2:52 in this section the marcato is transitioning between a low sound and a high sound as if a batlle is ensuing within the song. • 3:33 the tone changes to a faster steady beat and the notes are played in succession which sounds as if horses are running. • 4:15 it returns to the steady tone of notes that creates the image of running. • 4:36 this steady tone slows to a high fortissimo where it may be said that the song has reached the climax of the story. • 4:54 the song goes from slow pianissimo to an abrupt decrescendo of notes being played in a rapid steady manner. • 5:18 tone changes to a more depressing tones and is played pianissimo creating a dramatic effect. • 5:39 the tones remain the same as the notes begin to be played on the lower sound level. • 6:02 the fortissimo returns as the notes are played marcato creating a tempo change. • 6:24 the mood is changed again to that of fervor. The notes played create a sense of craziness. • 6:54 fortissimo is being played as the notes remain on the same level. The song is coming to an end and the hero is still fighting. • 7:03 the song ends abruptly as the last note is played and played morendo as the song is no more. • 7:05 end

16. Listening GuidePrelude No. 15 in D flat major Op. 28 “raindrop • 0:07 The mood begins to pick up as the sounds of raindrops are heard being played. Piano is being played mezzo forte • 0:17 The notes begin a slow crescendo of notes being played and continuing in a mezzo forte. • rests between. The volume builds from piano to mezzo-forte. • 0:31 Tempo picks up and once again sounds as if rain drops are falling. • 0:56 The piano picks up new notes that bring about a mood change very similar to a more heavy rain. • 1:28 The piece quickens in the pace it is being played and increases the decrescendo increases and the piece begins to move forth • 2:52 The piece once again returns to being played mezzo forte transitioning from the fortissimo creating the climax of the song. • 3:25 The notes being played gradually crescendo from pianissimo to mezzo forte. • 4:05 The overwhelming sound of the piece returns to pianissimo from mezzo forte. It is as if the song goes from high to low in an instant. • 4:27 From mezzo forte to fortissimo the piece once again reaches the peak of the music. It sounds of a low steady tone that increases as each note is played. • 4:52 It once again returns to the main tone of the piece which is pianissimo. Taking you on a roller coaster of emotions throughout the piece. • 5:17 The use of pianoforte is heard with a single note adds the dramatic effect Chopin created with this piece. A single raindrop has made it through life of being within all the others. • 5:42 The piece is played pianissimo which takes the notes to being played in a slow steady rhythm. • 5:55 As the piece concludes morzando is in effect as the notes slowly die away and are softly played. • 5:57 end

17. Bibliography • "Frédéric François Chopin." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Nov. 2011 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. • Chopin, Frederic. Chopin’s Letters. New York: Dover Publications, 1988 • “Franchomme, Auguste.” Wikipedia. 2011. www. Wikipedia.com. 21 August 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Franchomme • “Berlioz, Hector.” Life of Berlioz. 1950. www.nndb.com.1950. http://www.nndb.com/people/847/000024775/ • “Mendelssohn, Felix.”Music with Ease.2005. www.musicwithease.com. 2005 – 2010. http://www.musicwithease.com/mendelssohn-pictures.html