Chopin

In my opinion, Chopin was the most influential composer of the 19th century, of course

after Beethoven... As I see it, he propelled the emerging Romantic era to it's greatest heights. For

me, Chopin was the beginning, middle and end of the Romantic era. Of course, this might apply

more to piano music. But for me he slam-dunked the whole era, just like Beethoven did with the

Classical era. Both men left a massive wake behind them through which no one could navigate

with equal success. As I understand it, the Romantic era in music was about a more personal and

emotional expression of music. Beethoven shocked the world with his candid and emotionally

charged music and changed music forever. What came next was an era in which composers had

new tools and freedom to express a whole new sensibility in their music. Beethoven paved the

way for composers to express a far wider range of emotionality. And thus the Romantic era was born.

-------Earlier music, of course, had emotional elements, and much of it was profoundly emotional.

After all, the experience of music is inherently emotional. One cannot help having emotional

reactions to even the driest music. What I see as being new about the Romantic era, among other

things, was the focus on emotionality as a primary ingredient in the music. Of course, opera had

been around for a long time, and it was rich in dramatic and emotional content, but other musical

genres of the day didn't seem to have the freedom to express emotions so directly. When I read a

biography on Chopin , I was surprised to learn that he was influenced primarily by vocal music

like that found in Italian opera . Even at a very early age, his mother's singing

would bring him to tears. It is fitting, however, that this should be the case. The human voice is

naturally the most emotional instrument of all, and music, as well as the instruments it is played

on, has always seemed to strive to imitate this most moving sound. Chopin brought this singing

or cantabile style to his piano compositions from the onset. Even Van Cliburn's mother advised

him to imagine singing the piece he was playing to guide him to a more effective expression of the

piece. A female singer once even set words to some of Chopin's Mazurkas, to his delight - or so

he told her...

-------Chopin began writing a wide variety of miniature expressions of an original and poetic

nature. He soon wrote pieces that were among the most succinct and direct expressions of

musical poetry and sentimentality that the world had ever heard. He then began to develop what I

think is the most diverse palette or set of styles for writing music. He wrote Preludes, Etudes,

Nocturnes, Mazurkas, Waltzes, Ballades, Scherzi, Sonatas, Impromptus, Polonaises, concerti, and

a variety of other pieces. Each of these colors in his palette has a very distinct and unique quality

and ability to express an amazing range of musical thoughts. Even within one of these colors, like

the Preludes, one can find an incredible diversity of expression. He of course did not invent any of

these genres (with the possible exception of the Ballade), but he elevated them to heretofore

unknown heights (although Chopin would never compare his preludes to those of Bach ) No one

had ever heard a Prelude like Chopin's before, and he changed the meaning of Etude forever. He

elevated the Polonaise and Mazurka (folk dances from his native Poland) to art forms all his own.

He didn't even invent the Nocturne, but the word, Nocturne will be forever associated primarily

with Chopin.

-------More important than the wide variety of musical expression at his disposal was his unique

ability to move the listener in such a direct, personal, and succinct manner. Succinct : Chopin

minced few words when he wanted to tell you what he was thinking. Some of his shortest

Preludes are the most complete and perfect expressions of musical thought to be found. Personal :

no composer before him exposed his most inner self so nakedly. He literally tore himself open and

showed you what was inside of him, no matter how painful, whimsical, lonely, confused,

frightening. Direct : I think both of the aforementioned qualities combine to have a uniquely

powerful and direct effect on the listener. The emotion or thought in the music is not parenthetical

to or an aspect of the piece, but is the whole of the piece - simple or even complex emotions

expressed in musical terms. This is part of what I find so compelling in Chopin. Chopin is often

called the poet of the piano (or something to that effect). I think this is a fitting analogy. I know

little of poetry, but I understand it to be, among other things, an art form whereby ideas or

thoughts are made even more powerful by making them beautiful. Also, the ability to transpose a

thought or feeling into words, or music, makes for an enlightening and very moving