 March, 2000
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Francois Frederic Chopinby Gail Smith
Chopin left home for Paris in November, 1830 with two concertos he had recently composed. Friends accompanied him a short distance on his way, and at a banquet in a neighboring village they presented him with a silver cup filled to the brim with Polish soil, solemnly asking him to never forget friends and fatherland. This cup and its contents Chopin kept religiously to the end of his life. On his way to Paris he gave concerts in Vienna and Munich. When Chopin arrived in Paris, he was somewhat unknown and through the kindness of Liszt, who got an immense satisfaction from discovering talent, was introduced into Paris society. Chopin played at the house of Baron Jacob Rothchild one evening and that was the beginning of his great popoularity. Soon "Opus 2" was published and the critique that Robert Schumann gave in his German musical publication was, "Hats off, gentlemen: a genius!" Chopin composed exclusively for the piano. Among his 169 works are: fifty mazurkas, twenty-four preludes, nineteen nocturnes, thirteen waltzes, twelve polonaises, two piano concertos, one trio for piano and strings, two duos for piano and cello, three sonatas, and twenty-seven etudes, besides ballades, ecossaises, fantasies, impromptus, rondos, scherzos, variations, and sixteen Polish songs. Chopin taught many piano students. He wrote home, "I have to give five lessons every morning." It is not generally known that Chopin at one time intended to write a piano method. The work was never completed, but a fragment of it remains. This fragment was preserved and given by his sister to the Princess Czartoryska after his death. Here is a translation of the fragment that remains: No one notices inequality in the power of the notes of a scale when it is played very fast and equally, as regards time. In a good mechanism the aim is not to play everything with an equal sound, but to acquire as beautiful quality of touch and a perfect shading. For a long time players have acted against nature in seeking to give equal power to each finger. On the contrary, each finger should have an appropriate part assigned it. The thumb has the greatest power, being the thickest finger and the most free. Then comes the little finger, at the other extremity of the hand. The middle finger is the main support of the hand and is assisted by the first. Finally comes the third, the weakest one. As to this Siamese twin of the middle finger, some players try to force it with all their might to become independent. A thing impossible, and most likely unnecessary. There are, then, many different qualities of sound, just as there are several fingers. The point is to utilize the differences; and this, in other words, is the art of fingering. After 1835 Chopin was seldom heard in public concerts. Concertizing began to fatigue him beyond endurance. Instead, he played in salons and in the homes of aristocracy. Chopin's last public appearance was in London at a ball, where he played the piano between dances. He returned to Paris, and continued to compose, although he was too weak to teach. Before Chopin died, he asked one of his sisters to destroy his lesser works, one of which was the Fantasie Impromptu! Thank goodness she did not. Chopin was quite a perfectionist who often shut himself up for days. He even changed one measure a hundred times according to his girlfriend, George Sand, a French novelist who used a male pen name. Chopin died on October 17, 1849. He was thirty-nine years old. Chopin had asked that the Mozart Requiem be performed at his funeral. The singer Lablache who had sung at Beethoven's funeral performed this tribute for Chopin. His funeral march from the first sonata was arranged for orchestra and performed for the first time. Lizst conducted the procession which carried Chopin's body to the mausoleum. He was buried in Pere-la-Chaise, Meyerbeer. Prince Czartoryski, Delacroix, and other noted men, were pallbearers. Over his coffin was scattered the Polish soil which he had kept for nineteen years in the silver cup presented to him upon leaving his native land. As a composer myself, I always am interested in knowing more about the lives of the great composers. It is of special interest to know what inspired Chopin to compose the G minor Ballad, Opus 23, No.1. Robert Schumann thought this piece was "the most spirited, most daring work of Chopin". Chopin told Schumann that the poetry of his compatriot, Adam Mickiewicz, incited the creation of the Ballads and that the specific poem "Konrad Wallarod" was the inspiration for the G minor Ballad. During the month of March, may I encourage you to find a poem that might inspire yourself or a student or friend to compose a song as we celebrate Music in the School Month. If you are an intermediate-level student, you may also enjoy playing this Prelude, Chopin's Opus 28, No. 7. (You will need Acrobat Reader to download the music.) See you at the Mel Bay exhibit at the National Music Teachers Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. My workshop is Sunday, March 26, 2000 at 1:00 PM. Gail Smith
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The foremost composer of music for solo piano was Francois Frederic Chopin. He was born in Poland on February 22, 1810. This is the date most often celebrated; however, in The Lives of the Great Composers by Harold C. Schonberg, it states that, "Chopin's mother insisted it was March 1, and that was when she celebrated her famous son's birthday." Chopin began piano lessons at the age of six and by the age of seven had completed several compositions, including a polonaise that was published. Chopin studied harmony, counterpoint, and composition under Joseph Eisner, director of the Warsaw Music School, and the author of treatises on music and language. He continued a comprehensive music course and graduated from the Warsaw Conservatory in July 1829.
