Frederic Chopin And Polonaises - Essay Example

Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin was born in 1810 in Warsaw, Poland. His musical talent was d at an early age and at the age of 7; he was the author of two polonaises (in G minor and B flat major). The first one was published in the engraving workshop of Father Cybulski. It was featured in the Warsaw newspapers, and he became the attraction of receptions prepared in the aristocratic salons of the capital. His first professional piano lessons lasted from 1816 to 1822. Wilhelm Würfel, a professor and renowned pianist, later supervised him and Fryderyk attended the Warsaw Lyceum from 1823 to 1826where he became acquainted with the Polishfolk music (Krystyna, 78). He mastered the polish music authentic form, with its distinct richness of rhythms, tonality, and dance vigor. He left for Paris where he made a career as composer, performer, and teacher (Frederick, 46). He died at the age of 39 in Paris (Tad, 69). Chopins work included the piano a solo instrument (Alfred, 102).His style emphasized expressive depth and nuance rather than technical display. Chopin invented musical forms that included ballade, waltz, piano sonata, étude, nocturne, mazukas, polonaise, prelude and impromptu. Polonaises (1817-1946) The polonaise first appeared in Poland around the sixteenth century as a court dance that is sort of a procession where all the company passes in a stream and then defiles in pairs with movements. He left eighteen works in the genre with sixteen piano polonaises, one for piano and cello and one for piano and orchestra. Their style changed over time evolving from conventional salon miniatures to some expansive dance poems. Chopin started a new chapter in the history of the genre with the Polonaises, Op. 26. Henceforth, he abandoned conventional stylizations. Each of the seven works has its own distinctive shape, pianistic expression and style. The features of an authentic polonaise are 3/4 time, typical rhythmic formulas, a moderate tempo and a distinguished character (Ted, 22). He completed 2 Polonaises in 1835, Op. 26, in C sharp minor and Polonaise in E flat minor, marked by strong dramatic elements. In 1838-1839 he composed 2 Polonaises, Op. 40in A major and C minor. The A major has features of the heroic polonaise while the C minor is elegiac and tragic in expression. The other three polonaises are grand dance poems which are removed from earlier conventions of the genre and form. In 1841 he composed Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op. 44. It is close in its epic-dramatic gesture as to the idea of Romantic fantasy as well as it is unusual in the appearance of a mazurka in its middle section which is a contrasting lyrical passage. In 1842-1843 he composed Polonaise in A flat major, Op. 53. This brings back the grand pianistic heroic tone and panache; the stormy octaves in the middle section. He composed his final work in this genre in 1846 Polonaise-fantasy in A flat major, Op. 61 that possesses the most complex form, the unravelling that represents a true challenge to pianists and also listeners (William, 99). An analysis of polonaise in C sharp (Op. 26, that was dedicated to Dessauer). Such Polonaises as those in B flat, F minor, D minor (Op. 71), G flat, G sharp minor preceded it by a long space of time include also the polonaise in E flat (Op. 22) (Arturo, 75). The Polonaise in C sharp is quite a different. Here, the dancing character disappears entirely. After the introduction of four bars comes the first part represented in the form of questions and answers which are two opposite ideas. The four opening bars are full of fire and passionate and ought to have been played with great force. The other four bars piano is in a rhythm full of wavering and charm and the end regulates the rhythm as well as justifies the title of polonaise. There is similar contrast in the second part that begins with an extremely rhythmical figure counted in study as six quavers, and the place where the bass falls in with the treble. This part develops in a continual crescendo until the #; and then stops on the chord in G sharp which develops to the new part on the dominant of the scale in E. This is so soft and full of simplicity recommend being marked senzaespressione (Jean, 64). Exquisiteness and simplicity are combined in this trio in a characteristic way. The phrase is eminently a four-bar one, and therefore gets rapidly weaker in the fourth bar. The note F which begins is the most difficult to take because it is long. The falling triplet presents no slight difficulties. The last part is charming, and clearer, notwithstanding its duo. Two points could be mentioned in connection, the turn to piano by the modulation to E flat, and the powerful crescendo and ritenuto before returning to the theme of the trio, that appears with all its power in the first four bars, then to grow calm again and to end as before. This polonaise has no very definite ending. The second Polonaise in E flat minor, of the same opus, excels by an equally rich fantasy. Some of its turns are even more beautiful and noble than those in the preceding polonaise. Conclusion Chopin’s playing style was soft, light, and delicate. He had flexibility that created lots of different layers of emotion. Chopin preferred shorter forms of music, and treats larger forms of the sonata or the concerto concentrated. The extended dimensions of his encumber the freedom of his movements. For instance, the concerto for pianoforte with accompaniment of the orchestra in E may be instanced, where the adagio takes the form of a romance, and then in the final rondo, the rhythm of a Polish dance is recognizable as the instrumentation is meagre and wanting in color. Chopin knew the limits of his power, and with few exceptions some of his works belong to that class of minor compositions. REFERENCES. Cortot,Alfred. In search of Chopin, translated from French by Cyril and Rena Clarke, Greenwood Press, 1952 Atwood, William G.The Parisian worlds of Frederic Chopin.Yale University Press, 1999 Eigeldinger, Jean-JacquesChopin: Pianist and teacher: as seen by his pupils. Cambridge University Press, 1999, originally published in French 1970 Kobylańska, KrystynaChopin in his own land: documents and souvenirs.Poland, 1977. Niecks, Frederick Chopinas a man and musician.London, New York, Novello, Ewer & Co.1888 Jean Kleczynski [Jan Kleczyński], Chopin’s Greater Works, tr. Natalie Janotha (London, n.d.), 97. Libbey, Ted. "The Life And Music Of Frederic Chopin." NPR. NPR, 2 Mar. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.  . "World Biography." Frédéric Chopin Biography.Web. 11 Nov. 2014 . Bielecki, Artur. "Fryderyk Chopin - Information Centre - Polonaise - Genres."Fryderyk Chopin - Information Centre - Polonaise - Genres.Web. 11 Nov. 2014. . Read More