FREDERIC

CHOPIN
Gina Martin
Music 1010
Ferrin

INTRODUCTION

Fryderyk Franciszek
Chopin
Romantic Era

Born March 1,
1810
Lived in
Warsaw, Poland
Gave public
concert at age 7

TRAVEL
Chopin arrives in France,
1831

Becomes French citizen in

1835

LOVE LIFE

Never married
Had a relationship with
Aurore Dudevant
Most of his masterpieces
was during this
relationship

DEATH
Health rapidly declined in 1848
Died in Paris 1849
Buried at Pere Lachaise without his heart
Heart at Church of Holy Cross in Warsaw

COMPOSITION HISTORY
Piano Concert No.2 in F minor, Op. 21

Written around the age of 20

First performed on March 17,1930
First concert to be written by Chopin

2 OF EACH
Flutes
Oboes
Clarinets
Bassoons

Horns and Trumpets

Bass trombone
Timpani and Strings

INSTRUMENTATION

I havefound my ideal, whom I worship faithfully and

sincerelyBut in six months since I first saw her I have
not exchanged a syllable with her of whom I dream every
night, she who was in my mind when I composed [the
slow movement]. Frederic Chopin

Listening Guide
Timing

Form

0:19 Development

Descriptions: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Dynamics, Timbre, Texture

Opens with orchestra in F minor and an opening theme that gets repeated throughout the
song.
It starts off with strings playing allegro and soft and crescendos into mezzo-forte and then it all
stops
Strings in orchestra start off again in soft music and crescendo's again but as it continues
there

0:46 Bridge

is some dissonance and builds tension and the tempo gets faster and music gets louder
The form arches and crescendo is done. The notes level off and slowly decrescendo and return
to

1:02 Theme B

larghetto. Then there's an inverted arch when the music crescendos again.
Music completely stops and starts again softly with strings and slowly gets louder and then
does

1:27 Development

short spurts of strings that are in unison and remain monophonic

The monophonic turns into polyphonic and more instruments join in

1:43

Tempo picks up from adagio to Allegretto as more instruments join in and the tension builds

2:04 Recapulation

as crescendo's again and goes into an arch as it decrescendos.

Woodwinds join the strings and goes back to the the home key of F minor. Then builds from

0:00 Exposition Theme A

2:18 Bridge

allegro to largo
Previousy it was just strings but at this point a solo woodwind comes in soon followed by
strings as a background then the strings stop and the woodwind is solo again and then the

2:31 Recapulation
Theme B

3:00 Development

3:35 Recapulation

4:05 Bridge

4:40 Development
5:04

Orchestra fades in the background and the piano starts off with in A major
and the motif ends
in F minor and repeats the original theme. At this time the orchestra in the
background is
silent.
The piano soloist comes to a stop and then begins again playing a few notes
in largo tempo and
increases the tempo off and on while the orchestra plays in the far
background in and out
The orchestra joins in the background continuously while the piano is
playing mainly. The piano is
playing in minor as the orchestra is playing major.
The same as the last, the piano is still playing sort of solo but in the
background the orchestra comes
in for a brief moment and out over and over again as the piano notes get
higher, the background
orchestra gets louder
Went from allegro to lento Melody as a piano solo
Orchestra joins in the background once again. Melody is conjuct and
smooth. Not a lot of
jumps.

5:34
5:56 Recapulation
6:05 Bridge

Music continues in the same way as before with orchestra in and out
Piano notes slow down and orchestra going slow, both perform in a somber
way.
Music speeds up to allegro but not a lot of range. It does speed up and
create a tension
like there is something that's going to happen and continues on like that. As
usually, the background

6:28 Recapulation

Orchestra comes back continuously and repeats the tonic keys. There is more range in the

Theme A
6:51 Rondo

harmony with the piano playing higher scales and the orchestra lower and lower scales.
There is a pause and returns to the tonic key. The music crescendos and becomes very dramatic

7:08 development

the piano is playing lower notes than normal along with the higher notes and creating tension
Orchestra overpowers the piano and levels out the tension and moves to the larghetto movement.
Beats are becoming faster and more intense and starting to turn into an arch because it peaks

7:22 Recapulation

and then starts coming down into a slower pace.

This is the bottom of the arch and music almost stops. A single violin comes in to play and slowly
the
other strings and winds join. After that, it's accompanied by the bass and percussions and builds

7:43 Rondo

another arch as they starting rescinding

This is the bottom of the arch again since the beat is slower, almost to a stop. You can hear the

8:00 Recapulation Theme B

strings and slowly the woodwinds come in

The piano comes in and starts out with a few small notes. The strings in the background the whole

8:23 Development
8:45 development

time and then you can hear a flute come in with a four note motif the leaves again
Flutes come back and accompany the winds and the piano in a slow melody
Before now the music goes on as normal but more instruments are brought in making the

9:10 Bridge

music more rich and have more character.

Brass comes in and out as the higher sounds are playing making lower octaves mixed with

9:38 Recapulation Theme B

higher ones.
Piano and orchestra still playing softly but starts to crescendo into an arch, it remains at the top

9:50 Development

for a few seconds and then starts decrescendo.

Music picks up pace to about an allegro pace again and becomes very lively and picks up pace

10:11 Rondo

Piano is no longer playing just the high notes in the band from the orchestra but
the brass
comes in and out with deeper notes

10:18

Piano comes back in as brass and orchestra fade to the back. Piano comes in
slowly and soft

10:27 Development

Piano is still playing but a horn comes in and plays in the background. It's
playing one long
solid note consistently

10:40

Horn sound does go away at this time but piano goes on to play slowly and
softly and the orchestra
comes in and out in the background as the piano plays on

11:00 Bridge

Different variations and rondo of the home key with a simple form

11:30 Coda

Orchestra is in the back ground consistently now and the pace of the music
starts speeding
up.

11:37 Development

Piano starts playing the lower keys and faster to give the music some contrast

12:00 Rondo

Orchestra starts coming out of the background and being as loud and strong as
the piano
notes as the music comes to an end.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.biography.com/people/frederic-chopin, online. 02 November, 2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._1_(Chopin), online. 02
November, 2016

http://www.facts-about.org.uk/famous-people-facts-starting-with-f/frederic
-chopin.htm
, 2016 online. 02 November, 2016

http://www.ourchopin.com/biography.html, online. 03 November, 2016

http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/chopin/composition/detail/id/66, 2016, online. 03

November, 2016