Frédéric Chopin (March 1, 1810 – October 17, 1849) was one of the most important composers of romantic music.
He was one of the great masters of romantic music and wrote mainly for solo piano. Chopin was born in the small village of Zelazowa Wola, in the Duchy of Warsaw, to a Polish mother and a French expatriate father.
Among his influences are Polish folk music, the works of J. S. Bach, Mozart, and Schubert. He was also greatly influenced by the atmosphere of the salons of Paris, where he was a regular.
Chopin was the main driving force behind instrumental ballads. His piano works also include sonatas, mazurkas, waltzes, nocturnes, polonaises, studies, impromptus, scherzos, and preludes. No other composer has contributed as many significant works to the piano repertoire.
We invite you to listen to 5 unmissable works by Frédéric Chopin.
Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2
These are a set of three nocturnes written between 1830 and 1832, which were published that year and dedicated to Madame Marie Pleyel. The second nocturne is considered Chopin’s most famous piece.
Mazurkas, Op. 24
Frédéric Chopin’s Mazurkas were published in 1836, when the composer was 26 years old. The “Mazurka” is a Polish musical form based on stylized folk dances. Along with the polka dance, the mazurka became popular in European ballrooms in the 19th century, particularly through Chopin’s notable works.
Ballade No. 1 in G minor
It is a ballad for solo piano completed in 1835. It is one of Chopin’s most popular works. A typical performance lasts from nine to ten minutes.
The ballad dates from sketches that Chopin made in 1831 during his eight-month stay in Vienna. It was completed in 1835 after his move to Paris, where he dedicated it to Baron Nathaniel von Stockhausen, the Hanoverian ambassador to France.
Fantasy in F minor
The Fantasy in F minor, Op. 49, is a work for solo piano in a single movement, composed in 1841, when Chopin was 31 years old. From his letters, it is known that he used the name “fantasy” to show some kind of freedom from the rules and to give a romantic expression.
Barcarolle
The Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60, is a piece for solo piano by Frédéric Chopin, composed between the fall of 1845 and the summer of 1846, three years before his death. The “barcarolle” is a traditional folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers, or a musical piece composed in that style.
