Fryderyk Chopin
Unlike many of his predecessors and contemporaries, Chopin composed almost exclusively for the piano. He did not leave a single opera, not a single symphony or overture.
All the more amazing is the talent of the composer, who managed to create so much bright and new in the field of piano music.
Fryderyk Chopin was born on March 1, 1810 near Warsaw, the capital of Poland, in the town of Zhelazova Wola. Chopin's mother was Polish, his father was French. Chopin's family lived on the estate of Count Skarbek, where his father served as a home teacher. After the birth of his son, Nikolai Chopin received a position as a teacher at the Warsaw Lyceum (average educational institution) , and the whole family moved to the capital. Little Chopin grew up surrounded by music. His father played the violin and flute, his mother sang well and played the piano a little. Not yet able to speak, the child began to cry loudly as soon as he heard his mother singing or his father playing.
His parents believed that Fryderyk did not like music, and this greatly upset them. But they soon became convinced that this was not the case at all. By the age of five, the boy was already confidently performing simple pieces, learned under the guidance of his older sister Ludvika. Soon, the famous Czech musician Wojciech Zivny, famous in Warsaw, became his teacher. A sensitive and experienced teacher, he instilled in his student a love of classical music and especially the works of I.S. Bach. Bach's keyboard preludes and fugues subsequently always lay on the composer's desk.
The little pianist's first performance took place in Warsaw when he was seven years old. The concert was a success, and the whole of Warsaw soon learned Chopin's name. At the same time, one of his first works was published - a polonaise for piano in G minor. The boy's performing talent developed so quickly that by the age of twelve, Chopin was on par with the best Polish pianists. Living refused to study with young virtuoso, declaring that there was nothing more she could teach him.
At the same time as studying music, the boy received good general education. Already as a child, Fryderyk was fluent in French and German languages, was keenly interested in the history of Poland, read a lot fiction. At the age of thirteen he entered the lyceum and three years later he successfully graduated. During the years of study, the versatile abilities of the future composer were revealed. The young man drew well, and he was especially good at caricatures. His talent for mimicry was so brilliant that he could have become a stage actor. Already in early years Chopin was distinguished by his sharp mind, observation and great curiosity.
Since childhood, Chopin showed a love for folk music. According to the stories of his parents, during country walks with his father or comrades, the boy could stand for a long time under the window of some hut, from where folk tunes could be heard. While on vacation in the summer at the estates of his lyceum comrades, Fryderyk himself took part in the performance folk songs and dancing. Over the years folk music became an integral part of his work, became close to his being.
After graduating from the Lyceum, Chopin entered High school music. Here his classes were led by the experienced teacher and composer Joseph Elsner. Elsner very soon realized that his student was not just talented, but a genius. Among his notes is preserved brief description, given by him to the young musician: “Amazing abilities. Musical genius"By this time, Chopin had already been recognized as the best pianist in Poland. His talent as a composer had also reached maturity. This is evidenced by two concertos for piano and orchestra, composed in 1829-1830. These concertos are invariably played in our time and are the favorite works of pianists all countries.
At the same time, Fryderyk met the young singer Konstanzia Gladkowska, who was studying at the Warsaw Conservatory. Gladkovskaya was destined to become Fryderyk's first love. In a letter to his friend Woitsekhovsky, he admitted: “... perhaps, unfortunately, I already have my own ideal, which I faithfully serve, without speaking to him for six months, which I dream about, the memory of which became the Adagio of my concert, who inspired me to write this waltz this morning, sent to you." It was under the impression of this youthful feeling of love that Chopin composed one of best songs"Wish" ("If I were the sun shining in the sky").
In 1829, the young musician traveled briefly to Vienna. His concerts were a huge success. Chopin, his friends and family realized that he should go on a long concert tour. Chopin could not decide to take this step for a long time. He was tormented by bad feelings. It seemed to him that he was leaving his homeland forever. Finally, in the autumn of 1830, Chopin left Warsaw. Friends gave him a farewell cup filled with Polish soil. His teacher Elsner said goodbye to him touchingly. On the outskirts of Warsaw, where Chopin was passing through, he and his students performed a choral work he had written especially for this occasion. Chopin was twenty years old. The happy youthful time, full of searches, hopes, successes, is over. Chopin's premonitions did not deceive him. He parted with his homeland forever.
Remembering the good reception he received in Vienna, Chopin decided to begin his concerts there. But, despite the increased efforts, he was never able to give an independent concert, and publishers agreed to publish his works only for free.
Unexpectedly, alarming news came from home. An uprising against the Russian autocracy, organized by Polish patriots, began in Warsaw. Chopin decided to interrupt his concert tour and return to Poland. He knew that among the rebels were his friends, perhaps even his father. After all, in his youth, Nikolai Chopin took part in the popular uprising led by Tadeusz Kosciuszko. But his family and friends persistently advise him in letters not to come. People close to Chopin are afraid that persecution may affect him too. Let him better remain free and serve his homeland with his art. With bitterness, the composer submitted and headed to Paris. On the way, Chopin was overtaken by news that shocked him: the uprising was brutally suppressed, its leaders were thrown into prison and exiled to Siberia.
With thoughts about tragic destinies Chopin's most famous etude, which was called "revolutionary", was directly related to his homeland, created even before his arrival in Paris. It embodied the spirit of the November uprising, as well as anger and sorrow.
In the autumn of 1831, Chopin arrived in Paris. Here he lived until the end of his life. But France did not become the composer’s second homeland. Both in his affections and in his work, Chopin remained a Pole. And he even bequeathed his heart to be taken home after death.
Chopin "conquered" Paris first as a pianist. He immediately amazed the audience with his original and unusual performance. At that time, Paris was flooded with musicians from the most various countries. The most popular were the virtuoso pianists: Kalkbrenner, Hertz, Hiller. Their playing was distinguished by technical perfection and brilliance that stunned the audience. That's why Chopin's first concert performance sounded like such a sharp contrast. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, his performance was surprisingly spiritual and poetic.
The famous Hungarian musician Franz Liszt, who also began his brilliant career as a pianist and composer at that time, remembers Chopin’s first concert: “We remember his first performance in the Pleyel Hall, when the applause, which increased with redoubled force, seemed unable to sufficiently express our enthusiasm in the face of talent, which, along with happy innovations in the field of his art, opened a new phase in the development of poetic feeling." Chopin conquered Paris, just as Mozart and Beethoven once conquered Vienna. Like Liszt, he was recognized as the best pianist in the world.
At Chopin concerts mostly performed his own compositions: concertos for piano and orchestra, concert rondos, mazurkas, etudes, nocturnes, Variations on a theme from Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni". It was about these variations that the outstanding German composer and critic Robert Schumann wrote: “Hats off, gentlemen, before you is a genius.”<
Chopin's music, as well as his concert performances, aroused universal admiration. Only music publishers waited. They published Chopin's works, but, as in Vienna, for free. Therefore, the first editions did not bring income to Chopin. He was forced to give music lessons for five to seven hours every day. This work provided him, but took too much time and effort. And even later, being a world-famous composer, Chopin could not afford to stop these lessons with his students that were so exhausting for him.
Along with the growing popularity of Chopin as a pianist and composer, his circle of acquaintances expanded. Among his friends are Liszt, the outstanding French composer Berlioz, the French artist Delacroix, and the German poet Heine. But no matter how interesting his new friends were, he always gave preference to his compatriots. For the sake of a guest from Poland, he changed the strict order of his working day, showing him the sights of Paris. He could spend hours listening to stories about his homeland, about the lives of his family and friends. With youthful insatiability he enjoyed Polish folk songs, and often wrote music to the poems he liked. Very often these poems, turned into songs, found their way back to Poland and became the property of the people. If a close friend, the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz, came, Chopin immediately sat down at the piano and played for him for hours. Forced, like Chopin, to live away from his homeland, Mickiewicz also yearned for it. And only Chopin’s music slightly eased the pain of this separation and transported him there, far away, to his native Poland. It was thanks to Mickiewicz and the frenzied drama of his “Conrad Wallenrod” that the First Ballad was born. And Chopin’s Second Ballad is associated with the images of Mickiewicz’s poetry.
Meetings with Polish friends were especially dear to the composer because Chopin did not have his own family. His hope of marrying Maria Wodzinska, the daughter of one of the rich Polish nobles, did not come true. Maria's parents did not want to see their daughter married to a musician, even if he was world famous, but earned his living by working. For many years, he connected his life with the famous French writer Aurora Dudevant, who appeared in print under the pseudonym Georges Sand. 
Judging by the “musical portraits” of Konstancia Gladkowska and Maria Wodzinska, Chopin valued above all else the charm of purity created by his imagination. In George Sand one could find anything but this. By that time she enjoyed a scandalous reputation. Chopin could not have known this. But Liszt and his friend Marie d'Agoux highly valued the literary talent of George Sand and talked about this with Chopin and Mickiewicz, emphasizing that they valued her primarily as a writer. They also contributed to the appearance of George Sand at musical evenings with Chopin. It must be said , that there is not much reliable information about the history of Chopin’s relationship with Georges Sand.
Not everyone agrees with George Sand herself, who portrayed Chopin’s guardian angel to his friends and described to them her “self-sacrifice” and “maternal care” for the composer. Liszt, in a book published during George Sand’s lifetime, very clearly accused her of being the cause of his untimely death. 
Wojciech Grzymala, one of Chopin's closest friends, also believed that George Sand, “who poisoned his entire existence,” was responsible for his death. “A poisonous plant” was called by Wilhelm Lenz, a student of Chopin, who was deeply indignant at how impudently, arrogantly and disdainfully George Sand treated Chopin even in the presence of strangers.
Over the years, Chopin gave concerts less and less, limiting himself to performing with a small circle of friends. He devoted himself entirely to creativity. His sonatas, scherzos, ballads, impromptuses, a new series of etudes, the most poetic nocturnes, preludes and his still favorite mazurkas and polonaises appeared. Along with light lyrical plays, more and more often from his pen came works full of dramatic depth, and often tragedy. 
This is the Second Sonata (with funeral march), which belongs to the highest achievements of the composer, of all Polish music and romantic art in general. Józef Chominski, characterizing the first two movements of the sonata, said: “After the heroic struggle, the funeral march is obviously the last act of the drama.” Chopin viewed the funeral march as an emotional conclusion that dramatically completes the development of images. We have the right to call this drama, the images of which unfold in Chopin’s sonata, a national tragedy.
Chopin's funeral march is recognized as the most outstanding work of this genre. This march occupied a special, exceptional place not only in musical literature, but also in the life of humanity, for it is difficult to find a more sublime, more beautiful and more tragic embodiment of the feeling of grief. 
Chopin's life in Paris was, if not happy, then favorable for creativity. His talent reached its peak. The publication of Chopin's works no longer encounters any obstacles; taking lessons from him is considered a great honor, and hearing him play is a rare happiness, available to a select few.
The last years of the composer's life were sad. His friend Jan Matuszynski died, followed by his beloved father. A quarrel and break with George Sand made him completely lonely. Chopin was never able to recover from these brutal blows. The lung disease that Chopin had suffered from a young age worsened. The composer has written almost nothing for the past two years. His funds have dried up.
To improve his difficult financial situation, Chopin undertook a trip to London at the invitation of English friends. Having gathered his last strength, sick, he gives concerts and lessons there. The enthusiastic reception initially pleases him and instills him with cheerfulness. But the damp climate of England quickly had its destructive effect. A hectic life, full of secular, often empty and meaningless entertainment, began to tire him. Chopin's letters from London reflect his gloomy mood, and often suffering. “I am no longer able to worry or rejoice - I have completely stopped feeling anything - I am just vegetating and waiting for this to end as soon as possible,” he wrote to one of his friends.
Chopin gave his last concert in London, which turned out to be the last in his life, in favor of Polish emigrants. On the advice of doctors, he hastily returned to Paris. The composer's last work was a mazurka in F minor, which he could no longer play and only wrote down on paper.
The only known photograph of the composer, taken in the year of his death in 1849. The photograph is in a private collection
At his request, his elder sister Ludwika arrived from Poland, in whose arms he died.
Open music lesson in 6th grade
Subject: Images of chamber music. The mighty kingdom of Chopin.
Chapter: The world of images of vocal and instrumental music.
Lesson date ______________
__________________________________
Objective of the lesson: awareness of the stylistic features of F. Chopin's music, familiarity with the genres of chamber music and instrumental miniatures of F. Chopin's music.
Lesson objectives.
Educational: to help students feel the amazing originality, subtle poetry of F. Chopin’s music, its connection with the national characteristics of Polish music, the historical situation of that time; introduce students to the works of F. Chopin, find out the musical content of musical works.
Educational: develop visual - figurative, logical thinking, the ability to analyze and synthesize, argue, musical memory, fret - harmonic hearing, singing skills.
Educational: nurturing a sense of citizenship and love for the Motherland.
Lesson type: combined, deepening knowledge.
Form: lesson-presentation.
Listening to music: F. Chopin “Ballad No. 1” in G minor. Nocturne (B major).
Scherzo (B flat minor).
Equipment: computer, projector, screen, board, piano, crossword, textbook Sergeeva G.P., Kritskaya E.D.. Music. 6th grade. M.: Education, 2014.
Lesson progress:
Organizational moment: direct students' attention to the lesson.
Sound fragment "Ballads of g - minor". Greetings!
Updating basic knowledge:
Motivation for learning activities. ( Communicating the topic and purpose of the lesson ).
Today in the lesson we will continue our acquaintance with the musical work of this composer. The topic of our lesson is called: “The Mighty Kingdom of F. Chopin.” Its goal is to penetrate into the poetic musical language and content of the works of this brilliant Polish composer.
Learning new material.
Listen to the music and determine the style of the composer, which composer can it be attributed to?
Listening to Waltz and Polonaise.
Did you guess it?
Find out from the description about the music of which composer, pianist - virtuoso we will talk about today.
He sang the soul of his people, created beautiful melodies and dances
He limited his creativity to piano music.
He is a classic of Polish music. His name stands alongside the names of brilliant composers, such as (on the board there are portraits of composers) Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky.
The work of F. Chopin is a huge world of extraordinary beauty. His wonderful, wonderful music, written by a great composer and musician. Sincerity of feelings is the main thing!
Posting biographical information.
Teacher: Look closely at the portrait of this man. What do you think he was like in life?
Students: Good, he has a thoughtful look. I think he was an intelligent, sensitive man.
Teacher: One cannot help but be surprised at the depth and softness that pervades the composer’s face and his aristocratic hands. He came from a wonderful noble family and was educated in Warsaw. Knowing the culture and customs of folk Poland, he deeply felt the intonations of the Masurians and Kuyawiaks, the Obereks and Polonaises, who so often delighted his heart in dear Szafarna, a suburb of Warsaw.
Performance of "Chopin's Nocturne" music by S. Savenkov, lyrics by T. Tarasova.
Chopin's music is permeated, on the one hand, by lyricism, the subtlety of conveying different moods, and on the other, by tragedy and heroism. (p. 98, 2 paragraph).
Chopin revived the prelude on a romantic basis, which is the semantic center reflecting a certain “movement and life of the soul.”
Listening to Prelude No. 7 and Prelude No. 20. Discussion of music.
What image do foreplay create? What does F. Chopin want to tell us about? What does the music depict, what feelings does it convey?
Living far from his homeland, he always thought about it, all my thoughts, feelings, experiences are his music. You can hear pain, suffering, impulse, bitterness of loss, love, faith, and deep sadness in it. The tragedy of the Polish people became my personal tragedy. There are circumstances in life when it is impossible to change anything. In a country that was foreign to me, he experienced fame, respect, recognition, success, he was surrounded by creative people, he found love - isn’t that what you call happiness?! For an exile, there is no higher happiness than being with the Motherland and living for it!
Let's Listen to the Performance of the outstanding pianist Svyatoslav Richter
Etude No. 12 and Prelude No. 24 What unites these two different genres, what does the composer want to convey to us, what can be said about the music?
An ardent, noble dreamer,
Ruler of piano scenes
Poet of folk melody -
All this is Frederic Chopin.
Listening to the curly music,
I hear the seething splash of waves,
And the splashes of sunny May,
And October's glassy shine,
And the call of the Fatherland is stern,
And there is room for revolution.
Here the pianist frowned,
Entering "B-flat minor".
Ringing a piano chord,
A foam wave plays.
An influx of witchcraft and strange
She absorbs the room into herself.
Spreading my shoulders like wings,
Like an angel, weightless and pure,
The whole piano evening soars
Above the hall is a fragile pianist.
Vladimir Efremovich Shostak
Why did F. Chopin choose the piano for his work?
Do you think that Chopin was a romantic? Why?
Did F. Chopin really leave the country when he learned about the Polish uprising?
What genres of miniatures were close to F. Chopin? (Preludes, nocturnes, waltzes, polonaises, mazurkas).
What kind of music occupied a leading place in the work of F. Chopin? (danceability).
What distinguishes the music of Fryderyk Chopin, what is his music connected with?
What a morning in my homeland!
What meadows and forests,
The dew sparkles like mother of pearl.
Native land...Eh! Beauty!
It smells of wormwood and grass here,
Young green leaves
Ah, homeland, only with you
I am bound forever by fate!
Chopin's music is like cannons covered with flowers. Acutely angry, full of vital tension and emotional intensity, the pages of his ballads and sonatas can be considered as a lively and reverent response to the events of Polish reality in the 30s. He was deeply shocked by the slavery of his homeland. In this sense, it is highly characteristic "Ballad in G Minor"
Listening to the coda of “Ballad g-moll”.
Teacher: Guys, tell me, what kind of music is this? What did you hear in it?
Students: This music is courageous, angry, full of vitality and struggle. The music is revolutionary, fast-paced, calling for struggle.
Teacher: It reflected the feelings of a Pole - an aristocrat and a revolutionary - a romantic. Fryderyk Chopin himself was forced to leave and live abroad, far from his beloved homeland, Poland, after the national liberation uprising in which he participated was defeated.
Lesson summary.
Crossword: "Chopin"- vertically. ( Questions to reinforce the material).
Romantic composer of the 19th century, who wrote the music for the song "Evening Star".
What title did Chopin receive for his music?
Chopin's favorite instrument.
What kind of dance are we talking about: “Solemn ballroom dance - procession”?
What kind of music occupied a leading place in the work of F. Chopin?
Vocal - intonation work.
Didactic task - development of vocal intonation skills
Breath;
Chanting;
Singing the main melody of Nocturne (vocalise).
Homeland, that’s what every citizen should think about. Think about what the Motherland means to you...
Performance of the song “Winter” music and lyrics by A. Osirovsky.
Reflection.
Teacher: Guys, tell me, what composer’s music was played in our lesson today? What “eternal” problems does F. Chopin’s music address?
Question: What interesting things did you learn? What discovery did you make for yourself?
Formulate and ask each other questions (work in pairs). Rate it. Give points. Calculate the overall score - give it a rating.
Sample questions:
Why did F. Chopin choose the piano for his work?
Do you think that Chopin was a romantic? Why.
Did F. Chopin really leave the country when he learned about the Polish uprising?
What genres of miniatures were close to F. Chopin (preludes, nocturnes, waltzes, polonaises, mazurkas).
What kind of music occupied a leading place in the work of F. Chopin? (Dance)
What distinguishes the music of Frederic Chopin, what is his music connected with?
What distinguishes F. Chopin's music? Of course, the Motherland, to which Chopin was very attached, and his fate was closely intertwined with the fate of the Motherland.
The lesson was held at MBOU "Secondary School No. 3" in the city of Cherepovets, Voogda region.
Positive Feedback:
1. There is clarity and good presentation.
2. Wonderful contact with students.
3.Lesson stages completed.
4.Various forms of activity are shown.
5 In general, I liked the lesson.
Negative:
1. In general, I didn’t like the theme and the combination of artistic and musical images. (I didn’t come up with this, it’s all from the textbook and program)
2. The teacher is unemotional.
3. The students are not active (they were scared by the large number of teachers.
4. There wasn’t enough time for reflection (although I was in a hurry)
5. Work in groups in general, according to colleagues, should not be like this, it didn’t happen!
6. The song wasn’t like that (colleagues didn’t like it)
Program,
Chapter "The world of images of chamber and symphonic music."
Lesson topic "The Mighty Kingdom of Chopin"
Target: acquaintance with the genres of chamber music and instrumental miniature music by F. Chopin.
Tasks: Educational: to instill love for the native land, the Motherland using the example of the life and work of F. Chopin.
Educational: introduce the era of romanticism and images of chamber music.
Developmental: learn to think about music, be able to express one’s own position regarding the music listened to, work on the sensual performance of songs,
Know: main points of F. Chopin's creativity; various genres of piano miniatures.
Lesson progress
Organizational moment.
Listen to the music and determine the style of the composer, which composer it can be attributed to.
Slide No. 2 and No. 3 Listening to Waltz and Polonaise.
Did you guess it?
Find out from the description which composer, pianist - virtuoso we will talk about today .
He sang the soul of his people, created beautiful melodies and dances
He limited his creativity to piano music.
He is a classic of Polish music. His name stands alongside the names of brilliant composers, such as Slide No. 4(portraits of composers on the board) Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky.
Slide No. 5- The work of F. Chopin is a huge world of extraordinary beauty. His wonderful, wonderful music, written by a great composer and musician. Sincerity of feelings is what matters! What can you tell us about the work of Frederic Chopin?
Read paragraph 1 on page 98 of the textbook. What can be added? Slide No. 6
Fragment of the documentary encyclopedia “F. Chopin", working with cards.
Fryderyk Chopin did not write large works, neither symphonies, nor operas, but how can this be the main thing? Every person is capable of freedom of thought, speech, and feeling. Express it the way he wants. The genres closest to him were miniatures
Slide No. 7(small pieces): preludes, nocturnes, waltzes, polonaises, mazurkas, sonatas. Every play and dance is a state of mind, even while living in Paris, he wrote Polish music. Almost all the dances written by F. Chopin were Polish, and the Mazurka was his favorite.
Of course, in the modern world, listeners of classical music begin to understand the musical language of F. Chopin. As a sign of love and respect for the work of F. Chopin, St. Petersburg composer Sergei Savenkov uses the melody of the nocturne and writes an amazing song based on the poems of Tatyana Tarasova. The song is popular among children's groups and is often heard on the radio. Slide No. 8
Performance of "Chopin's Nocturne" musicS. Savenkova, words by T. Tarasova.
Slide No. 9 Chopin’s music is permeated, on the one hand, by lyricism, the subtlety of conveying different moods, and on the other, by tragedy and heroism. (p. 98, 2nd paragraph)
Chopin revived the prelude on a romantic basis, which is a semantic center reflecting a certain “movement and life of the soul.” Slide No. 10
Listening to Prelude No. 7 and Prelude No. 20. Discussion of music.
What image do foreplay create? What does F. Chopin want to tell us about? What does the music depict, what feelings does it convey?
Slide No. 13 Living far from his homeland, he always thought about it, all my thoughts, feelings, experiences are his music. You can hear pain, suffering, impulse, bitterness of loss, love, faith, and deep sadness in it. The tragedy of the Polish people became my personal tragedy. There are circumstances in life when it is impossible to change anything. In a country that was foreign to me, he experienced fame, respect, recognition, success, he was surrounded by creative people, he found love - isn’t that what you call happiness?! For an exile, there is no higher happiness than being with the Motherland and living for it!
Let's let's listen in performed by the outstanding pianist Svyatoslav Richter
Slide No. 14, 15 - Study No. 12 and Prelude No. 24, What unites these two different genres, what does the composer want to convey to us, what can be said about the music? Slide No. 16
Slide No. 17 An ardent, noble dreamer,
Ruler of piano scenes
Poet of folk melody -
All this is Frederic Chopin.
Listening to the curly music,
I hear the seething splash of waves,
And the splashes of sunny May,
And October's glassy shine,
And the call of the Fatherland is stern,
And there is room for revolution.
Here the pianist frowned,
Entering "B-flat minor".
Ringing a piano chord,
A foam wave plays.
An influx of witchcraft and strange
She absorbs the room into herself.
Spreading my shoulders like wings,
Like an angel, weightless and pure,
The whole piano evening soars
Above the hall is a fragile pianist. Vladimir Efremovich Shostak
To summarize the lesson you need to answer a number of questions
1. Why did F. Chopin choose the piano for his work?
2. Do you think that Chopin was a romantic? Why.
3. Did F. Chopin really leave the country when he learned about the Polish uprising?
4. What genres of miniatures were close to F. Chopin. (preludes, nocturnes, waltzes, polonaises, mazurkas)
What kind of music occupied a leading place in the work of F. Chopin? (danceability) What distinguishes the music of Fryderyk Chopin, what is his music connected with?
What distinguishes F. Chopin's music? Of course, the Motherland, to which Chopin was very attached, and his fate was closely intertwined with the fate of the Motherland. Slide number 18
What a morning in my homeland!
What meadows and forests,
The dew sparkles like mother of pearl.
Native land...Eh! Beauty!
It smells of wormwood and grass here,
Young green leaves
Ah, homeland, only with you
I am bound forever by fate!
Homeland, that’s what every citizen should think about. Think about what the Motherland means to you...
Slide No. 19
Song performance "Spring of Russia" music A. Ermolova, words by Gulevskaya.
Slide No. 20, No. 21, No. 22, No. 23, No. 24, No. 25, No. 26, No. 27
Crossword: “Chopin” - vertically. (Questions to reinforce the material).
Romantic composer of the 19th century, who wrote the music for the song “Evening Star”. What title did Chopin receive for his music? Chopin's favorite instrument. What kind of dance are we talking about: “Solemn ballroom dance - procession”? What kind of music occupied a leading place in the work of F. Chopin?
Slide No. 28 Here in the hall is Chopin himself,
And sweet is the captivity of songs
And is sensitive to the ear
Music long sound.
The piano is like a white spirit
The melody floats
That joy flows into the heart,
It glows with sadness.
The melody floats...
And a light waltz blooms -
Sometimes he cries, sometimes he laughs,
It will ascend to the sky,
It will echo -
Love memory
There are few composers whose work is considered one of the greatest treasures of world art and at the same time accessible to the widest circles of listeners and enjoys worldwide popularity. The brilliant Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin occupies an exceptional place even among these most fortunate composers in many respects. Other major composers of the past - Mozart, Beethoven, Glinka, Tchaikovsky - showed themselves in different genres of music, wrote works of large scale - symphonies, operas. Chopin stands on a par with these geniuses, despite the fact that he composed almost exclusively for the piano, and mostly works of small volume - miniatures. He, like no one else, knew how to say a lot in a little, to express great content in forms of a modest scale, and from the piano he extracted such a wealth of colors that it seemed to replace an entire orchestra.
Fryderyk Chopin was born on February 22, 1810 near Warsaw in the town of Zhelazova Wola. Chopin's mother was Polish, his father was French. The family lived on the estate of Count Skarbek, where the father served as a home teacher. Soon after the birth of his son, Nikolai Chopin received a position as a home teacher at the Warsaw Lyceum, and the whole family moved to the capital. Little Fryderyk grew up surrounded by music. His father played the violin and flute, his mother played the piano and sang. The boy's musical talent manifested itself very early. Already at the age of five, Chopin confidently performed pieces he had learned under the guidance of his older sister Ludwika. Soon, the famous Czech musician Wojciech Zivny, famous in Warsaw, became his teacher; it was he who instilled in his student a love of the music of the classics, especially J. S. Bach. The little pianist's first performance took place in Warsaw when he was seven years old. The concert was a success, and the whole of Warsaw soon learned Chopin's name. At the same time, one of his first works was published - a polonaise for piano in G minor. The boy's performing talent developed so quickly that by the age of twelve, Chopin was on par with the best Polish pianists. Chopin was distinguished by physical fragility and refined aristocracy, self-esteem and self-control. He was restrained, ironic, impeccably brought up and always aroused admiration among his contemporaries for his exquisite simplicity and nobility. Zhivy himself refused to study with the young virtuoso, declaring that he could teach him nothing more.
The boy's musical studies did not come at the expense of his general education. Chopin was distinguished, despite his poor health, by his great work ethic. Already as a child, Fryderyk was fluent in German and French, was interested in the history of Poland, and read a lot of fiction. He drew well, and was especially good at caricatures. His talent for mimicry was so brilliant that he could have become a stage actor. He attended opera performances with great interest. The performance of the famous violinist Niccolo Paganini made an indelible impression on the impressionable young man. However, the most profound impressions of Chopin's childhood and youth were associated with Polish folk music. Chopin listened to it with enthusiasm during country walks, on the estates of his lyceum comrades. These impressions became one of the most important foundations of his work. For the formation of Chopin as an artist, the entire social and cultural atmosphere of Warsaw in the 20s of the 19th century was of great importance - the era when, after the shocks of the Napoleonic wars, Poland was preparing to resume the struggle for independence.
In 1826, after graduating from the Lyceum, Chopin entered the Warsaw Higher Music School. Here his classes were led by the experienced teacher and composer Jozef Elsner. Among his notes there is a description given to the young musician: “Amazing abilities. Musical genius." By this time, Chopin had already been recognized as the best pianist in Poland. His talent as a composer also reached maturity. This is evidenced by two concertos for piano and orchestra, composed in 1829 - 1830. These concertos are still heard today and are favorite works of pianists from all over the world.
Upon graduation from the Higher Music School (1829). Chopin, already an established artist, made a trip to Vienna, one of the largest musical centers of that time. His concerts were a huge success. After returning to Warsaw, it became obvious that the further development of his talent required the atmosphere of the largest European capitals and a long concert tour. Chopin could not decide to take this step for a long time. He was tormented by heavy forebodings. It seemed to him that he was leaving his homeland forever. Finally, in the autumn of 1830, Chopin left Warsaw. Friends gave him a parting silver cup filled with Polish soil. Chopin was twenty years old. The happy youthful time, full of searches, hopes, successes, is over. Chopin's premonitions did not deceive him. He parted with his homeland forever.
Remembering the good reception he received in Vienna, Chopin decided to begin his concerts there. But, despite all his efforts, he was never able to give an independent concert, and publishers agreed to publish his works only for free. Unexpectedly, alarming news came from home. An uprising against the Russian autocracy, organized by Polish patriots, began in Warsaw. Chopin decided to interrupt his concert trip and return to Poland, but his family and friends stopped him from taking this step. With bitterness, the composer submitted and headed to Paris. From that moment on, he was haunted by anxious thoughts about the fate of his homeland and loved ones. On the way, Chopin was overtaken by the news of the defeat of the uprising. The strong shock from this news served as an impetus for the creation of brilliant tragic works, primarily the etude in C minor (Op. 10) - the so-called “revolutionary”. The prelude in D minor, created at the same time and later included in the notebook of preludes under No. 24, is also full of sublimely tragic pathos.
In the autumn of 1831, Chopin arrived in Paris, where he lived until the end of his life. But France did not become the composer’s second homeland. Both in his affections and in his work, Chopin remains a Pole. The theme of love for the people and homeland, so characteristic of romanticism, can be traced throughout all his works. Chopin is a romantic composer, whose music was influenced by Polish musical culture and the creative work of predecessor composers. Various types of Polish rural and urban dances are reflected in fiery mazurkas, solemn polonaises, brilliant, expressive waltzes, brilliant preludes and nocturnes - examples of musical lyricism.
Chopin's Mazurkas are dance pieces that combine the features of three ancient folk dances: the Masurian, Kujawiak and Oberek, common in various regions of Poland. The Mazurka was especially near and dear to the composer, since his youth was spent in Kujawy and Mazovia, the birthplace of this dance. Such lyrical melodies include the Mazurka in A minor (Op. 68 No. 2). The sad, thoughtful melody smoothly turns into a playful village dance. And how much greatness and jubilation is heard from the first notes of the Polonaise in A major. After all, it is also based on the Polish national dance, which over time received the French name “polonaise”. Once upon a time, the polonaise was a festive ceremonial procession. In the old days, only knight warriors took part in it. Having emerged among the people, the polonaise finally took shape in the circles of the Polish nobility and became firmly established in ballroom music. In the 19th century, the ball opened, as a rule, with a polonaise. In the first pair was the owner with the most respected guest. The works of a dance nature also include Chopin's waltzes. Among Chopin's seventeen waltzes, the C-sharp minor waltz is very popular. Gentle and poetic at the beginning, it amazes with its brilliance and virtuosity in the second theme, creating the impression of whirling movement, lightness, and flight.
But let's return to Paris. At that time, it was the center of all world culture and art. Many outstanding writers, artists, and pianists lived and worked there. It is enough to name the names of Hugo, Heine, Berlioz, Liszt, Bellini. Chopin “conquered” Paris first as a pianist. He immediately amazed the audience with his original and unusual performance; according to the recollections of his contemporaries, it was surprisingly spiritual, poetic and elegant. Chopin the performer was inseparable from Chopin the composer. And spoiled Paris, which was difficult to surprise with virtuosity, bowed to the charm of Slavic melodies and incomparable poetry that exuded the sounds of his music. According to Liszt, Chopin’s music and playing evoked “a feeling of admiration, awe, timidity that seizes the heart near supernatural beings, near those whom you cannot decipher, understand, embrace.” When performing in concerts, Chopin mostly performed his own compositions: concertos for piano and orchestra, mazurkas, nocturnes, etudes, variations on a theme from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. It was about these variations that the outstanding German composer and critic Robert Schumann wrote: “Hats off, gentlemen, before you is a genius.” Chopin's music, as well as his concert performances, aroused universal admiration. Only music publishers waited. They did not refuse to publish Chopin, but, as in Vienna, for free. Therefore, the first editions did not bring income to Chopin. He was forced to give music lessons, sometimes for 5-6 hours a day. This work provided him, but took a lot of energy. As Chopin's fame grows, his circle of acquaintances expands. Among his friends are the pianist Liszt, the German poet Heine, the French composer Berlioz, and the artist Delacroix. But no matter how interesting his new friends were, for the sake of a guest from Poland he put all his affairs aside and could spend hours listening to stories about his homeland. Meetings with Polish friends were especially dear to the composer, and because Chopin did not have his own family, his hope of marrying Maria Wodzinska, the daughter of one of the rich Polish nobles, did not come true. Maria's parents did not want to see their daughter married to a musician, albeit a world-famous one, who earned his living by his work. For many years, the famous French writer Aurora Dudevant, who appeared in print under the pseudonym Georges Sand, became his close friend. Over the years, Chopin gave concerts less and less often, limiting himself to performing with a small circle of friends. He directed all his attention to creativity. His sonatas, scherzos, nocturnes, preludes, and ballads appear. Along with light, lyrical plays, works full of dramatic depth, and often tragedy, are increasingly coming from his pen. In this regard, it is impossible not to mention four ballads of Chopin. They are a new and bold word in the history of musical art. The genre definition of ballad entered music from folk poetry and fiction. At the beginning of the 19th century, vocal ballads became widespread (for example, the famous ballad of F. Schubert “The Forest King”). Chopin was the first to introduce the ballad genre into instrumental music. Epico - a dramatic tone links Chopin's ballads with Schubert's ballads and other vocal ballads. But Chopin's ballads are large plays, with a broad, symphonic type of development of musical images. These works are rightly considered the direct predecessors of the genre of symphonic poems. And the beautiful lines of Boris Pasternak dedicated to Chopin come to mind; they subtly and accurately convey the image of the majestic doom, so characteristic of Chopin’s melodies:
A blow, another, a passage -
The balls have a milky halo
Chopin's funeral phrase
Floats up like a sick eagle.
But, despite all the hardships, Chopin’s life in Paris was, if not happy, then favorable for creativity. His talent has reached its peak, the publication of works no longer encounters obstacles, taking lessons from him is considered a great honor, and hearing him play is a rare happiness, available only to a select few.
The last years of the composer's life were sad. His father died, a quarrel and break with George Sand left him completely alone. Chopin was never able to recover from these brutal blows. The lung disease that Chopin had suffered from a young age worsened. The composer has written almost nothing for the past two years. To improve his financial situation, he goes to London at the invitation of English friends. Having gathered his last strength, sick, he gives concerts and lessons there. The enthusiastic reception initially pleases him and instills him with cheerfulness. But the damp climate of England quickly had its destructive effect. Chopin gave his last concert in London, which turned out to be the last in his life, in favor of Polish emigrants. On the advice of doctors, he quickly returns to Paris. The composer's last work was the Mazurka in F minor (Op. 68 No. 4). At his request, his sister Ludwika arrived from Poland, in whose arms he died. The composer's funeral was solemn. The best artists of Paris performed the Requiem of their beloved Mozart. Friends brought a cup with his native Polish soil to his grave. Chopin was buried in Paris, and his heart, as he bequeathed, was sent to Warsaw, where it is still carefully preserved in the Church of the Holy Cross.
During his short life, Chopin created over 200 works. With few exceptions, these are all piano pieces, mostly of small volume, and about half of them are written in dance form, which is due to the characteristics of folk music. He wrote only a few works for other instruments: a trio for piano, violin and cello, a polonaise op. 3 and duet for piano and cello, a number of songs for voice. But within the confines of his piano work alone, Chopin reached the heights of artistic versatility that other composers achieved by working on many types of instrumental music in different areas of musical art.
Chopin created his own piano style, which combines virtuosity and subtle, deep lyricism. He created new types, a new color of piano sound, a new pedal technique.
Chopin is the greatest master of melody. Its melodic origins are different. His melodies combine the features of national Polish songwriting and the classics of Italian Belsant. The melodies have melodiousness, declamatory quality, and complex instrumental development. And I remember the words of B. Pasternak that “the main means of expression, the language in which Chopin expressed everything he wanted to say, was his melody, the most genuine and powerful of all that we know.”
Chopin was highly valued and loved by all Russian composers - Glinka, Rimsky - Korsakov, Balakirev, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov. It should be noted that the first complete edition of Chopin's works was published in Russia (in 1861). In Russian musical, and especially concert life, Chopin's music, starting from the 30s of the 19th century, occupied a large place. A whole galaxy of pianists, led by A. Rubinstein and M. Balakirev, became famous for performing Chopin's works, laying down the traditions of the Russian style. And in our time, Chopin’s music is popular among performers and listeners. After all, Chopin’s work is a world of extraordinary beauty. Listening to it, you forget that you are listening to just one instrument, the piano. Limitless spaces open before you, full of secrets and adventures. And I really want this new, newly discovered world to never leave you.
A bouquet of flowers, passions incandescent,
I hear, I feel, I see
(as in the reflections of the mirrors of the salons of old Paris - a Slavic look, a shadow of illness) in His mazurkas there is ice and fire,
Lazenok dear May day,
The hot gray stone of Mallorca, and the stone that I carried in my soul, and the cough (every day longer), and the memory of the heart, where I kept the melodies of half-forgotten Poland,
In the mazurkas, it seems, her sadness reigns, and her appearance is gentle, but suddenly - and Poland’s rebellious spirit will sound in a three-beat dance.
In a bouquet of flowers passions are incandescent,
He turned around without any rules.
He left his Genius to the world,
And he bequeathed his heart to Poland.
1. All Chopin’s works are filled with emotions, experiences, and carry deep meaning.
2. Listening to Chopin’s works, you forget that there is only one instrument, the piano. It replaces a whole orchestra.
3. Chopin's music became international, it conquered all of Europe.
4. There were many challenges in Chopin’s life, which the core he developed in childhood helped him cope with.
5. Chopin created his own unique piano style, new types and colors of piano sounds, and a new pedal technique.
6. All of Chopin’s work is permeated with great love for the Motherland.
7. Chopin is the greatest master of melody.
Far from the Motherland. Etudes of Chopin
Chopin in any of our days
Easily waltzes over the abyss
And he proudly rules over her...
(L. Ozerov)
The word “study” is familiar to you. From the first months of mastering the instrument, musicians begin to play etudes. Very simple at first. Then they move on to more complex ones. In French, étude means study. They develop the musician's technique. Each etude is dedicated to mastering some technical technique: playing with octaves, trills, thirds, for example.
By the way, not only musicians study technical techniques. Artists, chess players, and many others do this. Sketches by great artists often turn out to be not just exercises for developing a technique, but genuine works of art. They are exhibited in museums and admired. So in Chopin’s work, the etude received a new meaning.
For Chopin, the etude ceased to be an exercise. It has become a full-fledged artistic genre, like other concert works, revealing poetic images, thoughts, and moods. From now on, etudes began to be included in concert programs as serious and expressive works on a par with sonatas, ballads and other genres.
His works in this genre, along with the works of Franz Liszt, opened a new, romantic era in the history of piano etude and piano virtuosity in general. In total, Chopin's legacy includes 27 etudes, two notebooks of 12 numbers each (op. 10 and op. 25), and three more separate pieces.
The fate of F. Chopin was closely intertwined with the fate of the Motherland. Recognized as the best pianist in Poland, the composer goes to give concerts in Europe. Chopin could not decide to take this step for a long time.
“...I don’t have the strength,- he wrote, - set the day of departure; It seems to me that I am leaving to die - and how bitter it must be to die in a foreign land, not where I lived.”.
And yet the twenty-year-old composer leaves Poland. At a farewell party given to friends, F. Chopin was presented with a silver cup with Polish soil, which he kept as a sign of loyalty to his homeland.
When news came from Poland about the beginning of a popular uprising and its brutal suppression, F. Chopin decided to interrupt his concert trip and return to his homeland. However, family and friends, fearing for his life, dissuaded the composer from this step: let him serve the Motherland with his art.
“I curse the hour of my departure...- the composer writes in letters. “I can’t do as I want... In the living rooms I pretend to be calm, and when I return home I rage at the piano.”.
He poured out his grief, anger, and indignation in music. As a creative response to the events taking place in Poland (in 1831), such works by Chopin as the famous Etude No. 12, called “Revolutionary,” and Prelude No. 24 appeared.
Etude No. 12 (Revolutionary – “Revolutionary”). The angry protest and acute mental pain that gripped the musician when he learned of the suppression of the uprising that broke out in his homeland are reflected here with enormous artistic force. Against the background of menacing wave-like - “vortex” - passages, passionate exclamations are heard - like proud calls to die, but not to give up in mortal combat.
As they fade away, the brief C major coda sounds like a tragically sublime lament for the deaths of the heroes.
At the last moment, a passage “squall” again sweeps across the entire keyboard - like a gust of irreconcilable rebellious feelings. In its passionate emotional intensity, the “Revolutionary Etude” is akin to the heroics of Beethoven, especially the finale of his piano sonata “Appassionata”.
Etude in E major No. 3 (Tristesse – sadness) is a kind of “song without words”. Its melody is distinguished by its depth, soft and soulful melodiousness. It is not for nothing that there are arrangements of this etude for such “singing” instruments as violin and cello. There is also an arrangement for voice. Slow tempo, quiet sound, uniform, smooth movement of accompaniment give the melody concentration and even greater depth. Despite the major scale, the music has a hint of light sadness.
Chopin himself considered the melody that sounds in the extreme sections of the three-part form of this work to be the best of all that he created. Amazingly tender and melodious, it is filled with heartfelt warmth - like a tender mother’s lullaby with quiet, “lulling” swaying accompaniment.
And the contrasting chord-passage middle of this piece is like a terrible storm breaking out or a terrible dream engulfing a person. The strength of the sound increases, reaching fortissimo. But everything is dispelled by the renewed soothing sound of a soulful song.
From the memoirs of the composer's contemporaries it is known that this was Chopin's favorite etude. One day, listening to one of his students playing the Etude in E major, Chopin exclaimed: “Oh, my Motherland!”
Every bar of Chopin's music is imbued with love for Poland. Separated for life from his homeland, he always remained a Polish composer. That is why Poland now keeps Chopin’s heart, which until its last beat beat for its native country, as the most expensive relic.
Chopin's heart was brought from Paris to Warsaw, to the Church of the Holy Cross, and it was carefully kept there for a long time. When the Nazis occupied Poland, Polish patriots secretly took the precious vessel containing this relic from the church and hid it.
The year 1945 arrived. Poland became free. And again, citizens of Poland stood around the ancient church in solemn reverent silence. The heart of their beloved composer was returned to the church and walled up in one of its columns.
Russian composer and critic Cesar Cui wrote about Chopin: “Chopin... was sick with the suffering of his Fatherland, sick of separation from his family and friends, sick of homesickness and expressed his sincere, deep grief in wondrous, poetic sounds. He called this heavy, mournful mood with one untranslatable Polish word “sorry,” which simultaneously means both sorrow and resentment.”.
“Deep thoughts about yourself and about your no longer existing Fatherland, your joys and despair, your delights and dreams, moments of happiness and oppressive sorrow, sunny scenes of love, only occasionally interrupted by quiet and calm pictures of nature,- this is where Chopin’s region and mighty kingdom is, this is where he accomplished the great secrets of art under the name of sonatas, preludes, mazurkas, polonaises, scherzos, etudes...” wrote V. Stasov, an outstanding Russian critic and public figure of the 19th century.
Questions:
- What is the difference between F. Chopin’s piano etudes and educational technical ones?
- How many etudes did F. Chopin create?
- What event is associated with the famous Etude No. 12 “Revolutionary” by F. Chopin?
- What image comes to your mind when you hear Etude No. 12 “Revolutionary”?
- Tell us about the figurative character of F. Chopin's Etude No. 3 in E major.
- What secrets of art and life are revealed when the works of F. Chopin are played?
- These works of F. Chopin and P. Tchaikovsky are consonant with the music of which composer? L. Beethoven? S. Rachmaninov? E. Grieg?
Presentation
Included:
1. Presentation - 10 slides, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Chopin. Etude No. 3 in E major (Tristesse), mp3;
Chopin. Etude No. 12 in C minor (Revolutionary), mp3;
3. Accompanying article - lesson notes, docx.
