IB Music SL Romanticism Unit 17 Piano Literature

The Piano and Its Literature Piano: home use, favorite instrument of virtuosos Four-hand piano music Technical improvements Steinway

The Short Lyric Piano Piece Instrumental equivalent to the song  “Prelude,” “Intermezzo,” “Impromptu”  mazurka, polonaise, waltz, scherzo Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Robert and Clara Schumann, Brahms

Chopin and Piano Music The “poet of the piano” Frédéric François Chopin (1810–1849) French/Polish composer and pianist Early music studies Career in Paris Close friends with leading composers, artists, poets, writers George Sand (Aurore Dudevant) Tuberculosis Early death at age 39

Chopin’s Music Centered on the piano Modern piano style Standard repertory Smaller forms: nocturnes, preludes, impromptus, waltzes, mazurkas, études Larger forms: ballades, polonaises, a fantasy, sonatas, piano concertos

Chopin: Polonaise in A major, Op. 40, No. 1Polonaise in A major One of Chopin's most heroic works Strong, stately dance feel in triple meter 3-part form:  A section marked by a martial quality  B section is more lyrical

Chopin: Prelude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4Prelude in E minor Set of 24 preludes inspired by Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier Expressiveness by the simplest means Gently mournful mood

Liszt and the Rise of the Performer/Composer Franz Liszt (1811–1886) Hungarian-born composer and pianist Close friends with reigning intellectuals and artists Personal magnetism on stage and with women  Daniel Stern (Countess Marie d’Agoult) Turned entirely to composition Court conductor to grand duke of Weimar (1848–61)  “Music of the future” (Wagner, Berlioz)  Princess Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein Abbé Liszt: religious works Successful trip to England Died at age 75

Liszt’s Music Pure lyric expression Symphonic poem Thematic transformation Highly virtuosic, technically difficult works Symphonies, concertos, symphonic poems, sacred music, piano music

Liszt: The Little Bell (La Campanella)The Little Bell Study piece  Transcendental Etudes after Paganini Evokes small church bell Two musical sections (A-B) in continual variation Physically demanding work Étude is transformed from dry exercise to poetic mood piece

Clara Schumann: Pianist and Composer Clara Wieck Schumann (1819–1896) German pianist, composer, and interpreter Early music studies First public concert at age nine Wife of Robert Schumann, and lifelong friend of Johannes Brahms Concertized after Robert’s death Last public concert at age of 72

Clara Schumann’s Music Songs, piano music, chamber music (including piano trio) Technically difficult, deeply introspective Piano concerto

Clara Schumann: Nocturne, from Music for an Evening EntertainmentMusic for an Evening Entertainment From a collection of 6 character pieces (Soirées musicales, Op.6) Rich harmony, complex rhythmic structure Ternary form Robert Schumann quoted this piece in one of his own works.

Louis Gottschalk and Piano Music in America Louis Moreau Gottschalk ( ) Native of New Orleans  English-born Jewish father/French-Creole mother  Trained in Paris 1st internationally acclaimed U.S. composer  Affinity for the Afro-Caribbean folk music Popular in the U.S., South America, &Caribbean  Organized "monster" concerts in Brazil Died in Brazil 1869  Overdose of quinine to treat malaria

Gottschalk's Music Remembered today for his piano music Composed operas, orchestral works, American patriotic tunes Exploited all manner of dance and song forms Syncopated rhythms anticipate ragtime

Gottschalk: The Banjo (Le banjo: Fantasie grotesque)The Banjo Free form work for solo piano 2 main sections, each repeated Highly syncopated  Imitates strumming and picking of banjo Melody in coda suggests Camptown Races