Great Composers of Music

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Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title: Great Composers of Music
Year: 1940
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Fulltext: THE YOUNG CITIZE\ MUSIC APPRECIATION SECTION GREAT COMPOSERS OF MUSIC Hy BERT PALL OSHtl' ' VIII. CHOPIN, THE POET OF THE l'L\:'\O FREDERIC CHOPIN (pronounced J h O'I& pn n with a nasal sound of n) was another ' 1w o n d e rchild" of music. Born near WarsaY1, Po·land, in 1810. the early years d t!!iis Fred"erir Chopin frail boy \vere tinged with the melancholy and patriotism of. hi.s native Poland which was in vain trying to throw off the Russian yoke and regain , its freedom. His father, who had come to Poland in 1787 from eastern France, was a schoolteacher; his mother was of a good Polish family. Frederic received a fair education under private teachers. He began studying the piano at a very· early age. At the age of nine he appeared publidv in concerts and was pronounced .a genius; at twelve he was cornposin)( pieces. When he was " fifteen his fint musit'al l''>mposition was published. A Polish nobleman helped him in hi' education; his refined and grat.:ious manners made him wekome in the homes of • Form<'rly Head of~ the :\lu~i1..- D:·parttnt•nt. Shertrid;.{t Hig:h School, lndi:tnapoli-;. Indiana. L'. S. A . . the Polish nobilit'" \\'here he heard the stately court-danc~ 111 Poland called the polonaise. Many of his boyhood days were spent in the countrv, where he learned to lo"e the songs and dances of the Polish peasants, especially the gay 11rnzurk11. When Chopin was nineteen years old, a revolution broke out in Poland, and his parents seni him to Germany to study. Two years later he took up his resirlence . in Paris, where he lived the remaining eigbteen years of his life. No. people in Europe have had a more moving hisiory than have the Poles. as the native.· of Poland arc called. Thn are a ·proud people who have 'uttered the crue! fortunes nf war for man\' rears. espccial,ly in the recent \\'.,rid \\;.,;. :\o. II. They have al\\·a,·s been patri11tir. The spirit nf Poland burned in .Chopin. He knew the tr;tditions of hi:> p~·fi ple. Though he liYcd much of hi!' short life in Paris, he never forgot his native Pnland. His most mas1erl\' musil· i~ th: lt which is tired by his 1'11li;h patriotism. Chopin was a man of .!.{-!"Cat cul . . turc, anti· his music expresses the inherent fineness of his nature. He was a tnne-poet. During almost c\actly the same years as l\1endel»ohn li\'Cd (see tht . .\u~ust. 19{0, i;>ut of TH F. Ym·'" CITIZF'-;), thi' l'ol. ish pianist and ..:ompr)-s.er l·ontributt:d to mu~ical art an influence th-at has been n:ry powerful and pcrsist~nt. Hi:' <.:hnii..T of Paris as a rc~idcnc.:e intrndul.."td him t11 a srn . .:icty c~pcci<llly scn:'iti,·<.· to hi:-: ;1rti~tic nature. Hi~ nationOctobtr, 1940 THE YOUNG CITIZEN ality, his high-bred, aristocratic ways, and tho charm of his art speedily brought · -him into public notice. The most noticeable of his perscmal characteristics were his sentimental sensitiveness and his in• stinctive refinement. Chopin early attained foremost rank as a concert virtuoso on the piano. He developed a certain style in playing: his playing was .. noticeable for its delicacy and beauty of tone. Through him the piano became a source of exquisite tone color. During. his short life (1810 to 1849) he made a unique contribution to the literature of the piano. His distinctive style of. writing made the most of the artistic possibility of that instrument. · As a composer, Chopin had great ability in thinking of beautiful melodies, in developing the possibil. ities of the piano, and in P,iving decoration and color to his music. musicians from the fact that most of hi~· ~ompositions belong to a single field, that is, they are all written for the piano; he did not write operas or music for ·the orchestra. His genius was romantic, and, · .bis intense ·poetic keling was ennobled 'by his undying patriotism. His latter years were clouded with ill· ness and much unhappiness. He died from tuberculosis in Paris in 1849, ancf was given a stately funeral in that city. Chopin represented Poland ·in musi"<. in three distinct forms of musical composition: the polonaise, the. mazurka, and the ballade. Each is a vivid record of . Polish nationalism. His works, although almn;t wholly confined to compositions for the piaT•e " little dCJg waltr." was su99~sted lo Chopi,, by the antics of a /itlle dog at pla,.·. The polonai~e, as pre~ viously stated in this arti·· cle, is the music for a stately Polish dance or march, just as the. rigodon is a rather stately Spanish dance introduced into the Philippines during the Spanish rule. Chopin wrote fourteen or fifteen polonaises. They are not intended especially to be used for dancing, but are no, have _ become standard everywhere in both public and private use. He was a lyric artist, usually choosing forms for his compositions that are song-like. Chopin is called "the poet of the piano." He was truly a poet in music. His compositions are of a delicate, intimate character, more _suited to the salon-ml a in the Philippinq-than in the concert hall. They have all the refined elegance of a true Parisian, but the Polish nationality is always present. Chopin is notable among the greater in concert form. One of the most famous of these is hi' Military Polonaise in A major (No. I, opus 40). This music recalls the march of Polish 11oblemen in the ceremonies of the government. You should ask soine person who is a capable pianist to play this for you. Or you can buy a phonograph record of this music if you wish. The maz11rkn, as also previously stated, is a gay Polish dance. it is in moderate triple time anci is somewhat like tht (Pleou turn 'to 1a9t 397.) October, 194() CHOPIN (Continu'tl j,.Om 1agt 383) polka. The music of the mnzurka it not as ceremonious as· that of the pofotwise. More ·than fi'fty mmzurkt1S, · .1111 . .iii concert form, were wriit~n by this romposer. A btillade, when written as an instrumental tompo· sition, is a sort of narrative -that is, it tells a story by ·means of mµsic. Chopin wrote four of these. One of them, which you must hear either by piano or phonograph when you have an opportunity, is his Bt1lfode in G 111i11or. In this bt1lftide Chopin tells in music ~ heroic legend' of the l\tiddle Ai;es in Poland. The hero of this lei;end is a man named Wallcnrod. The story is told in epic (narra· tive) poetry, and Chopin gives us the same s~ory by means of music. If you learn the ·theme of the poem, the music will be wonderfully clear ·when you hear it. The voice of a l'olish bard (poet} urging the muse of Polish liberty· is heard throughout the h111lt1de. If you hear this music· on a piano or a phonograph, try to idcritify t:1c theme whirh rcprcsc1its the voice of the bard. Another wc11 known com· positinn l:y Chopin is rnllcd the J/ i1111te T1't1llz, but the THE YOUNG CITIZEN French people ca11 this la vt1lse d11 le petit chien, that is, "the walfz of the little dog." An.:ording to a story, this music was suggested to Chopin by the antics of a little dog at play. An artist has sketched an imaginary picture of this scene; this sketch is reproduced on page 383. You will surely want to hear the "little dog waltz." Chopin was a true poet, although he uses the piano instead of words for his medium of expression, and to him is rightfully given the immortal title, "l~oct of the Piano.'' REVlEW I. Spell and pronounce the name of Chopin (pro· nounccd shr;'1.c-pan). 2. Where and 'when was Chopin born? Died when? 3. Tell of Chopin's life. +. Name three different kinds of musical compositions which Chopin wrote. 5. What name has ·been given to Chopin? MY FAITHFUL DOG (C1111Ji1111ed f,.0111 flt1f1e 379) 397 HOW TO STOP Hl~CUPS (Canti11ued from page 388) It is well for everybody to know at least several of these. Co11gh or sneeze. This is the opposite of the hii:cups n1echanism, and will often stop it. Sugar on the tongue_ Put a small amount· of sugar on the tip of a spoon and deposit it as far back on the tongue as you can. Then swallow. The·dry su"gar requires some effort to get down and · the muscles br01.1ght into play quiet the spasm of hiccups. Salt, ·vinegar, ice, and cold u:aler. . These are ef. fective in much the same way as sugar. Pull .;trongly on the long11f. When more effective measures are needed in a persistent l.'.ase of hil:cups, try this, It 1s effective. ·Apply pres.mre to .the bt1c:k of the 11<'ck. This may be effective, because that is where the nerve controlling hiccups ·is located. Na11un (desire to vomit) mused by tickling the.back of the throat, usually gets results in stubborn cases. When none of theoe remI am sure that if it had .edies is effective, and it not been for the help of my has continued for several faithful dog, I would have hours, call a doctor. He may drowned. I rewarded him wash out your stomach and with more· affection than give sedatives (sleep-pro·t•ver and kinder treatment. ducing drugs).