Chopin and the Character Piece: Nocturnes, Preludes, and Ballades Essay Example

associated with the genre had already been established. So when Field published his 1st Nocturne in 1812, it was nothing new.

He then followed this nocturne up with a few other similar works, which ultimately led to the nocturnes of Chopin. Although Chopin’s nocturnes were influenced by Field’s, Chopin’s simply leave Field’s behind in terms of melody, harmonic variety, and originality of piano style. Chopin’s nocturnes follow a typical style and form. They are usually melancholy in style, with a beautiful bel canto melody flowing above broken chord arpeggiations. They are usually in a simple ABA or ABAB form with the A section developing a slow, dreamlike melody; while the B section is often more intense and dramatic.

Being a character piece, these nocturnes were set to express a specific mood. Therefore, many of Chopin’s nocturnes were influenced by, or dedicated to, a specific person or experience. For example, Opus 27, Numbers 1 and 2 were dedicated to Countess d’Appony. Countess d’Appony was a Parisian Countess who threw parties for the high society members. She frequently invited Chopin to attend these. These two nocturnes are said to be Chopin’s greatest, and are arguably his most popular.

The first one, in C-sharp minor, begins with a very cloudy and dark atmosphere set by the minor arpeggiated chords, and the dark, dampened tone of the piano. The B section develops a triumphant theme as it modulates to a major key and the full tone of the piano is used. Opus 27, No. 2 features a beautiful bel canto melody opening which is then developed and expanded with parallel thirds and sixths, heightening the dramatic

quality of the piece. The nocturne closes with the return of the A section, and the melody slowly drifts out beautifully. Also, the Opus 37, No. was called Les Soupirs, which is translated as “The Sighs. ” This nocturne is different in that it is far less technically demanding than the some of the others and it features an odd plain chordal style middle section. Perhaps Chopin was unsatisfied with this particular nocturne or struggled in writing it, hence the title he gave it. One thing that remained constant throughout all of Chopin’s nocturnes is that he wrote them with this “nocturnal” expression. They all feature a moving melody with chord accompaniment, sometimes in a dark, tense setting, and others in a beautiful, peaceful setting.

Either of these can be true for a nocturnal quality. Chopin drew inspiration from numerous sources. He predominantly composed with national Polish traditions in mind, but often studied other composers and expanded upon their styles. Chopin’s 24 Preludes were based on a study of Bach’s own set of Preludes. In both cases, these composers wrote a Prelude for all 24 major and minor keys. Bach arranged his chromatically, while Chopin arranged his in a circle of fifths pattern. While Chopin did study Bach’s Preludes, Chopin’s were only a tribute. It was there he composed these most beautiful of short pages which he modestly entitled the Preludes. They are masterpieces. ” He wrote each one with a specific theme or mood in mind and he set them to stand on their own as independent works, despite the fact that the genre “prelude” is translated from French as “introduction. ” Their

function became as such when the composer was “capable by means of a suitable prelude of preparing the listeners, setting the mood, and also thereby ascertaining the qualities of the pianoforte, perhaps unfamiliar to him, in an appropriate fashion. Chopin’s 24 preludes are so skillfully composed, they are “admirable for their variety, the labor and learning with which they abound are appreciable only by the aid of a scrupulous examination; everything seems fresh, elastic, created at the impulse of the moment, abounding with that freedom of expression which is characteristic of works of genius. ” Their variety is shown in that Hans von Bulow gave distinct titles to each of the preludes, and while they are not universally accepted, they are a good description of the character of each. Number six was named “Tolling Bells” by Bulow.

The minor tonality of the prelude as well as the repeated note figures give this the character of “Tolling Bells”; as if something grim awaits the listener. Number 8 was entitled “Desperation. ” It is very fast, frantic, and stressful. It has been said that it was composed during a thunderstorm, which gives this prelude an expression of fear. The most famous prelude, number 15, is called the “Raindrop. ” Chopin’s companion, George Sand, gives a detailed description of the night that this prelude was written. She relates the repeated figure and the melancholy style of this prelude to tears falling from the sky, landing on Chopin’s heart.

Number 19 was given the title “Heartfelt Happiness” by Bulow. The repeated triplet figures and very joyful melody give this prelude its character. All 28 preludes are different

and unique. Each represented its own expressive character that was accurately summed up by Bulow. “When Chopin first used the title ‘ballade’ for a piano piece he effectively created a new genre, at least for his own purposes. ” The title, however, already existed in both literary and musical senses, and Chopin’s ballades drew from those. The early romantic ballad was a poetic genre that was set to music, which became the 19th century art song.

Furthermore, the French term ‘ballade’ was used to describe a simple narrative song. Also, Polish folk songs based on narrative were called ballads, and Chopin likely set out to establish this genre. Chopin’s genre was a virtuosic piano piece that was influenced by general literary inspiration and narrative qualities, but not so strictly that it was set to a program like the music of Liszt. The ballades of Chopin are his most technically difficult compositions, and generally follow Sonata form. Each one features a large range of emotions, a broad use of harmonies, switching rom major to minor quite frequently, and are very lyrical, but more structural than his preludes or nocturnes. They begin with a beautiful, flowing melody that gets embellished and developed till it rapidly gets twisted into a dark, intense theme. “All four ballades are built around a ‘narrative’ based on the interaction of two contrasting themes. ” In all four there seems to be a theme of tension and release, possibly showing some of the inner turmoil that Chopin fought with. The constant change of moods and intensity gives narrative of Chopin’s frustrations in life.

Since Chopin was so often inspired by love,

perhaps his four ballades are also about love, and the frustration and pain he found in it. His first ballade begins with a lovely melody that shows the bliss involved, but as it develops, things begin to get twisted and it turns more dissonant. It shows a great range of emotions that Chopin could be tying to a particular person or situation. The second ballade again begins with a sweet, melody and calm andantino theme. A presto con fuoco then suddenly breaks out showing peace and joy, and pain and confusion at their extremes.

The third ballade is “the essence of charm and warmth” and is more consistent in style throughout, but still contrasts the two themes of love and pain. In the final ballade, it starts out beautifully and peacefully as was typical. During the time when Chopin composed this ballade, he was dealing with the parting of his companion, George Sand. Much of the ballade is peaceful and slow but then rapidly turns fast and dissonant at times. This showed the pain and confusion that he dealt with. Throughout all of Chopin’s character pieces, he breathes his heart and soul into each. Chopin was as passionate and intimate composer as any.

It was said by George Sand that "he would lock himself up in his room for whole days, weeping, pacing back and forth, breaking his pens, repeating or changing one bar a hundred times, writing and erasing as many times, and beginning again the next day with an infinite and desperate perseverance. He sometimes spent six weeks on one page, only in the end to write it exactly as he

had sketched at the first draft. " Chopin’s artistry and expression were always his top priority, which is why each of his character pieces tells its own story, and has such a life of its own that exists only in what he intended it to.