Biographical information Flashcards
Chopin
He moves to Paris in 1832, and never went back to Poland. Had an illustrious group of friends, Schumann, and Liszt.
- Had love affaire with George Sand (pen name of Amantine Lucille Aurore Dudevant) after being introduced to her by Liszt
Musical training was entirely local; Young Chopin was prodigious
- sought after by the aristocracy in Poland as a child prodigy where he played in
salons
Embarks on a professional career at the age of 19; Travels to Munich, Vienna, Paris and London to give concerts
- Well received in France and makes Paris his new home; Gives concerts and gives piano lessons to the elites
Franz Schubert
- Musical training by his father and older brother
- Musical training as a choirboy in the Imperial Court Chapel
- This training included orchestral and chamber settings along with vocal training - Earning a living was never easy for him, only 1821 would his compositions (songs) be published and recognized
- Influence of German lieds can be heard throughout his input
- Not was a very well-known composer of instrumental music
- Mainly for his Lieds (Local celebrity in Vienna for that reason)
- Took a while for his music to reach the deepest appreciation in his instrumental pieces
- Wrote sonatas, dances, impromptus, and character pieces
- Catalogued by Otto Deutsch in 1913 (D. xxx)
- Follows chronological order
Felix Mendelssohn
Belonged to an aristocratic family and had a good education. His family was able to support him very well.
- Virtuoso pianist and conductor
- Rediscovered Bach’s music
- Studied his music and became music director in the city of Berlin, so he was able to perform a lot of his music
- The music of Bach was revived thanks to Mendelssohn.
His circle of friends were VIP
- Among these, Chopin and Liszt
- Poets and other artists
His music was very well-respected during his time, but his popularity crashed after his death and came back after the turn of the twentieth century
Robert Schumann
Wrote a body of songs
Member of the Neue Zeitschrift fur Muzik (1834-44)
- New time-writing (Journal) for Music
- Thanks to his writings, critiqued Chopin and Brahms and they became famous because of him
Battle for Clara Wieck, daughter of Friedrich Wieck
- Disagreed on the relationship because he didn’t think he could support her
- they went to court and won eventually against his father
- In 1840, they get married
1833, mentally ill
- Tried to commit suicide in 1854
- Put in a mental institution
Franz Liszt
- A great virtuoso
- Performed his own work and promoted his colleagues’ music
- Performed works by past composers
- Wrote transcriptions of works not usually for piano
- Paraphrase of famous operas
- Transcriptions of Beethoven symphonies
- He revised his scores frequently, but never destroyed earlier versions
- there are oftentimes many versions of the same piece
- the piece is always evolving
- He took the piano out of the homes into the public salons and concert halls (Most probably Clara Schumann’s original idea)
- A key figure in the development of the instrument
- Thanks to him, the instrument developed to the range it is today, with heavier action and large sound capable of filling a concert hall
- A key figure in the development of the instrument
- Between 1839-1847, he played more than 1000 concerts in 8 years
- Thanks to him, we call the piano concert a RECITAL
- Probably a gimmick of Clara Schumann
- Because of him, playing by memory
- Probably a gimmick of Clara Schumann
- Thanks to him, we call the piano concert a RECITAL
- After 1848, a change in his activities
- Focused on composing, even though he kept performing at a lower rate
