FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN AND HIS PIANO COMPOSITIONS

Abstract

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of music. Although he wrote almost exclusively for the piano, his unique musical language, revolutionary inventions, romantic nostalgia, and the Polish elements in his composition propelled him to the forefront of critical acclaim. Furthermore, he decisively influenced other contemporaries and successors. Schumann once mentioned that people can easily tell Chopin’s compositions without looking at the composer’s name. Chopin’s innovations and aesthetics in piano compositions are irreplaceable and transcend the barriers of time and nationality. In this dissertation, as well as the recordings of three dissertation recitals, I would like to present the developments in Chopin’s music that transformed him from a young virtuoso into one of the greatest composers in the Western music history. The repertoires include one of his piano concertos which was completed during his Warsaw period, the miniatures published after he settled down in Paris, and the large-scale works composed at the very end of his life. I believe that the arrangement of the programs will give me a glimpse of the quintessence of Chopin’s writing.