Explore Frederic Chopin’s famous piano pieces

One of the greatest virtuosos and composers of piano music, Frederic Chopin was a leading figure of the Romantic era. He was born Fryderyk Francisek Chopin on 1st March 1810 in a small village to the west of Warsaw in Poland. During his short and influential life Chopin wrote many of the best piano pieces in musical history and captured the soul of the instrument more than any other composer before or since. He spent much of his working life in Paris, where he died on 17th October 1849, aged 39.

Chopin’s Education and Career

Born to a Polish mother and a French father, the young Frederic Chopin showed a passion for music from an early age. He studied piano with Wojciech Zywny, gave his first public performance at the age of eight, and later enrolled at the Warsaw Conservatory of Music, where he studied music theory and composition with Józef Elsner. In 1830, Chopin left Poland and traveled first to Vienna, staying there for eight months, and then to Paris, where he remained for the rest of his life. In Paris, Chopin soon established himself as one of the musical celebrities of the French capital; he was in great demand as a teacher and wrote some of his best piano pieces, including the 27 Etudes and the G minor Ballade, Op. 23. In the late 1830s, despite ongoing ill health, he began a relationship with the writer known as George Sand. Many of his most famous piano pieces, such as the 24 Preludes, Op. 28, and the A flat Polonaise, Op. 53, were written during this period. His relationship with Sand ultimately deteriorated and Chopin became gravely ill; in April 1848 he took an extended sojourn to England and Scotland but was unable to recover and composed almost nothing in the final year of his life.

Most famous Chopin piano pieces

Chopin’s 24 Preludes

Chopin’s musical works stand among thegreatest of all classical piano pieces ever written. Of particular renown are the 24 Preludes. In this set of short piano pieces, Chopin covers allmajor and minor keys and structures the set around acircle of fifths – each major-key piece is followed by its relative minor. Each prelude represents a particular idea or emotion – for example, the haunting E minor Prelude, which was played at Chopin’s own funeral, or the strikingly beautiful ‘Raindrop’ Prelude.

Chopin’s 27 Etudes

Arguably his most influential piano pieces, however, are the 27 Etudes. These became the basis of a whole new approach to playing the piano and include some of the most difficult pieces ever written for the instrument. One of these 27 piano pieces is the Etude in E major, Op. 10 No. 3, which is often labelled ‘Tristesse’ (meaning “sadness”) or ‘L’Adieu’ (meaning “Farewell”). In fact, Chopin himself told a pupil that “he had never in his life written another such beautiful melody”.

Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22

The Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillante is another very popular Chopin piano piece. It was originally written for piano and orchestra but is often performed on piano alone; it’s a fascinating story-like piece that goes through many emotions. The beginning part contains a very processional section that uses a 3/4time signature. 

Most romantic Chopin works

Nocturne No. 2 in E flat

Naturally, Chopin’s piano music is associated with romanticism. One of Chopin’s traits was to write piano music in a “singing style” (known as ‘cantabile’), and some of his most charming melodies can be found in his Nocturnes, Op. 9. You can learn how to play the famous Nocturne No. 2 in E flat here on the Skoove App (the lesson is geared towards the intermediate pianist). As you learn to play it, pay attention to the simple yet captivating melody in which every single note really seems to matter.

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Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66

In complete contrast to the Nocturnes, the Fantaisie-Impromptu is one of Chopin’s more elaborate piano pieces. It is a fantastic showpiece for piano and involves much improvisation, fastpiano scales, and some complicatedpiano chords. Because this piece uses a lot of improvisation, every performance of this work that Chopin gave would have been very different. Improvisation is more commonly associated with jazz music, but it doesn’t always have to be. Find out more about what improvisation is and how to improvise on the piano with these piano tips and tricks. It’s always a good idea to keep practising scales and chords in order to improve your piano technique. The Skoove App has lots of lessons where you can do this – check them out here!

Waltz in D flat Major, Op. 64 No. 1

Another very popular Chopin piano piece is the delightfully romantic Waltz in D flat Major also known as the ‘Minute’ Waltz. It gains this title because it is ‘miniature’, not because it should be played in one minute (although this hasn’t stopped some pianists giving it a try!).

Ten interesting facts about Frederic Chopin

Frederic Chopin was, and still is, an extremely popular composer and pianist. After growing up in Poland he moved to Paris in 1831, but he also traveled widely within Europe, visiting countries such as England, Germany, and Spain. Here are ten more interesting facts about Chopin:

1. His father was a French teacher

Chopin’s father, Nicolas, was a French émigré who worked as a tutor for aristocratic families in Warsaw. He later went on to teach French at the Warsaw Lyceum. His father’s employment exposed Chopin to Warsaw’s high society and musical culture.

2. Chopin came from a family of musicians

It is believed that many of Chopin’s family members had an artistic and/or musical background. His mother, Justyna, and oldest sister both played the piano and introduced Chopin to music from an early age. Aged six he was readily playing piano and writing short tunes. Recognising his immense talent, his family arranged for the young Chopin to take lessons with the pianist Wojciech Zywny; however, Chopin quickly out mastered his own teacher’s skills and technique!

3. He was a child prodigy

At the age of seven Chopin was writing more substantial pieces of music, including the Polonaise in G minor. By 1818 he was regularly performing both at private gatherings and elegant public events. When he was just eleven years old, he performed original compositions for the visit of Russian Tsar Alexander I to Poland.

4. Aged 16 he enrolled at the Warsaw Conservatory of Music

In 1826 Chopin’s parents enrolled him at the Warsaw Conservatory of Music, where he studied music theory and composition under Józef Elsner. Throughout this period he continued to give performances in public concerts and salons in Warsaw.

5. Chopin had a relationship with an author

Chopin had a relationship with the French novelist George Sand (whose real name was Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin). Sand’s novels were attracting public interest because of her advanced ideas on women’s rights. She wore men’s clothing and smoked cigars, both symbols of equality. In late 1838 the couple spent three months in Mallorca; Chopin was suffering from serious illness at this time and their honeymoon period was a disaster. Nonetheless, the pair spent almost nine years of their lives together.

6. Chopin’s music was influenced by 18th-century composers

The music of J. S. Bach and Mozart were of great influence on Chopin. Chopin would get his students to practice pieces by Bach every day in order to develop their technique and understanding of piano playing. There are lots of exercises listedhere on the Skoove App for you to practice and improve your own playing technique!

7. He mostly wrote short pieces of music

Unlike many of the great 19th-century composers, Chopin predominantly wrote short pieces of music for piano, almost all of which are less than ten minutes long and the vast majority less than five. He did not write any symphonies or operas, although he did write two piano concertos.

8. Chopin died in Paris

Chopin died in Paris on 17th October 1849 at the age of 39. His body was buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, although his heart was interred in Holy Cross Church, Warsaw, in the country of his birth. Towards the end of his life Chopin suffered from severe breathing problems. Recent research has strongly suggested that he died from complications relating to tuberculosis.

9. He wanted his works to be destroyed

Before he died, Chopin expressed the wish that his unpublished pieces should be destroyed. The reasons why he made such a request are unknown, but thankfully his mother, sister, and publisher did not follow through with this. As such, many of Chopin’s piano pieces were not published until after his death.

10. Chopin may have suffered from undiagnosed epilepsy

Chopin, who was plagued by poor health for much of his life, regularly hallucinated and suffered from anxiety and seizures. For instance, during a performance of his Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35, in England in 1848 Chopin suddenly stopped playing and left the stage. Recent studies have revealed that he was likely suffering from undiagnosed epilepsy.  

Conclusion

Put simply, Chopin was one of the greatest pianists and composers of the 19th century and changed the course of music history forever. Chopin’s piano pieces are engaging, thought-provoking, and deeply emotional. When almost anyonelearns to play the piano, one of their goals is often to master Chopin’s most famous pieces. With your Skoove free trial you will be able to explore many of the musical techniques discussed in this article and learn to play some of Chopin’s best and most famous piano pieces.

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Author of this blog post:

Sam Girling is a percussion and piano teacher, writer, an researcher based in Münster, Germany and Auckland, New Zealand. He has performed extensively in New Zealand and Europe, lectures on a variety of music history and theory topics, and has published several academic articles and musical scores. Sam has taught music in a variety of contexts, from primary schools through to university level.