General Knowledge
General Knowledge Notes:
Bach
Biography
The Well-Tempered Clavier
Piece
Mozart
Biography
Sonata form
Piece
Chopin
Biography
Piece
Liszt
Biography
Piece
Debussy
Biography
Piece
Bach – Biography
When?
Where?
What did he do?
Major Life Events
Chopin – Biography
When? 1810 - 1849
Where? Warsaw, Poland
What did he do?
Chopin was dissatisfied by the audience who only expected technical exhibition from performers, which was the musical fashion in Paris in the 1830s
Chopin virtually renounced his concert career – instead, he spent time playing in the salons of wealthy aristocrats, giving lessons
Compositional style became more intimate but still hard
Major Life Events
Great talents in playing the piano and improvisation/composition
First concert in 1818, published his first composition at 15
Serries of concert tours, wrote more virtuosic pieces during these tours, 2 concertos and Karkowiak
1830 – left Poland and went to Vienna and went to Paris where he settled
Spent time with a novelist who had left her husband George Sand
Poor weather exacerbated his poor health and he died of tuberculosis in 1849
Influences
Studied bach and Viennese Classics with Zwyny, a violinist
Jozef Elsner taught him harmony and composition at the Warsaw Conservatory
Musical Style
Composed at the piano
No symphonic music, all compositions involve the piano
Friend of Bellini, whom he emulated often (flowing melodies)
Explored new ways of realising the potential of the piano
Bigger range, sustaining pedal
Cantabile tone, colourful harmonies, unusual key relationships
Contemporaries
Berlioz, Alkan (French)
Mendelssohn, Liszt, Schumann
Output
Krakowiak, la ci darem variations
Debussy – Biography
When? 1862 to 1918 (end of World War 1) (56 years old)
Where? Born and died in France
What did he do?
Significant in development of 20th Century European art music
Major Life Events
Studied at the Paris Conservatoire,
1885-1887 Studied in Rome after
Bach
Biography
The Well-Tempered Clavier
Piece
Mozart
Biography
Sonata form
Piece
Chopin
Biography
Piece
Liszt
Biography
Piece
Debussy
Biography
Piece
Bach – Biography
When?
Where?
What did he do?
Major Life Events
Chopin – Biography
When? 1810 - 1849
Where? Warsaw, Poland
What did he do?
Chopin was dissatisfied by the audience who only expected technical exhibition from performers, which was the musical fashion in Paris in the 1830s
Chopin virtually renounced his concert career – instead, he spent time playing in the salons of wealthy aristocrats, giving lessons
Compositional style became more intimate but still hard
Major Life Events
Great talents in playing the piano and improvisation/composition
First concert in 1818, published his first composition at 15
Serries of concert tours, wrote more virtuosic pieces during these tours, 2 concertos and Karkowiak
1830 – left Poland and went to Vienna and went to Paris where he settled
Spent time with a novelist who had left her husband George Sand
Poor weather exacerbated his poor health and he died of tuberculosis in 1849
Influences
Studied bach and Viennese Classics with Zwyny, a violinist
Jozef Elsner taught him harmony and composition at the Warsaw Conservatory
Musical Style
Composed at the piano
No symphonic music, all compositions involve the piano
Friend of Bellini, whom he emulated often (flowing melodies)
Explored new ways of realising the potential of the piano
Bigger range, sustaining pedal
Cantabile tone, colourful harmonies, unusual key relationships
Contemporaries
Berlioz, Alkan (French)
Mendelssohn, Liszt, Schumann
Output
Krakowiak, la ci darem variations
Debussy – Biography
When? 1862 to 1918 (end of World War 1) (56 years old)
Where? Born and died in France
What did he do?
Significant in development of 20th Century European art music
Major Life Events
Studied at the Paris Conservatoire,
1885-1887 Studied in Rome after