The Life And Works Of Frederick Chopin Essays - Frdric Chopin

The Life And Works Of Frederick Chopin The Life and Works of Frederick Chopin The 1830s have been called the decade of the piano because during that period the piano and the music written for it played a dominant role in European musical culture. The piano had, of course, already been popular for more than half a century, but by the third decade of the nineteenth century, changes in the instrument and its audience transformed the piano's role in musical life. As the Industrial Revolution hit its stride, piano manufacturers developed methods for building many more pianos than had previously been feasible, and at lower cost. Pianos ceased to be the exclusive province of the wealthy; an expanding middle class could also aspire to own them and make music at home. Thousands of amateur pianists began to take lessons, buy printed music, and attend concerts. Virtuosos like Friedrich Kalkbrenner, Sigismund Thalberg, and Franz Liszt became the first musical superstars, touring Europe and astonishing audiences with music they had composed to display their piano technique . Frederick Chopin was born in a small village named Zelazowa Wola located in Poland on March 1st, 1810. His passionate love of music showed itself at an early age. There are stories, for instance, of how when his mother and sister played dances on their grand piano he would burst into tears for the sheer beauty of the sounds he heard. Soon he began to explore the keyboard for himself and delighted in experimenting. By the age of seven he had become sufficiently good for his parents to try and find him a teacher. Their choice fell on Adalbert Zywny, a Bohemian composer then aged sixty-one and now remembered solely as Chopins first teacher. Within a few months of beginning his studies with Zywny, Chopin began to play in public, and by the end of 1817, at the age of seven, had already been described by many as Mozarts successor. Chopin began to compose around this time, and continued to do so throughout his student years, but only a handful of these works were printed. In the autumn of 1826, Chopin began studying the theory of music, figured bass, and composition at the Warsaw High School of Music. Its head was the composer J?zef Elsner. Chopin, however, did not attend the piano class. Aware of the exceptional nature of Chopin's talent, Elsner allowed him, in accordance with his personality and temperament, to concentrate on piano music but was unbending as regards theoretical subjects, in particular counterpoint. Chopin, endowed by nature with magnificent melodic invention, ease of free improvisation, and an inclination towards brilliant effects and perfect harmony, gained in Elsner's school a solid grounding, discipline, and precision of construction, as well as an understanding of the meaning and logic of each note. This was the period of the first extended works such as the Sonata in C minor, Variations, on a theme from Don Juan by Mozart, the Rondo ? la Krakowiak, the Fantaisie, and the Trio in G minor. Chopin ended his education at the High School in 1829, and after the third year of his studies Elsner wrote in a report: Chopin, Fryderyk, third year student, amazing talent, musical genius. After completing his studies, Chopin planned a longer stay abroad to become acquainted with the musical life of Europe and to win fame. Up to then, he had never left Poland, with the exception of two brief stays in Prussia. In 1826, he had spent a holiday in Bad Reinertz (modern day Duszniki-Zdr?j) in Lower Silesia, and two years later he had accompanied his father's friend, Professor Feliks Jarocki, on his journey to Berlin to attend a congress of naturalists. Here, quite unknown to the Prussian public, he concentrated on observing the local musical scene. Now he pursued bolder plans. In July 1829 he made a short excursion to Vienna in the company of his acquaintances. Wilhelm W?rfel, who had been staying there for three years, introduced him to the musical environment, and enabled Chopin to give two performances in the K?rtnertortheater. He enjoyed his tremendous success with the public, and although the critics censured his performance for its small volume of sound, they acclaimed him as a genius

A Thousand Splendid Sunsâ€Discussion Questions

'A Thousand Splendid Suns'- Discussion Questions A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is superbly written, has a page-turning story, and will help your book club learn more about Afghanistan. Use these book club discussion questions to probe deeper into the story. Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions reveal important details from the novel. Finish the book before reading on! Discussion Questions What did A Thousand Splendid Suns teach you about the history of Afghanistan? Did anything surprise you?Mariam’s mother says: Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have. In what ways is this true? How do Mariam and Laila endure? How is their endurance different from the ways their mothers faced their trials?Several times Mariam passes herself off as Lailas mother. In what way is their relationship like mother-daughter? How did their own relationships with their mothers shape how they treated each other and their family?What is the significance of Lailas childhood trip to see the giant stone Buddhas above the Bamiyan Valley? Why did her father take her on this trip? How did his influence shape the way Laila would cope with her future?Afghanistan changes rulers several times in the story. During the Soviet occupation, the people felt life would be better once the foreigners were defeated. Why do you think the quality of life deteriorated after the occupation rather than r eturning to the way it was in the pre-communist era? When the Taliban first enter the city, Laila does not believe women will tolerate being forced out of jobs and treated with such indignity. Why do the educated women of Kabul endure such treatment? Why are the Taliban accepted?The Taliban forbid writing books, watching films, and painting pictures; yet the film Titanic becomes a sensation on the black market. Why would people risk the Taliban’s violence to watch the film? Why do you think this particular film became so popular? How does Hosseini use films throughout the novel to symbolize relationships between people and the state of the country (i.e. Jalils theater, Tariq Lailas outings to the movies)?Were you surprised when Tariq returned? Had you suspected the depth of Rasheeds deceit?Why does Mariam refuse to call witnesses at her trial? Why didnt she try to escape with Laila and Tariq? Do you think Mariam made the right decision? Even though her life was hard, Mariam wishes for more of it in the end. Why do you think tha t is? Do you think Laila and Tariq can be happy?Afghanistan is still in the news a lot. Do you think the situation will truly improve there?Rate A Thousand Splendid Suns on a scale of 1 to 5.