The Circle In The Grey

all the rediculous melodrama of an opera, but this is no stage. this is real.

September 13, 2006

Introducing Frederic Chopin - Aesthetic Genius

I am sitting here as the world calmly fades into the pastelled background of another gorgeous Autumn sunset, watching outlined grey clouds provide the skeleton-like framework that contains this present scene; a scene that i can feel more deeply and completely than i'd ever be able to see. And seeing it is moving and striking enough. Striking the chords of my human existance much in the same way that those genius musicians of the 16th and 17th and, especially, 18th and 19th centuries struck chords in their beloved instruments, providing the framework that allows me to understand and communicate life in a way that, otherwise, would be impossible. A framework that is not skeleton in any form.

Chopin's Nocturne #1 in C#- leaks into the emptiness of this tiny, whitened room that holds my head and my body. But somewhere above is my mind, floating on the harmonies of his bewitching, melancholy passage. I swear i can smell it, taste it, feel its wafting magic invade every second of this moment. His music far surpasses simply the tangible.

The Warsaw native Frederic Chopin is by far my favourite pianist, favourite composer, favourite musician. He is a musical genius needing to be, at the very least, considered by anyone seeking aesthetical experiences. This current nocturne that i am listening to surpasses even the greatest works of - Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Schubert - all other musical masters in the same periodic box as Chopin. And it is by no means his greatest composition - not even close.

I wonder what Bach, who some say so strongly influenced Chopin in terms of composition, if given the opportunity, would think of Chopin's music. I wonder if he would realize how his own similar compositions fade in comparison to what Chopin was able to produce years later. I wonder if he would have incredulously realized how much he had missed in structuring his compositions such as he did; how he missed developing a language that, fortunately, Chopin was later able to develop in his place.

That being said, there are definite basis of comparison that would, easily, put Bach as the superior. In terms of aesthetics however, Chopin reigns supreme.

32 Comments:

At 10:33 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

yea, he sure could tickle them ivories

 
At 10:47 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well you know what they say about those floopin' composers, don't you?

No?

Beethoven's gone, but his music lives on, and Mozart don't go shopping no more, you'll never meet Lizst or Brahms again,
and Elgar doesn't answer the door.

Schubert and Chopin used to chuckle and laugh, while composing a long symphony, but one hundred and fifty years later, there's very little of them left to see.

The decomposing composers, there's less of them every year, you can say what you like to Debussy, but there's not much of him left to hear.

Thank you.

 
At 10:49 PM, Blogger steph said...

please reveal your glorious self anonymous...

 
At 10:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

That was very moving 'anonymous.'
I especially liked the part about saying what you want to Debussy, but there not being much left of him to hear. Very beautiful.

 
At 11:00 PM, Blogger steph said...

tsk tsk tsk, you people...

 
At 11:05 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very moving anonymous.
Ive never thought about Mozart not being able to go shopping any more, or Elgar not answering the door. Kind of sad, isn't it?

Absolutely brilliant!!!

These are unchartered waters for me. Thank you for opening my eyes to the not-so-often-told stories of what happened to these composers.

Who'd of thought these composers decompose?

 
At 11:15 PM, Blogger steph said...

their music doesn't decompose of course. that is the only important part my poor mislead responders...

 
At 11:19 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Obviosly their floopin' music lives on. I stated that in my original post.

"Beethoven is gone, but his music lives on, and Mozart don't go shopping no more, you'll never meet Lizst or Brahms again, and Elgar doesn't answer the door."

It's clear their music lives on, but your readers appear to be deeply touched, by the fact that, for example, you can say what you want to Debussy, and there's not much left of him to hear. The fact that these blokes are decomposing also seems to have moved another anonymous reader.

Don't be jealous because my response has garnered more replies than your brilliant Opening Post.

 
At 11:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

yeah dont get go defensive steph.
ghessh.

 
At 11:24 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

hokey-dinah, take a chill-pill, annie

 
At 11:29 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Deeply inspiring, anonymous.
Do you suppose though that Elgar, ever answered his own door? Wasn't someone's wealth in the Victorian era determined by whether they had someone to answer the door for them or not?

 
At 11:33 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes is was a determining factor, anonymous. It really had nothing to do with the door in and of itself, but rather suggested, that someone was wealthy enough to hire servants, one of whom would answer the door. Good point though.

Elgar himself, as a Roman Catholic, a minority faith in England, combined with the fact that he always did suffer from poverty, relative to his peers, may very well have answered his own door.

However, I see that as quite irrelevant, as my original post says that he cannot any longer. It does not necessarily presuppose that he once did, though I suspect he did.

 
At 11:33 PM, Blogger steph said...

kelly?

 
At 11:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

No it was 'Edward' Elgar. Dont worry about the confusion. Nobody usually remembers the composers first names.

 
At 11:38 PM, Blogger steph said...

not necissarily...

when was the last time you called good old Wolfgang by his last name, or Ludwig for that matter?

 
At 11:40 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

In my opening post actually.

 
At 11:45 PM, Blogger steph said...

hum. so you did. fancy that.

their music is their legacy. their music is what allows them to decompose in the cold, earthen graves with pride and dignity and fulfillment - these three, which most unfortunate souls rot away in the ground without even the slightest touches of

 
At 4:16 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Handel and Haydn and Rachmaninoff, enjoyed a nice drink with their meal, but nowadays no one will serve them, and their gravy is left to congeal.

Verdi and Wagner delighted the crowds, with their highly original sounds, the pianos they play are still working, but their both six feet underground.

The decomposing composers, there's less of them every year, you can say what you want to Debussy, but there's not much of him left to hear.

 
At 4:38 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

anonymous, i was just thinking, depeding on when you die, and how large you were when you lived, is it possible that most of the composers are beyond decomposing?

 
At 4:41 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good question. It certainly would depend on when the composer died. Their weight is definately a factor as well. Brahms, for instance, was massively overweight, and could very well still be decomposing. Good question though.

 
At 5:07 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Keep in my that my original post does not really depend on whether they are still decomposing.
It more about how, for example, Mozart don't go shoppig no more, or that youll never meet Liszt or Brahms again.

So whether they are still decomposing is interesting but not really relevant. Either way 'you can say what you want to Debussy, but there's not much of him left to hear.'

I make no claims about how much there is left of him to hear, simply that it is not much.

 
At 6:38 AM, Blogger brokenbyHislove said...

Hmm. The only thing I can contribute to this conversation is that I used to pronounce chopin like, 'chop-in' as in, I'm choppin' some wood! Until I was corrected by you, Stephanie dear. Hardy har harrrr..

 
At 12:34 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh Steph, I love your love for Chopin! I remember the days you'd call yourself George Sand, you were such a Chopin-nut.

With that being said, I must add my two-cents. I don't know if you recall, but I also admired Chopin's music immensely when we were going through our "glory days" haha.. but as time passed, I have slowly learned to appreciate Bach's amazing mastry of contrapuntal music. So, though I truly love Chopin's music through and through, Bach just takes the cake in overall mind-boggling greatness in his composition.

Don't you miss the days of Dr.Green's ramblings? I think he'd be proud of your blog, Stepho! Miss you lots!!! :)

 
At 12:36 AM, Blogger steph said...

"Bach just takes the cake in overall mind-boggling greatness in his composition."

But it cannot be denied that this is not so in terms of aesthetics

 
At 11:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmm, I supposed in most cases that is true. And it's certainly the more accepted opinion, BUT, I don't know what it is about Bach's music, I find it equally beautiful and enlightening.

Maybe we can agree that there is nothing quite as stimulating as listening to classical music by one of the Masters. I think it's really a direct gift from God to be able to compose such incredible pieces. It's something I have come to appreciate much too late in my life, but better late than never.

Why oh why did Chopin not reproduce? Hahaa..

 
At 11:44 PM, Blogger steph said...

because it was GEORGE SAND! Would YOU want to reproduce?!

i don't think it's something you have come to appreciate too late in your life. you always appreciated it christine, we all did. we were just to young to realize the magnitude of much of it, not to mention how we should have continued pursuing music after our grade 10s!! Just think - you, jamie and i could easily have all had our ARCT certifications by now...

 
At 8:17 PM, Blogger steph said...

So...was George Sand really bisexual?

 
At 11:44 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Where's my poem?!!!!!!
hmmmm?

 
At 2:15 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Imagine, we would be able to write A.R.C.T. behind our name each time we signed!! That'd be so hilarious, I'd overuse it just to annoy the heck out of everyone.

And where on earth did you hear that George Sand was bisexual?! Chopin certainly was quite an oddball to be attracted to this woman.

 
At 2:20 PM, Blogger steph said...

yah i wish i could write ARCT after my name. Maybe one day...

Well, the thing is, Chopin wasn't even really attracted to her! In fact, he was known to have found her repulsive. In some strange way it was appealing i guess. Maybe there's more to the story we'll never know...

As for her bisexual nature, i am not sure about it, thus my question. Some of her literature definitely points to her being in that direction, and i have read some sources claiming that she herself claims a bisexual orientation. The truth though is that i have not looked into it enough to be able to say for sure whether or not she was. That was the nature of the question, i thought someone else might have a better grasp on the validity of that...

 
At 1:57 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Steph, I had the urge to listen to all 24 Chopin etudes in order yesterday and I fell in love with him all over again. The mastry in the performances were just amazing and it's crazy to think these are just interpretations of Chopin's genius.

Oh, to be able to hear him play these works himself. That'd be SO amazing!!

 
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