Chapter 25

CHAPTER XIV

CHOPIN AND PIANOFORTE STYLE

Although Chopin (1809-1849) was less aggressively romantic
than others of the group we have been considering, in many
respects his music represents the romantic spirit in its fairest
bloom. Not even yet has full justice been done him—although
his fame is growing—since he is often considered as a com-
poser of mere “salon-pieces” which, though captivating, are too
gossamer-like to merit serious attention. Chopin was a life-long
student of Bach; and much of his music, in its closeness of tex-
ture, shows unmistakably the influence of that master. Together
with Schumann, he broke away from the strict formality of the
old classic forms and instituted the reign of freely conceived
tone-poems for the pianoforte: the form being conditioned by
the poetic feelings of the composer. As far as fundamental prin-
ciples of architecture are concerned, his pieces are generally sim-
ple, modeled as they are on the two and three-part form and that
of the rondo. When he attempted works of large scope, where
varied material had to be held together, he was lamentably de-
ficient,e.g., in his Sonatas. In fact, even in such pieces as the
Études and Scherzos, in the presentation of the material we
find occasional blemishes. But there are so many other won-
derful qualities that this weakness may be overlooked. In spite
of a certain deficiency in form, Chopin is indisputably a great
genius. Far too much stress has been laid on the delicacy of