The History in Music 1: Fryderyk Chopin 音乐中的历史1:肖邦

Introduction

Polish pianist Fryderyk Chopin was the romantic era's most prominent and poetic genius. He represented the best the period could offer. His prominence and acclamation worldwide came not necessarily from the amount or variety of work he produced. Instead, Chopin has been acclaimed for his intriguing complexity and unbending patriotism in the era that he was born. Through a brief introduction and three explanations of personal understanding of his musical pieces, his complexity, uniqueness, and patriotism can be interpreted in a modern context.

The Romantic World

Chopin was born in Poland on March 1^st, 1810. He was born into a world where romanticism was developing to its zenith in centers of art and creativity, namely Paris. The doctrines of romanticism were to express personal emotions and advocate for freedom, originality, and individuality. While pioneering works of art and literature did emerge in large volumes from 1800 to 1850, many artists or musicians who reveled in their “genius” turned to extreme exaggeration or the distortion of emotion to look romantic. These exaggerations and distortions gradually became a cacophony, negatively impacting the beauty of the art itself.

Chopin was unique in that he resisted the temptations of exaggeration and distortion. His music was clean and elegant, devoid of queer fantasies or the heated arguments in salons. But his music does not lack emotion. Quite on the opposite, the profuse charges of emotion in Chopin’s works, which can be felt thanks to his music's cleanliness, make his music touching and long-lasting. In this sense, Chopin had a romantic personality of his own. Some call him a “knight of true romanticism,” comparing his unwaveringly elegant style to the chivalric spirit of a medieval knight. I would prefer to think of him as a lone star in a dark and chaotic universe, shining in its unique, radiant brightness.

The Relentless World

The romantic era was not the only factor that influenced his composition. Chopin was Polish, so his works reflected his love for his nation. During Chopin’s time, Poland was brutally divided by Tsarist Russia from the east and Prussia from the west. Independence movements were powerful but never succeeded. It was a time of sorrow and devastation. In 1831, when Chopin left for Paris from Poland, he heard the news of the failure of the uprising in Warsaw. Physically, he was weak and unable to support his country. He decided to use the piano and music as his weapons to fight for Poland, finishing masterpieces such as Polonaise in A-Flat Major Op.53: Heroic and Ballade No.1 in G Minor. 

This unwavering patriotism and sorrowful nostalgia constituted the complexity of his music. In the lightest passages of a mazurka, one can feel sorrow; in the most touching melodies of a nocturne, one can feel strength; in the most powerful and progressive chords, one can feel love and the elegance of a knight. In Chopin’s music, one can perceive far more than his emotions, although they occupy center stage. One can smell the fragrance of the earth, see the sentimental warrior, and hear the heartbeat of the Polish nation.

The Nocturnes

Chopin is probably most known for his nocturnes, a unique type of music written for solo piano developed immensely by him. A nocturne is a piece of romantic or dreamy music that suggests night. Many describe Chopin’s nocturnes as “gentle,” just like the calm night, but that is far from accurate.

The sheer complexity of the nocturnes is what makes them so distinctive. In Chopin’s nocturnes, one can capture the fusion of a plethora of emotions. To generalize, I feel that there are three main motifs of sentiment: pure sorrow, slight hope, and temperate patriotism.

First, Chopin’s nocturnes contain pure sorrow, like the coldness in teardrops. “Pure” implies that the sad mood in these pieces is undisturbed by other similar feelings on the spectrum. Take the example of Nocturne No. 20 in C-sharp minor, Op. posth. The minor tonality imbues it with sorrow. Yet, unlike many other sorrowful pieces, the simple texture and clear melody ensure that pure sadness can be perceived and touched. This sorrow can be linked to the relatively frail state that Chopin was in throughout his life. He witnessed the atrocities that his motherland had to endure while he suffered from various ailments. 

However, a slight hope can also be found in parallel with pure sorrow. In many developing passages in Chopin’s nocturnes, he would often change to a major tonality subtly for several bars or even an entire section of music. This change in tonality sometimes fills the piece with a bit of hope. Hope can also be found in the grace notes within the melody. Chopin’s grace notes were elegantly written, providing a light touch to the sometimes solemn and heavy theme. This touch is a small ornament of hope inserted into the nocturnes. I like to compare his hope to a tiny, abstract ray of light that flickers, or even to the shadows of the clouds in a fairy-tale dream that passes by briefly.

Finally, without a sense of heroism and patriotism, Chopin’s nocturnes would lose their profoundness and ability to touch souls. Some nocturnes can almost be understood as a ballade, a tale of a nostalgic hero gathering the last strength to make a struggle for freedom and dignity. There is always this flair of love towards his battered nation because after leaving his homeland at 21, Chopin never returned, inflicting great pain on his spirit. In longer nocturnes such as the one in F-sharp minor, the composer included some weighty harmonies and powerful chords amidst the peaceful and heartbreaking melody. These harmonies and chords are the battle cries of the patriotic hero from the depth of Chopin’s heart.

The Polonaises

The polonaise is a national dance in Poland. The music involved usually possesses dynamic rhythms and punchy melodies that propel the entire piece forward. Chopin’s polonaises reflect the unique nature of this kind of music and the complexity of emotional charges within the composer.

Chopin’s polonaises are mostly in ¾ time, similar to a march. The rhythm and dynamics are full of heroism. It firstly aims to depict heroism and the fervency of the hero in battle. For Chopin, this heroism and fervency compose the heartbeat of Poland. Finished in 1840 during a serious illness, Polonaise in A-Flat Major Op.53: Heroic is the crown jewel of his polonaises. The beginning of this piece is almost formidable to an extent, the rough chords and harmonies blowing out the heroic melody, accompanied by a passionate rhythm and a strong dynamic. The quick development of passage and motif in this piece conveys the agony, struggles, and emotional eruption of Chopin’s hero, who seeks redemption in fighting.

However, is it only the praise and call for heroism that we hear in the polonaises? There are sighs too. Between fierce passages, there is always a segment where Chopin poured in his nostalgia, grief, and lamentation. This segment contains legato phrases, a relatively quieter dynamic, and a more nocturne-like melody. Keeping Poland dear to his heart, it was difficult for Chopin to resist such feelings of helplessness and desperation. These feelings, bonded with his unwavering admiration for heroism, lead to the complexity of his music.

The Mazurkas

Like the polonaise, the mazurka is a form of music developed from the style of traditional Polish dances in the countryside. A mazurka usually possesses a lively tempo, ¾ time that emphasizes the second beat instead of the first, and a melody that aims to show the beauty of the Polish nation. Chopin’s mazurkas were not written for dancing purposes, containing far more meaning and depth.

Some of his mazurkas contain light sorrow amidst the liveliness. HisMazurka Op.33: No.4 in B Minor is a suitable example. The tempo is Mesto, a relatively brisk tempo, and the shapes of the rhythm are light. In theory, these elements should deliver positive charges of emotion. But in this mazurka, accompanied by the minor tonality, slight sadness can be adequately felt. The balance between negativity and positivity is delicate, implying that Chopin was experiencing complicated emotions when composing. These complicated emotions could stem from homesickness and Poland's conflict between beauty and ugliness. The beauty is the scent of the earth, the laughter in the gardens; the ugliness is the war, the massacres, the wails of terror.

Conclusion

Overall, by looking at his nocturnes, polonaises, and mazurkas, it is clear that Chopin was a maestro of music from many perspectives under the context of the romantic era and warfare in Poland. Chopin’s music demonstrates that true masterpieces do not originate solely from conjuring up emotions. They arise more importantly from an understanding to control and finding the delicate balance of feelings. His greatness is measured by his contributions to the realm of music and his uniqueness and faithfulness shown to romanticism and his motherland. Chopin was a genuine romanticist with a poetic character and an ardent belief.

简介

波兰钢琴家弗里德里克-肖邦是浪漫主义时代最杰出和最具诗意的天才。他是浪漫主义时代毫无疑义的巅峰。我认为，他在世界范围内的突出地位和赞誉并不一定来自于他所创作的作品的数量或种类。相反，肖邦因其耐人寻味的复杂性和不屈不挠的爱国主义精神而受到赞誉。通过对他的音乐作品的简要介绍和三段个人理解的解释，他的复杂性、独特性和爱国主义可以在现代背景下得到阐述。

浪漫主义世界

肖邦于1810年3月1日出生于波兰。他诞生在一个浪漫主义发展到顶峰的世界中，这个世界中心就是巴黎。浪漫主义的信仰是表达个人情感，倡导自由、原创和个性。虽然在1800年至1850年期间，艺术和文学的先锋作品确实大量涌现，但许多艺术家或音乐家陶醉于他们所谓的"天才"，转而采用极端夸张或扭曲情感的方式来表现浪漫。这些夸张和扭曲逐渐成为一种喧嚣，对艺术本身的美产生了负面影响。

肖邦的独特之处在于，他抵制了夸张和扭曲的诱惑。他的音乐干净而优雅，没有古怪的幻想或沙龙里激烈争论的影子。但他的音乐并不缺乏情感。恰恰相反，在肖邦的作品中，他音乐的纯粹性让观众可以感受大量的情感涌动，这也正是他的音乐令人动容和持久发光的原因。从这个意义上，肖邦有他自己的浪漫个性。有人称他为 "真正的浪漫主义骑士"，把他坚定不移的优雅风格比作中世纪骑士的骑士精神。我更愿意把他看作是黑暗和混乱宇宙中的一颗孤星，以其独特的、光芒四射的亮度闪耀。

无情的世界

浪漫主义并不是影响他创作的唯一因素。肖邦是波兰人，所以他的作品反映了他对祖国的热爱。在肖邦的时代，波兰被来自东部的沙皇俄国和来自西部的普鲁士残酷地分割。争取独立的运动风起云涌，但从未成功过。那是一个充满悲哀和破裂的时代。1831年，当肖邦从波兰出发前往巴黎时，他听到了华沙起义失败的消息。在身体上，他很虚弱，无法支持他的国家。于是，他决定用钢琴和音乐作为自己的武器为波兰而战，完成了《降A大调波洛奈兹，作品53：英雄》和《G小调第一叙事曲》等跨时代杰作。

这种坚定不移的爱国主义和忧伤的怀旧情怀构成了他音乐中的复杂性。在玛祖卡舞曲最轻快的段落中，人们可以感受到悲伤；在夜曲最动人的旋律中，人们可以感受到力量；在最有力的和弦韵律中，人们可以感受到温柔爱情和骑士的优雅。在肖邦的音乐中，人们能感受到远不止他的个人情感，尽管它们占据了中心舞台。人们可以闻到土地的芬芳，看到多愁善感的战士，听见波兰民族的心跳。

夜曲

肖邦最出名的可能是他的夜曲，这是他为钢琴独奏写的一种独特的音乐类型，在他笔下得到了巨大的发展。夜曲是一首浪漫或梦幻的音乐，让人联想到夜晚。许多人将肖邦的夜曲描述为 "温柔"，就像平静的夜晚一样，但这远远不是一个准确的描述。

夜曲的纯粹复杂性使它们如此与众不同。在肖邦的夜曲中，人们可以捕捉到大量情感的融合。概括地说，我觉得有三个主要情感主题：纯粹的悲伤、轻微的希望和温柔的爱国主义。

首先，肖邦的夜曲包含纯粹的悲伤，就像冰冷的泪水一般。"纯粹 "意味着这些作品中的悲伤情绪不受情感光谱上其他类似情感的干扰。以《升C小调第二十号夜曲》为例。小调性使它充满了悲伤。然而，与其他许多悲伤的作品不同的是，简单的音部和清晰的旋律确保观众可以感知、触摸到纯粹的悲伤。这种悲伤可能与肖邦一生中处于相对虚弱的状态有关。他目睹了他的祖国被蹂躏，他自己一生也身患各种疾病。

然而，在纯粹的悲伤中也能找到一丝希望。在肖邦夜曲的许多发展段落中，他经常会在几个小节，甚至整个音乐部分中巧妙地改变为大调性。这种调性的变化，有时会使音乐充满一点希望。希望也可以从旋律中的装饰音中找到。肖邦的装饰音写得很优雅，如琉璃一般，为有时庄严而沉重的旋律提供了一种轻盈的听感。这种轻盈是夜曲中希望的装饰。我喜欢把这种希望比作一束闪烁的、抽象的微光，甚至比作童话梦境中短暂掠过的云朵艳影。

最后，如果没有英雄主义和爱国主义的呼唤，肖邦的夜曲将失去其深刻性和触动灵魂的能力。有些夜曲几乎可以被理解为一首庞大的叙事曲，一位怀旧的英雄，聚集最后的力量为自由与尊严而斗争。对他饱受摧残的祖国总是有这种爱的沉淀，因为在21岁离开祖国后，肖邦再也没有回来，这给他的精神带来了巨大的痛苦。在较长的夜曲中，如升F小调夜曲，作曲家在平静而令人心碎的旋律中加入了一些沉重的和声与强有力的和弦。这些和声和弦是爱国英雄的战斗呐喊，它来自于肖邦灵魂的最深处。

波洛奈兹舞曲

波洛奈兹舞是波兰的一种民族舞蹈。所涉及的音乐通常拥有动态的节奏和有力的旋律，推动着整个乐曲的发展。肖邦的波洛奈兹舞曲不仅反映了这种音乐本身的独特性质，而且也反映了作曲家本人内心复杂的情感。

肖邦的波洛奈兹曲大多为3/4拍，类似于进行曲，节奏和动态充满了英雄主义。它首先旨在描绘英雄主义和英雄对战斗的狂热。对肖邦来说，这种英雄主义和狂热构成了波兰的心跳。《降A大调波洛奈兹，作品53：英雄》于1840年在重病期间完成，是他的波兰舞曲中最高贵的皇冠。这首曲子的开头在某种程度上几乎是可怕的，粗糙的和弦与和声吹出了英雄的旋律，伴随着激情的节奏与强烈的音量的结合。这首曲子中段落和动机的快速发展传达了肖邦的英雄在战斗中寻求救赎的痛苦、挣扎和情感的爆发。

然而，我们在波洛奈兹中听到的只是对英雄主义的赞美和呼唤吗？曲式中也有温柔的叹息。在激烈的段落之间，总有一段中肖邦倾注了他的思乡、悲伤和哀叹。这一段包含了连绵的乐句，一个相对较安静的音量和一段更像夜曲的旋律。把破碎的波兰捧在心上，肖邦很难抵制这种无奈与绝望之情。这些情愫，加上他对英雄主义坚定不移的信仰，进一步塑造着他音乐的复杂性。

玛祖卡舞曲

与波兰舞曲相似，玛祖卡是一种从波兰农村传统舞蹈风格中发展出来的音乐形式。马祖卡通常拥有活泼的节奏，强调第二拍而不是第一拍的四分之三拍，以及旨在展示波兰民族之美的旋律。肖邦的玛祖卡不是为舞蹈而写，其包含的意义与深度要广阔得多。

他的一些玛祖卡在活泼中含有淡淡的忧伤。他的《玛祖卡作品33：B小调第4号》就是一个合适的例子。速度是Mesto，这是一个相对轻快的速度，节奏型也很轻巧。从理论上讲，这些元素应该带来积极的情感。但在这首玛祖卡中，伴随着小调性，观众可以充分地感受到轻微的悲伤。这首曲子中消极与积极情绪之间的平衡是微妙的，意味着肖邦在作曲时经历了复杂的情感冲击与融合。这些复杂的情绪可能源于思乡之情和在波兰所发生的美与丑之间的冲突。美是大地的气息，是花园里的笑声；丑是战争、屠杀、恐惧的悲哀。

结论

总的来说，通过观察他的夜曲、波洛奈兹和玛祖卡，人们可以清楚地看到，在浪漫主义时代和波兰的战争背景下，肖邦是一位从多层维度进行音乐创作的大师。肖邦的音乐表明，真正的杰作并不只是源于情感的堆叠，更重要的源于对控制和找到感情微妙平衡的理解。他的伟大不仅可以用他对音乐领域的贡献来衡量，还可以用他对浪漫主义和祖国波兰的独特性与忠诚来衡量。肖邦是一个真正的浪漫主义者，他拥有诗意的格调与热诚的信念。