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How was Chopin able to make a career composing almost entirely for solo piano?
It seems that every other major composer wrote for all sorts of instruments, voices, and ensembles. Even Liszt, who is certainly most known for his virtuoso piano music, composed an astonishing amount of non-piano music, and much of it is never performed. So how did Chopin make it big composing almost exclusively for solo piano?
I get that “his music is just that good,” yes, it is, I love it to death, but there also has to be more reason to it than only that, no?
I'm not extremely well read in music history but I have to imagine it was part of his image. The composer who only writes to his love, the piano. The romantics were probably all over that idea and it helped sell his music. Of course, his writing was always impressive so he was able to back up his insistence on writing for the piano.
He made some pretty big swings pretty early in his published; revolutionizing the nocturne, his set of Op. 10 etudes, 1st scherzo, 1st ballade etc. I also remember hearing that people who knew him in Poland urged him to compose symphonies and massive orchestral works, but he was stubborn. He played to his strengths, since his piano writing is very intuitive and is one of the first examples of "piano" music exclusively. Many classical composers prior wrote for the piano, but not always thinking of the piano if that makes sense? The only way I can describe it is how Beethoven's music is quite symphonic, Mozart's is operatic. Slurs are pragmatic and line up with what a violinist could play in one bow, which Chopin would have massive slurs. Beethoven probably started it and many others followed suite, but I'm just trying to illustrate how Chopin's music is in the world of the piano. It's inspired by opera and the voice, but whenever Chopin's music is rewritten for another ensemble it loses a certain quality that makes it so Chopin.
Working On: Beethoven Op. 53 Beethoven Op. 90 Schubert Op. 90 No. 3 Chopin Op. 31 Ravel Sonatine
Pretty much all composers in those days made money by selling piano music, either solo or chamber music. Everything else was advertising. Haydn's symphonies were sold in arrangements.
Actually, Chopin had a lot of wealthy students, and that was probably his bread and butter.
Pretty much all composers in those days made money by selling piano music, either solo or chamber music. Everything else was advertising. Haydn's symphonies were sold in arrangements.
Actually, Chopin had a lot of wealthy students, and that was probably his bread and butter.
Forgot to mention this, Chopin had very pricey lessons and taught aristocrats.
Working On: Beethoven Op. 53 Beethoven Op. 90 Schubert Op. 90 No. 3 Chopin Op. 31 Ravel Sonatine
This doesn't really answer your question and I am not an expert on finances in Chopin's time period, but I do want to point out that the majority of Liszt's important works I would argue are solo piano music. Some of his non-piano music is not bad but I would imagine Liszt could've also made it big composing for solo piano.
So at least to me it's more of the flip side, it's interesting that Chopin chose to only compose for solo piano and not branch out and explore more instruments (not that I'm complaining, piano is the best instrument change my mind!!).
He wrote many pieces outside Poland and performed them himself as fundraising for his country. With the exception of piano concertos which has orchestral accompaniment, the rest are all for solo piano. Franz Liszt also wrote many piano pieces featuring himself as the soloist. Probably not as many.
How was Chopin able to make a career composing almost entirely for solo piano?
His livelihood was probably mostly from piano lessons with wealthy pupils although I don't know the percentage of his income from lessons vs. the percent from the sale of his music.
How was Chopin able to make a career composing almost entirely for solo piano?
His livelihood was probably mostly from piano lessons with wealthy pupils although I don't know the percentage of his income from lessons vs. the percent from the sale of his music.
One of Chopin’s pupils, Jane Stirling, was Chopin’s benefactor. Here is an interesting summary of his finances and relationship with Jane.
The vast majority of music-making in the 19th century was domestic, in homes. If you were well-heeled, you would invite celebrated musicians to provide the music for you in your home, where your salon would be big enough to accommodate a decent audience, plus extra musicians - after all, Wagner had a chamber orchestra in their home to perform his Siegfried Idyll for Liszt's daughter on Christmas morning (they knew how to woo women in those days).
Otherwise, you had to learn to play yourself (hence, Fryderyk as teacher: high fees for big names) and - often with another member of your family - play piano reductions of orchestral music. Beethoven's 5th? Play it as a piano duet. Most middle-class homes had planos, and everyone learnt to play, so there was always a need for teachers. Lots of piano arrangements for sale, including by the composers themselves. Concertos? Play them in chamber arrangements - including Chopin's concertos. If you wrote piano music that people wanted to hear or play, you'd be fine.
After all, 100 years later, even Sibelius made most of his music sales from writing piano music, not from his symphonies or tone poems.......
P.S. A few people here seem unaware that Chopin also composed music for cello (his second favorite instrument) & piano, voice & piano and a piano trio.
I loved the quote from Chopin in that article about how, as a non-English speaker visiting the British Isles, all he could do was "watch them talk and listen to them drink"!
He wrote many pieces outside Poland and performed them himself as fundraising for his country. With the exception of piano concertos which has orchestral accompaniment, the rest are all for solo piano. Franz Liszt also wrote many piano pieces featuring himself as the soloist. Probably not as many.
Chopin only gave 30 performances over his thirty year career
He wrote many pieces outside Poland and performed them himself as fundraising for his country. [...]
This implies, although you may not have meant to do so, that Chopin performed widely in public performances. Records show that his public performances were very few, most of his performances, as suggested above, were in private homes for small, select audience members.
At least one critic (perhaps more?) suggested that Chopin's performances were not suitable for the concert hall because his touch, though elegant, was too light with little weight and power. Moreover, Chopin had little taste for performances in large venues.
Records show that his public performances were very few, most of his performances, as suggested above, were in private homes for small, select audience members.
At least one critic (perhaps more?) suggested that Chopin's performances were not suitable for the concert hall because his touch, though elegant, was too light with little weight and power.
In his later years, Chopin often just performed the lyrical sections from his bigger pieces - for instance, just the first section (Andantino) from his Ballade No.2, leaving out the storms completely.........
I get that “his music is just that good,” yes, it is, I love it to death, but there also has to be more reason to it than only that, no?
Actually, I think this might very well be the only reason! Life -- and especially one's posterity moreso than whatever shenanigans we are involved with in our short time here -- in the end tends to lean towards simply what we did and how it was received by others.
His music simply has a magic quality that speaks to the heart of professionals and non-musicians alike (which is rare), and continues to feed the souls of generation after generation.
I also think that while we don't think of Chopin primarily as a teacher now -- when he was alive he was more of a teacher than a composer. From what I gather, he mainly taught most of the year in Paris and only composed during summer breaks "I can't compose in winter.." and was always complaining about the bad deals his publishers gave him. Unlike Beethoven, Bach, Haydn, Liszt or Rachmaninov who played solo concerts, got composing commissions or had to write for church -- Chopin's compositional activities almost bordered on being a hobby rather than a full blown profession in terms of his monetary compensation for it. Also, Liszt lived about twice the years of Chopin and had a much more robust and capable constitution.
One more thought (since there is a time-limit on editing my original post):
It's hard for us in 2022 to sense exactly how "big" he was when he was alive. He was a major musical figure, certainly -- and in hindsight probably the greatest piano composer to ever live -- but keep in mind that at that time there were several names equally as large or lager than Chopin: Alkan, Kalkbrenner, Thalberg, Moscheles, Hummel - and many, many others who have since faded into obscurity.
He was simply one amongst them, and perhaps those of the time would be surprised at how favorably posterity has honored him.
As Chopin himself said "Time is the best critic..."
His career was like many musicians: he played concerts and salons, was a highly sought out teacher, and he sold his compositions. His parents were also very encouraging of his career and often gave him money for traveling and rent. His students adored him and, as noted above, helped to support him.
His career was like many musicians: he played concerts and salons, was a highly sought out teacher, and he sold his compositions. His parents were also very encouraging of his career and often gave him money for traveling and rent. His students adored him and, as noted above, helped to support him.
I could be wrong, but having read Walker's very lengthy bio of Chopin, I don't remember reading about his parents often giving him money for expenses. And his concert performances were extremely minimal and I doubt they could be a significant portion of is income.
From what I have read, he had 3 main activities: teaching, selling his compositions and playing in parlors of various wealthy aristocrats. Also for several years, when leaving with Sand, he was housed in her property.
