“Sonatas – time and form”

After Classicism, with its pursuit of beauty of form, during the Romantic period, when emphasis started shifting towards expressing personal feelings and thoughts, Chopin composed over 230 pieces of music. He composed the piano concertos, the first sonata and the trio for violin, cello and piano while studying composition at a music school, between the age of 17 and 20. Chopin based them on the sonata form, which was particularly highly regarded among the musical forms pursued during Classicism, and considered to be a challenge for composers. It feels like an expression of his pride; of wanting to be recognized as a composer rather than a pianist.

Chopin wrote the second sonata, including the famous Funeral March as the third movement, at the age of 29, soon after his relationship with George Sand began. He composed the third sonata at 34, in poor physical health, but living a spiritually satisfying life, and the fourth sonata at 36, when his relationship with Sand started deteriorating. The first three sonatas are solo piano pieces, while the last one is a duet for piano and cello.

Almost half of the Chopin’s works are dances, and the remainder is roughly divided into forms such as etudes and preludes, nocturnes, ballades, and scherzos. Chopin relied on his talent for improvisation to compose in his own unique style. He composed sonatas at the beginning of his path as a composer, and later in the mature period during his last years, as if returning to basics. He rewrote the last sonata over and over again, and finally completed it after a long struggle. It was the last of Chopin’s works to be published during his lifetime.

In his works, Chopin often accented a specific note of a melody and repeated it like the sound of a clock bell, as if reminding us of passage of time. All the happy, sad and painful things exist inside the flow of time. Even if one tries to spend it unconventionally and carefree, time of all life has its bounds. However, even if time or circumstances are limited, constantly striving for beauty through trial and error leads to a fulfilling life. It feels like that is what Chopin is teaching us.

Summer 2018

Kayo Nishimizu