Chopin's music has beguiled generations of audiences with its lyricism and drama. Not only did he lay the foundations of modern piano playing but his innovations in harmony, form and melodic structure were to influence generations of composers. In this course we will chart his creative development, exploring in detail some of his greatest works, illustrated at the piano by the tutor. We will aim to discover what it is that makes Chopin’s music so unique and at the same time we will follow Chopin’s life from the prodigy in Warsaw to the ailing genius in Paris.
The Music of Chopin
This is an In-person course which requires your attendance to the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Courses starts: 24 Jan 2024
Week 1: Early life. Studies with Adalbert Żywny and Józef Elsner. Education at the Warsaw Lyceum.
- Early works. Variations on “Là ci darem la mano”, Op. 2; Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 21; 1830- 32: Visits to Vienna, Munich, Stuttgart and Paris. Etudes, Op. 10
Week 2: 1830-32: Chopin’s first Paris concert.
- Mazurkas, Op. 6 & 7; Nocturnes, Opp. 9 & 15; Waltz, Op. 18
Week 3: 1833-5: Friendship with Bellini. Meetings with Mendelssohn, Schumann and Clara Wieck.
- 1st Scherzo, Op. 20; 1st Ballade, Op. 23
Week 4: 1836-7: Engaged to Maria Wodzińska. First meeting with George Sand.
- Etudes, Op. 25; Nocturnes, Op. 27
Week 5: 1837: Visit to London. Growing friendship with George Sand.
- 2nd Scherzo, Op. 31; Nocturnes, Op. 32; Waltzes, Op. 34; 1838-9: The sojourn in Majorca with George Sand. Preludes, Op. 28
Week 6: 1839: Near fatal illness.
- Nocturnes, Op. 37; 2nd Ballade, Op. 38; Summer at George Sand’s home in Nohant. 3rd Scherzo, Op. 39
Week 7: 1840-41: Paris and Nohant.
- F minor Fantasy, Op. 49; 3rd Ballade, Op. 47; Prelude in C#, Op. 45; Nocturnes, Op. 48
Week 8: 1842-3: Paris and Nohant.
- 4th Ballade, Op. 52; 4th Scherzo, Op. 54; Nocturnes, Op. 55
Week 9: 1844-5: Death of Chopin’s father. Relationship with George Sand starts to deteriorate.
- Berceuse, Op. 57; 3rd Sonata, Op. 58; Mazurkas, Op. 59
Week 10: 1846-9: The break with George Sand. Visit to Britain. Final illness.
- Barcarolle, Op. 60; Polonaise-Fantasy, Op. 61; Nocturnes, Op. 62; Waltzes. Op. 64
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Availability of titles on the reading list (below) can be checked on SOLO, the library catalogue.
Preparatory reading
- The Cambridge Companion to Chopin / Samson, J.
- The Master Musicians – Chopin / Samson, J.
- Fryderyk Chopin: A Life and Times / Walker, A
Certification
Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.
To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £257.00 |
| Take this course for CATS points | £10.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Tutor
Mr Jonathan Darnborough
Jonathan Darnborough is Director of Studies in Music and Departmental Lecturer in Music at Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. He is the author of Oxford University’s first three online Music courses.
Course aims
This course aims to chart Chopin’s creative development from the brilliant virtuoso show pieces of his teenage years in Warsaw to the profound masterpieces of his later career.
Course objectives:
This course will enable students to:
- understand what it was about Chopin’s contributions to piano technique and composition that made them so extraordinary;
- place Chopin’s music in its historical context, understanding the influences upon him and his influence on later composers;
- understand the different characteristics of the genres in which Chopin worked.
Teaching methods
Teaching methods will consist of lectures and class discussions. The course will be fully illustrated by audio and video extracts, with all scores and other illustrations projected on to a large screen. In the musical analyses the tutor will play passages on the piano to provide clear aural comparisons before playing the relevant recordings. A webcam over the piano will allow students to see the finer points of Chopin's piano technique on a second screen.
The course will chart Chopin’s life and creative development chronologically. We will refer to the significant biographical events in class but students will be encouraged to follow the biographical detail of Chopin’s life through the books in the course reading list, allowing us to focus on studying the music itself, in class.
An ability to read music is not essential for this course.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- understand what made Chopin’s approach to piano playing so advanced for its time;
- recognise the different characteristics of the genres in which Chopin worked;
- place Chopin’s music in its historical context, understanding the influences upon him and his influence on later composers;
- compare different interpretations of Chopin’s music.
Assessment methods
Students will be asked to submit an assignment on some aspect of Chopin's life or music (see examples below):
- Write a programme note for a work by Chopin of your choice. Include some description of the work itself but also give some biographical context and some details of the first performance of the work.
- Write an account of the developments in piano manufacture from the late 18th to early 19th centuries, emphasising their significance to developments in keyboard technique, with special reference to Chopin.
- Take two pieces of the same genre, but from different periods in Chopin’s life, and compare them. You might refer to differences in their length, complexity, form, technical demands.
Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form
Application
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).
Level and demands
Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.