Chopin’s masterpieces. Popular classical music.
Are you looking for famous piano pieces and beautiful melodies?
Here are some masterpieces and recommended works by Frédéric Chopin, a pianist and composer who represents the early Romantic era in Poland.
Chopin composed as many as 21 nocturnes, and he also left a wealth of piano works in many other styles—such as mazurkas, waltzes, and polonaises—which is why he is known as the Poet of the Piano.
Let yourself be captivated for a while by the beautiful melodies woven by Chopin.
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Chopin’s masterpieces. Popular classical music (201–210)
Etude Op. 25 No. 1 “Aeolian Harp”Frederic Chopin
It became affectionately known by this nickname after Chopin played the piece at Schumann’s home, where Schumann remarked that it made him think of an “Aeolian harp.” An Aeolian harp is a stringed instrument with multiple strings stretched over a box-like wooden frame.
It produces sound when played by the natural wind; depending on the wind’s strength, direction, and force, different strings vibrate, creating a variety of timbres.
The subtle changes in the nuance of the arpeggiated figures played by both hands evoke precisely this Aeolian harp, don’t they?
Etude in A-flat major, Op. 25 No. 1 “Aeolian Harp”Frederic Chopin
This étude by Polish-born pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin is notable for its arpeggios that evoke the sound of an Aeolian harp swaying in the wind.
Composed in 1835, it features an elegant, flowing melody that fully brings out the piano’s unique beauty.
While by no means an easy piece, it is considerably more approachable compared to many of Chopin’s other études.
It demands delicate expressive control, yet offers the pleasure of immersing oneself in Chopin’s distinctive poetic world.
Etude Op. 10 No. 12 in C minor “Revolutionary”Frederic Chopin
One of Chopin’s études known as the “Revolutionary Étude.” This work was dedicated to his friend Franz Liszt, who gave it the title “Revolutionary.” Around 1831, when the piece was composed, the November Uprising—an armed rebellion against the rule of the Russian Empire—broke out in Poland and Lithuania.
Many Poles took part in the uprising, but the physically frail Chopin could not join the insurrection; it is said that he expressed his anger through this music.
It is a piece that conveys the intense emotions Chopin held in his heart.
Étude Op. 25, No. 11 “Winter Wind”Frederic Chopin
Etudes Op.
25, composed by Frédéric Chopin in 1836.
Among them, No.
11, “Winter Wind,” is distinguished by its fierce arpeggios and weighty melody that evoke an autumn storm.
Although the piece demands advanced technique, it also contains delicate emotional expression.
The slightly ominous theme that appears at the opening transforms into powerful left-hand chords, over which rapid right-hand passages are played—a striking contrast.
It is as if you can feel the wind sweeping through the trees.
This piece is recommended not only for those who enjoy serene, beautiful music, but also for those who want to experience the force of nature and the chill of the wind through sound.
Etude Op. 25 No. 11 “Winter Wind”Frederic Chopin
Affectionately known as the “Winter Wind” Etude, it is one of Chopin’s most popular works and a masterpiece of the highest artistry among his etudes.
The word “etude” means “study,” and this piece demands especially advanced technique even among Chopin’s 27 etudes.
In both technique and musicality, it can be considered one of the pinnacles of his etudes.
Its rapidly flowing right-hand broken chords are striking, while the melody is carried by the left hand.
True to the name “Winter Wind,” the piece evokes a strong, icy wind that lifts fallen leaves and a mood tinged with melancholy.
Étude Op. 10, No. 3 “Farewell”Frederic Chopin
The opening melody is especially famous, and surely everyone has heard it at least once.
Because this piece was used in the 1934 German film about Chopin’s life, Farewell to Spring (released in Japan as “Wakare no Kyoku,” or “Farewell Song”), it has become widely known in Japan by that title.
Around the time he composed this work, Chopin left his homeland of Poland and moved his base to Paris.
Suffused with both yearning and passion, the piece overlays the feelings of “dreaming of success in Paris” with “nostalgia for the countryside,” conveying the complex state of mind Chopin likely experienced.
Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60Frederic Chopin
A “barcarolle” is a piece modeled after the songs sung on Venetian gondolas; for example, Mendelssohn’s “Songs Without Words” includes the well-known “Venetian Boat Song.” Many prominent classical composers wrote their own barcarolles, and Frédéric Chopin’s Barcarolle is also very famous—a solo piano work composed late in his life.
While the defining characteristic of a barcarolle is often a gently rocking 6/8 meter, Chopin’s Barcarolle is in a quadruple-based 12/8, cast in ternary form, and is an expansive work running over nine minutes.
It shares a kindred atmosphere with the Nocturne No.
5, written in the same key of F-sharp major.
Its distinctive left-hand accompaniment seems to capture the irregular motion of a gondola, while the right-hand melody—at times delicate, at times passionate—is truly beautiful.
At the same time, the piece’s dramatic quality irresistibly invites us to imagine what thoughts the late Chopin might have had as he composed it.
