Some composers will forever remain the pillars in classical music and that’s for a reason. The names of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, for instance, are something musicians will rely on and by guided by for many generations to come. Out of these three, Bach’s name is perhaps the most often-mentioned when it comes to other composers’ influences.
Music enthusiasts and just common listeners are awed by the music of Bach, needless to say. But other great composers were no less impressed by this great man’s work. Frédéric Chopin who himself had myriads of followers, was one of the most devoted fans of Bach’s music. He was so absorbed in playing his works that could flawlessly perform 14 preludes and fugues by Bach from memory saying that one can never forget how to play that.
Franz Liszt once mentioned that Chopin was Bach’s most enthusiastic pupil. Chopin took it for a rule himself and repeated it to his own pupils: “Always practice Bach!”. He would always shut himself up two weeks before the performance of his own concert and practice Bach for hours on end. He never rehearsed his own works.
The influence of Bach could not but manifest in Chopin’s own compositional style and there are a number of works that prove it with the help of a little analysis. One of such works is Chopin’s Mazurka No. 3, Op. 50. Besides the common Baroque techniques of composing like the polyphonic idea, he used very similar harmonic progressions and horizontalization of chords, so characteristic of Bach. At the same time, Chopin’s style remained unique and authentic.
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| J.S. Bach and F. Chopin |
Franz Liszt once mentioned that Chopin was Bach’s most enthusiastic pupil. Chopin took it for a rule himself and repeated it to his own pupils: “Always practice Bach!”. He would always shut himself up two weeks before the performance of his own concert and practice Bach for hours on end. He never rehearsed his own works.
The influence of Bach could not but manifest in Chopin’s own compositional style and there are a number of works that prove it with the help of a little analysis. One of such works is Chopin’s Mazurka No. 3, Op. 50. Besides the common Baroque techniques of composing like the polyphonic idea, he used very similar harmonic progressions and horizontalization of chords, so characteristic of Bach. At the same time, Chopin’s style remained unique and authentic.
