Composer of the week this week is Frederic Chopin [1810-49].  His music is beloved of pianists, and many might have played his A major Prelude Op.28 No.7, or the D flat major Prelude Op.28 No. 15 known as the 'Raindrop'.  Find the scores here.  Another popular piece is the Nocturne in E flat Op.9 No.2.

This link is to a video of the Russian pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy playing the Study Op.10 No.1

Chopin was born in Poland and grew up in Warsaw.  As an excellent pianist he gave many concerts and was a friend of another great Romantic pianist, Liszt.  All of his compositions include the piano, and the majority of them are wonderful solo works for that instrument often being very virtuosic.  His compositional style laid important foundations for later Romantic composers, and developments reaching long after his death.

Our playlist in school this week includes Waltzes, Mazurkas, Berceuse, Ballades, Nocturnes, Studies and a Sonata movement.