Classical Music in Pictures Music in Pictures    

Lesson 16: Preludes, Op. 28 - No. 1 'Reunion'

by Frédéric Chopin

Performer: Ivan Ilic

Directions

Study the musical selection for one week.

Over the week:

• Each day, listen to the musical selection.
• Read the synopsis.
• Review the vocabulary terms.
• Read about the composer and practice reciting his or her name and the composition title.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Written between 1835 and 1839, Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28, are a set of short piano compositions. Preludes are short musical pieces that often introduce more complex pieces. When Chopin wrote the Preludes, which are stand-alone versus introducing other pieces, critics criticized them for being too short and lacking structure. Prelude No. 1, 'Reunion,' is marked agitato, which means a restless style. A reunion is a gathering of people who may not see each other often and may typically be separated by great distances. Picture a reunion of a family. A large gathering of parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins mingle and talk. Children scamper and play.

Vocabulary

Prelude: Short musical pieces that often introduce more complex pieces, although Chopin's preludes stand alone.
Reunion: An instance of two or more people coming together again after a period of separation.
Agitato: A restless style.

Composer

1. Frédéric Chopin was born in 1810 near Warsaw, Poland. See his picture below.

2. Zoom in and find Chopin's country of birth on the map of Europe below.

3. Chopin started piano lessons at an early age. It quickly became obvious that he was a child prodigy. By the time he was seven, Chopin gave concerts and wrote his first two piano compositions.
4. In his early thirties, Chopin suffered from serious health problems. He died of an unknown illness in 1849 at the age of 39.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Describe the Music

Listen to the music, and close your eyes and let yourself imagine. What do you picture as you listen to the music?

After listening to the music, describe and discuss what you heard.

Does the music sound like a sunny day or a stormy day? Does it sound happy or mournful? Does the music convey motion or stillness?

Read the list of adjectives. Select those that describe the music or think up additional adjectives.

• Cheerful
• Mournful
• Soft
• Noisy
• Vivacious
• Soothing
• Eerie
• Threatening
• Surreal
• Whimsical
• Rhythmic
• Grand

Activity 2: Study the Painting, Frédéric Bazille's 'The Family Reunion'

As you listen to the music, find the following in the painting:

• Top Hats
• Flowers
• Hat with Flower
• Black Lace Shawl
• Basket
• Low Brick Wall
• Bench
• Table
• Beard
• Moustache

After you study the painting, narrate the scene shown in the painting aloud using your own words.

Describe how the painting relates to the music.

Activity 3: Read About the Painting, Frédéric Bazille's 'The Family Reunion'

In the painting, Frédéric Bazille's 'The Family Reunion,' Bazille pictures his own family coming together in the shade of a tree on a pleasant, sunny day. Men in top hats and suits and women in dresses look directly at the artist, fully aware they are being captured in a point in time. This is a gathering of adults. There are no children. A bouquet of flowers rests in the foreground next to a lady's hat and a walking stick, perhaps indicating the family has just returned from a stroll under the sun. The day may be brisk, as one woman wears a shawl.

Review

Question 1

What is the title of the music?

1 / 3

Answer 1

The title is 'Reunion.'

1 / 3

Question 2

Who composed the music?

2 / 3

Answer 2

The composer is Frédéric Chopin.

2 / 3

Question 3

Describe what occurs at a reunion?

3 / 3

Answer 3

During a family reunion, family members gather together. Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins move and talk. Children run and play.

3 / 3

❮ ❯

1. What is the title of the music? The title is 'Reunion.'
2. Who composed the music? The composer is Frédéric Chopin.
3. Describe what occurs at a reunion? During a family reunion, family members gather together. Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins move and talk. Children run and play.

References

'Frédéric Chopin.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Preludes (Chopin).' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.