Chopin and belcanto

The singing sound of the piano

Although Chopin lived in a time when virtuosity on the piano flourished to great extent, with representatives such as Franz Liszt, Sigismond Thalberg or Paul Kalkbrenner, the Polish "piano poet" did not approach this brilliant style, either as an interpret or a composer. He turned to a different style of playing, one in which did not dominate power of the sound or spectacular technical skills. Upon his arrival in Paris in the 1830s, he gradually replaced the career of a concert pianist with performances in an intimate salon environment where he could play in front of a selected audience, usually made up of the members of European artistic and intellectual elite. Only in such circumstances of Parisian salons could Chopin showcase his unique style of playing the piano - a delicate, subtle touch and a sound full of different colors. That is why many of his compositions are characterized by tenderness and intimacy, which are further enhanced by the ever-recognizable sound so close to singing. In this text I will try to point out some of the main characteristics of his style that is reminiscent of belcanto. 

Vincent van Gogh: A starry night

Nocturne - a song of the night

"... how Chopin dreams in reality, how he cries, how sweet, gentle and melancholic he sings ... He is a pianist of feelings, par excellence."

The composer's nocturnes can be described as "songs of the night," since the Italian name for the genre notturno refers to it (notte means night). They can also be called "belcanto on the piano" or perhaps "arias without words". These compositions are among the most beautiful Chopin wrote for his favorite instrument, to which he devoted himself almost entirely as a composer. Nocturne was very much in keeping with the aesthetics of the romantic style, because the very name of the genre indicates the evocation of images associated with night.

Accompaniment in the form of broken chords, over which a beautifully shaped melody in the player's right hand floats, are the basic characteristics of the nocturne. Its vocal quality is easily recognized - not only does the melody have similarities with Italian belcanto, but there are also numerous embellishments, which sound like cadenzas in operatic arias. These ornaments in Chopin's music do not have a role of merely displaying the suppleness of the player's hand, but form an organic part of his music. They make his works special, they are a source for rich sound coloring. In his Nocturne op. 9 br. 1 in b flat minor, the composer constantly changes the opening theme, every time in a different way. No doubt we can find this kind of sound in Bellini's operas.

"Chopin is first and foremost a poet, a sensitive one, trying to emphasize 

a poetic quality in his music."

Belcanto on the piano

Chopin conveyed his early-instilled love of opera to the sound of his beloved piano by applying several key features, something no other composer had ever achieved. This singing quality of his works stems, first and foremost, from a desire to produce, as a singer would do, perfect legato on the piano and to embellish his delicate melodies with numerous fiorituras of ethereal character. In addition, Chopin also used rubato. The composer himself speaks of this:

"The left hand is the conductor; it must lose its base,

and with your right hand you can do whatever you want and can."

Those who were lucky to have listened to him play in the intimate atmosphere of Parisian salons would be fascinated by Chopin's playing, because he would also improvise. The art of improvisation was still one of the supreme skills an artist could achieve. It seems many ornaments in his music were actually just results of his improvisations. 

Chopin often told his students that "if they wanted to play, they had to sing". One of his students Karol Mikuli once wrote that "under Chopin's fingers, every phrase sounded like a song". This statement confirms the fact that Chopin looked up to singers in search for his inspiration. For him singing was the purest expression of feelings, a melody of the heart expressed through legato cantabile, adorned with a multitude of fiorituras that flow like pearls over a keyboard. When Chopin was playing and teaching, he emphasized the melodiousness of the sound - "sing while you play", "you have to sing with your fingers". He recommended his pupils to adopt some of the singing rules as guidelines in interpretation, often suggesting that the pianist should move his wrist just like a singer takes his breath.

The influence of belcanto on Chopin's style

The need for creating a singing sound on keyboard instruments was not a novelty in the 19th century. Even before the emergence of Bellini's belcanto composers searched for that sound, but only in Chopin's oeuvre we find a consistent application of vocal music in piano performance. Although it cannot be said that Chopin created this idea, he was certainly the best representative of this style.

His technique was based on how the performer touches the keys. Chopin insisted on light touching and legato playing. He always avoided forte which he compared to the sound of dogs barking. Although his compositions exhibit great dynamic ranges and contrasts, which are of course essential to music in general, Chopin is still remembered for exploring different shades of piano. Ignaz Moscheles would compare this to a soft breath.

Since his music is so rich in sophisticated embellishments, Chopin asked his students to use their fingertips when playing, making sure that they slide from key to key, always bearing in mind that they should press them with care or, as the Italians would say, carezzando. In the scores we can also see numerous remarks about the ways in which pianists should interpret these ornaments. Since he was fond of delicacy in the sound, he wrote such expressions as con delicatezza (with delicacy), scintillante (brilliantly) and zeffiroso (like a breeze). 

Chopin and divas of belcanto

Jenny Lind

When he was a boy, Chopin had the opportunity to enjoy opera performances in Warsaw. He heard famous Angelica Catalani, one of the greatest divas of the time. When he settled in Paris, Chopin came into contact with Bellini's operas, which left a significant mark on his music. One of the most obvious examples of this influence can be found in his Etude op. 25 no. 7 in c sharp minor, which was apparently composed as an homage to Bellini's belcanto. The main theme of this etude is based on the melody from the aria Teneri figli from Norma.

Maria Malibran

During his short life, Chopin collaborated with some of the greatest singers of the period, such as Maria Malibran or Pauline Viardot, two sisters from the famous Garcia family, as well as Jenny Lind, also known as the Swedish nightingale. Chopin learned a lot from his favorite singers and applied that to his music. That his piano compositions were also suitable for vocal arrangements can be seen in numerous vocal compositions written by Pauline Viardot. She transformed Chopin's piano pieces into songs. 

Pauline Viardot