Who influenced Chopin?

Answer 1

I'm not sure who inspired Chopin for his overall compositions, but I did read in a piano book from Michael Aaron Piano Course that composer John Field (1782-1837) wrote Nocturnes that inspired Chopin for that particular style.

Answer 2

One of the most important things that inspired Chopin was the rustic music of the Polish countryside. When he first visited the Polish countryside in the summer of 1823 as a music student, he was deeply inspired by the local fiddlers and the working songs that the peasants sung. These elements were representative of Polish culture. In a concert in the suburbs, Chopin performed a piece he composed called the Chimiel which was an orgiastic drinking song played often in the countryside. Although this song appalled the audience, Chopin took pride in it because it was an emblem of Polish culture. Thus, this music of the countryside first inspired Chopin to reproduce Polish culture in his music.

Answer 3

It would be impossible to say what inspired him as such - this Waltz, Op64 No 1 in Db Major, was composed at the age of 36, between 1846 and 1847, along with 2 other Waltzes within that Opus No 64. This was towards the end of his life as he was to have only another 3 years to live.

Before being exiled in Paris, Chopin had, as a young man, made two concert tours from Warsaw to Vienna, where he was introduced to the Viennese Waltz style.

It is possible that this exposure to the Waltz form was the inspiration for him to

adapt the Waltz format to his own style. The Waltz was a format he returned to at periods throughout the remainder of his life, composing some 21 Waltzes over a period of around 20 years.

Answer 4

Chopin's music was exclusively for the pianoforte. Piano was in instrumentation in all of his compositions. He played a prominent character in writing: nocturnes, ballades, mazurkas and waltzes.

Answer 5

Chopin was greatly influenced by Mozart, Bach, and Bellini.