Who is Chopin closest composer?

[stormx]

Hi !!

Every composer is unique, but we have to admit that some of them, usually from the same period, show some similitudes.
For instance, Corelli and Vivaldi, Handel and Bach, Mozart Clementi and Haydn, some Beethoven and Schubert, Debussy and Ravel, etc ...

I wonder who is the composer whose style do you beleive to be the closest to Chopin's. Even being probably the most widely known piano composer (and my favorite, along with Beethoven), none of the famous composers i know has a similar style.

[stevie]

thats because the composers and pieces that were composed in and ofter chopin's time that imitated him, are not forgotten.
what is the point in 2nd rate chopin?

however, there are many composers who were influenced by him, liszt wrote 2 polonaises and 2 ballades(which IMO are at least as great as chopin's), and liszt's lyrical style was quite influenced by chopin.

one of the things chopin's music did that hadnt been done so much before, was bring a real sense of 'singing' to the piano, he was very influenced by italian opera, and thats where alot of the ornamentation and little improvisational runs come from.

those composers that followed on from him were forever changed, each one of them cant deny at least some influence.
debussy, ravel, scriabin, rachmaninov - all were greatly influenced by chopin in their early compositions(debussy wrote a ballade, scriabin wrote mazurkas polonaises and impromptus, rachmaninov wrote a nocturne, etc), but to become the composers as they are remembered today, they each forged their own voices and styles, though still with a little of chopin's influence remaining.

chopin wasnt the most openminded guy to fellow composers, they loved his works, but he couldnt be bothered with theirs....but this is contradicted with the sometimes revolutionary innovations in his own music.

mildly.

[g_s_223]

Fauré took up many of Chopin's forms, including Ballade, Impromptu, Nocturne, Prélude, and Barcarolle.

Scriabin also of course.

[stormx]

Fauré took up many of Chopin's forms, including Ballade, Impromptu, Nocturne, Prélude, and Barcarolle.

Scriabin also of course.

I have a double CD, where J. P. Collard plays the complete Faure Barcarolles and Impromptus (plus some other piano pieces). I agree that Chopin's influence is noticeable, but i find his piano music pretty different.

In what respect to Scriabin, i have only listened to some of his preludes (A. Gravrilov). I do not see any ressemblence with Chopin, tough...

[thalbergmad]

In addition to the previous posts, the works of Thalberg and Henselt were in the same vein, albeit not of the same quality.

A singing style was of great importance.

[pianistimo]

john field? never thought about faure, but that makes sense too.

[superstition2]

Scriabin used Chopin as a muse, but his music isn't really very Chopin-like. I suppose some of the early short pieces are closer to Chopin than most other composers' music, though.

[mikey6]

john field? never thought about faure, but that makes sense too.

I know Field influenced Chopin through his nocturnes but i'm not familiar with any of his other works.
When your pairing the composers up like that - Mozart Haydn, Bach Handel - isn't Chopin generally paired up with Liszt (if you want to make a very broad comparison)? They both wrote bulk music for the piano, they're both very much romantics, they knew eachother, they both have popular appeal (I hate myelf for mentioning that but the only 2 composers my family know/like are these 2 based on the Liszt tarantella and the polish polonaise).

[kriskicksass]

I know Field influenced Chopin through his nocturnes but i'm not familiar with any of his other works.
When your pairing the composers up like that - Mozart Haydn, Bach Handel - isn't Chopin generally paired up with Liszt (if you want to make a very broad comparison)? They both wrote bulk music for the piano, they're both very much romantics, they knew eachother, they both have popular appeal (I hate myelf for mentioning that but the only 2 composers my family know/like are these 2 based on the Liszt tarantella and the polish polonaise).

It's true. Generally, Chopin and Liszt are paired, but it's really not too great a pairing. Yes, they were both romantic pianistic geniuses and knew each other, but their music has entirely different aims. Liszt was the showman, the extrovert, the entertainer. Chopin was the poet, the introvert, and the noblest of musicians.

[klavierkonzerte]

listen to the intro of chopin concerto in f minor  then listen to the intro of kalkbrenner concerto in d minor.

they are EXACTLY the same

[countchocula]

Good Question -
John Field
Also, Chopin had some students who also composed in a very similar style

[musicsdarkangel]

John Field


the Nocturnes are near-identical.

[stormx]

Yes, John Field's Nocturnes are nice and similar to Chopin's (not as inspired, tough...). I have them recorded by Benjamin Frith, for NAXOS.
But, as far as i know, it was Chopin who was actually influenced by Field !!

In what respect to Liszt, i find his music completely different from Chopin's 

[maxy]

how about Bellini?  Chopin did admit being inspired by him.

Otherwise I would say Scriabin (early), and possibly Rach.

Chopin is just to good to be compared to Field, I find. 

[pianalex]

some overlaps with schumann too?  a love of shorter forms and harmonic ambiguity, a quicksilver emotional tenor combined with an aristocratic (in A good sense) nobility . romanticised polyphony

[phil13]

Scriabin used Chopin as a muse, but his music isn't really very Chopin-like. I suppose some of the early short pieces are closer to Chopin than most other composers' music, though.

Some people consider Scriabin the 'heir' to Chopin's lyrical pianistic compositions. From Opus 1 to the mid- opus thirties are certainly influenced by Chopin's style. Scriabin is just remembered better for his 'mystic chord' and the harmonies based on the fourth instead of the third... both elements of the music of his later life, Opus 53 onward, practically.

So I would say Scriabin is the closest composer to Chopin, he just happened to bridge two eras while Chopin lived in just one all his life.

Phil

[dinosaurtales]

John Field was sometimes referred to as "the poor man's Chopin".  I suspect that the nocturnes were the primary driver for that designation.

[apion]

John Field