Momedia develop Piano Composers Series with Études by Chopin

Building on our World Piano Composers Series we are pleased to launch a new app featuring Chopin’s Études.  The app with 143 pages of sheet music, viewable full screen in either landscape or portrait mode includes: Op.10, Op.25, 3 Nouvelles études, B.130 and Preludes, Op.28.

An étude (French for study)  is an instrumental musical composition, usually designed to provide practice material for perfecting a particular technical skill. The tradition of writing études emerged in the early 19th century with the rapidly growing popularity of the piano.

Chopin Études sheet music app on iTunes

App launch: Chopin Polonaises

Extend your piano sheet music library with the full collection of Chopin’s polonaises – with this practical resource to explore, reference and learn music.

Features:

  • Music scores contained within the app – no further downloads.
  • Excellent viewing with full page sheet music browser.
  • Easy page turn with one swipe.
  • Zoom in either landscape or portrait mode.
  • Universal app works on iPhone or iPad.
  • Uses high resolution images for extra clarity.
  • Create your own repertoire list – spend more time playing!

Includes:

  • Polonaise in G minor, B.1
  • Grande fantaisie sur des airs polonais, Op.13
  • Polonaise in B-flat minor, B.13
  • Andante spianto et Grande polonaise brillante, Op.22
  • Polonaises, Op.26
  • Introduction et polonaise brillante, Op.3
  • Polonaise in G-flat major, B.36
  • Polonaises, Op.40
  • Polonaise in F-sharp minor, Op.44
  • Polonaise in A-flat major, B.5
  • Polonaise in A-flat major, Op.53
  • Polonaise in G-sharp minor, B.6
  • Polonaise-fantaise, Op.61
  • Polonaises, Op.71

Rather than download each piece – the sheet music is indexed and embedded within the app – so you spend less time sorting music and more time playing!

Available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chopin-polonaises/id491296785?mt=8 

Frédéric Chopin (March 1, 1810 – October 17, 1849) is regarded as one the greatest Polish composers and one of the very finest composers for the piano. A major figure in nineteenth-centry classical music and the Romantic Period, Chopin was one of a very small group of child prodigies, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Felix Mendelssohn.

Chopin composed his first polonaise at the age of seven, and he greatly developed the style over the course of his creative career. As in the case of the nocturnes, Chopin perfected an existing form. Among the best known polonaises are the “Military” Polonaise in A, Op. 40, No. 1, and the “Heroic” or “Drum” Polonaise in A♭, Op. 53 – both are included in this app.

The polonaise is a processional dance in triple time, the hallmark rhythm of which comprises an eighth note and two sixteenths, followed by four eighth notes. Liszt felt that “this dance is designed above all to draw attention to the men and to gain admiration for their beauty, their fine arts, their martial and courteous appearance.”

For Chopin, however, these compositions are the finest expression of his nostalgic grief with respect to the struggles of his homeland. Chopin composed nine polonaises before leaving Poland. It is only later, in France, that his genius matured. “His seven later examples are thrilling in their splendour, rancour, and instrumental invention.”

Momedia – helping explore, reference and learn music.

New App Launch: Chopin Mazurkas

iphone app - Chopin Mazurkas - sheet musicAn easy to use sheet music app featuring Frédérick Chopin’s mazurkas.

High- resolution music images are embedded within the app, so only one download is required to save the sheet music for Chopin’s nocturnes. Music is listed in the main index which includes a search function. You can also save music on your own repertoire list.

Frédéric Chopin (March 1, 1810 – October 17, 1849) is regarded as one the greatest Polish composers and one of the very finest composers for the piano. A major figure in nineteenth-centry classical music and the Romantic Period, Chopin was one of a very small group of child prodigies, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Felix Mendelssohn.

The mazurka (in Polish, mazurek) is a Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, and with accent on the third or second beat.

The folk origins of the mazurek are two other Polish musical forms—the slow machine kujawiak, and the fast oberek. The mazurek is always found to have either a triplet, trill, dotted eighth note (quaver) pair, or an ordinary eighth note pair before two quarter notes (crotchets). In the 19th century, the dance became popular in many ballrooms in different parts of Europe. The Polish national anthem has a mazurek rhythm but is too slow to be considered a mazurek. There are many Polish versions of the mazurek but the most notable one is the mazurka.

Chopin first started composing mazurkas in 1825, with a number composed in 1830, the year of the November Uprising, a Polish rebellion against the Russian government. Chopin continued composing them until 1849, the year of his death. The stylistic and musical characteristics of Chopin’s mazurkas differ from the traditional variety because Chopin in effect created a completely separate and new genre of mazurka all his own. For example, he used classical techniques in his mazurkas, including counterpoint and fugue. By including more chromaticism and harmony in the mazurkas, he made them more technically interesting than the traditional dances.

All sheet music is embedded within the app.
Available on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chopin-mazurkas/id490715841?mt=8

Forthcoming app launch: Chopin Nocturnes

Chopin Nocturnes - sheet music appThis sheet music app features Frédérick Chopin’s nocturne compositions.

The core function of the app is to display sheet music. With a back-lit display an iPad or iPhone makes an excellent sheet music viewer. Music is displayed full screen with ‘zoom’ and ‘page swipe’ – to enlarge detail and flick pages.

High- resolution music images are embedded within the app, so only one download is required to save the sheet music for Chopin’s nocturnes. Music is listed in the main index which includes a search function. You can also save music on your own repertoire list.

Frédéric Chopin (March 1, 1810 – October 17, 1849) is regarded as one the greatest Polish composers and one of the very finest composers for the piano. A major figure in nineteenth-centry classical music and the Romantic Period, Chopin was one of a very small group of child prodigies, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Felix Mendelssohn.

A nocturne (from the French which meant nocturnal, from Latin nocturnus) is usually a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. The name nocturne was first applied to pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensemble piece in several movements, normally played for an evening party and then laid aside. Sometimes it carried the Italian equivalent, notturno, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s quadraphonic Notturno in D, K.286. At this time, the piece was not necessarily evocative of the night, but might merely be intended for performance at night, much like a serenade. Although Chopin did not invent the nocturne, he popularized and expanded on it, building on the form developed by Irish composer John Field.

All sheet music is embedded within the app.