Frederic Chopin
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On 1st March 1810 Fryderyk Franciszek Szopen was born in the village of Zelezowa Wola, which is about 30 miles from Warsaw, Poland. He was to have a glittering, albeit short, career as a virtuoso pianist and composer, but the world knows him by the French version of his name, which is Frédéric Chopin.
There was French blood in him anyway, because his father was an émigré from France who made sure that Frédéric was given as French an education as possible at the local lycée.
Frédéric showed early promise as a pianist, being brought to the attention of Prince Radziwill when only eight years old. It was Prince Radziwill who introduced Chopin to Paris society when the latter was 20, and that was the last he saw of Poland. He had, however, already made his mark as a composer of works for the piano before his move to France.
Chopin became part of the artistic life of Paris, being feted wherever he went, although the number of concerts he gave was relatively small. He was much admired for his dashing good looks, not least by the baroness and writer Aurore Dudevant, who wrote under the name George Sand. The couple had a passionate relationship that lasted for eleven years.
Chopin’s health was far from robust, and he died from tuberculosis in October 1849 at the age of 39. He left behind a wealth of brilliant compositions that have always been popular. Although he could write for instruments other than the piano, for example in his two highly popular piano concertos, he never wrote anything that was not for the piano, either wholly or in part.
There was French blood in him anyway, because his father was an émigré from France who made sure that Frédéric was given as French an education as possible at the local lycée.
Frédéric showed early promise as a pianist, being brought to the attention of Prince Radziwill when only eight years old. It was Prince Radziwill who introduced Chopin to Paris society when the latter was 20, and that was the last he saw of Poland. He had, however, already made his mark as a composer of works for the piano before his move to France.
Chopin became part of the artistic life of Paris, being feted wherever he went, although the number of concerts he gave was relatively small. He was much admired for his dashing good looks, not least by the baroness and writer Aurore Dudevant, who wrote under the name George Sand. The couple had a passionate relationship that lasted for eleven years.
Chopin’s health was far from robust, and he died from tuberculosis in October 1849 at the age of 39. He left behind a wealth of brilliant compositions that have always been popular. Although he could write for instruments other than the piano, for example in his two highly popular piano concertos, he never wrote anything that was not for the piano, either wholly or in part.
