Frédéric Chopin(1810-1849)
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Frédéric François Chopin was born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin, on March
1, 1810, in Zelazowa Wola, Masovia region, Duchy of Warsaw, Poland. His
father, named Mikolaj (Nicolas) Chopin, was a Frenchman who came to
Poland from Lorraine, and eventually became professor at Warsaw Lyceum.
His mother, named Tekla Justina Krzyzanovska, was a relative of Polish
Countess Ludwika Skarbkowa, owner of the Zelazowa Wola estate.
From 1816-1822 Chopin studied piano under professional musician Wojcech
Zywny. He wrote his first piano compositions at the age of 7. In 1820,
then ten-year-old Chopin moved with his parents to Warsaw. There he
gained a reputation as a "second Mozart" for his piano playing. From
1823-1826 Chopin studied at the Warsaw Lyceum. In 1824 he was
influenced by the Jewish folklore and composed Mazurka in A minor,
called "The Jewish" by Chopin himself. From 1826-1830 he studied at the
Warsaw Conservatory under pianist Wilhelm Wurfel and composer Josef
Elsner. In 1829 Chopin attended a performance of Niccolò Paganini in Warsaw. In
the same year Chopin gave solo concerts in Vienna and premiered his
Piano Concerto No.1 in F minor. In 1830 he premiered his Piano Concerto
No.2 in E minor at the National Theatre in Warsaw. He visited Vienna
again in November of same year and played his two piano concertos with
great success. After Vienna he continued his concert tour to Munich and
Stuttgart. There he learned of the invasion of the Russian Army in
Poland, and composed the Etude in C minor, called Revolutionary. Chopin
chose the status of a political exile and finally emigrated to Paris,
France.
From 1830-1849 Chopin established himself as composer and piano player
in Paris. There he changed his name into Frédéric François Chopin. In
Paris he met Franz Liszt, who initiated a friendship, and they played
together in several concerts, but later became rivals. Chopin formed
personal friendship with composer and critic Hector Berlioz. His other
personal friends were Felix Mendelssohn and Vincenzo Bellini. In 1835 he made a trip to
Dresden and Karlsbad, where he visited with his relatives and
accompanied them to Poland. He became seriously ill with bronchial
asthma on his way back to Paris. In 1836 he proposed to a
seventeen-year-old Polish girl, named Maria Wodzinska, and she
accepted. Their engagement lasted for several months, but was called
off in 1837 by her mother after a certain manipulative influence by
George Sand.
In October of 1836, in Paris Chopin met George Sand at a party hosted by
Marie d'Agoult, mistress of Franz Liszt. Initially Chopin commented on
Sand: "What an antipathetic woman". In June of 1837 Sand wrote in a
letter to her friend about her agenda to abandon another affair in
order to start a relationship with Chopin. George Sand was strongly
attracted to Chopin, she destroyed his engagement to Maria Wodzinska,
and dominated his life for nine years. Chopin and Sand had a turbulent
relationship. In 1839, during their first winter vacation together on
Mallorca, Sand took along her children from her previous marriage. At
Mallorca Chopin did not have a decent piano to practice, while he was
composing his 'Raindrop' prelude. Sand witnessed the completion of
Chopin's greatest masterpiece, the cycle of 24 Preludes. He had to
struggle with a poor rental piano and became unhappy and fell ill, but
received little help from local doctors. Later Chopin enjoyed a better
environment at Sand's estate in Nohant. There his creativity flourished
during the summers of 1839 until 1843. At that time Chopin composed
many important works. However, Chopin and Sand were not a good match,
and eventually their differences prevailed. Sand was a pipe smoker and
a flamboyant party goer. Chopin suffered from bronchial asthma and
tuberculosis and needed a quiet solitude for his music. In George
Sand's violent quarrel with her daughter Solange, Chopin defended the
daughter. Sand left Chopin.
In February of 1848 Chopin gave his last concerts in Paris. He went to
England and Scotland in November of 1848, and fell ill there. He gave
his last concerts in London while being severely ill. He returned to
Paris, but was unable to teach or perform for several months during
1849. Shortly before he died, sensing the end was near, Chopin had
requested that Requiem by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart be sung at his funeral service at the
Church of the Madeleine. He also requested that his heart be removed
and brought in an urn to Warsaw, Poland. Chopin died on October 17,
1849, but could not be buried for two weeks, because the church did not
allow female singers for the Mozart's Requiem. At last, the church
relented and the funeral was held on October 30, 1849. A crowd of four
thousand attended the ceremony. Composer Berlioz, artist Delacroix,
poet Adam Mickiewicz, singer Viardot, were present among many others from
cultural circles - but notably absent was George Sand. Chopin's heart
was dispatched in an urn to Warsaw, and his body was laid to rest in
the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, France.
1, 1810, in Zelazowa Wola, Masovia region, Duchy of Warsaw, Poland. His
father, named Mikolaj (Nicolas) Chopin, was a Frenchman who came to
Poland from Lorraine, and eventually became professor at Warsaw Lyceum.
His mother, named Tekla Justina Krzyzanovska, was a relative of Polish
Countess Ludwika Skarbkowa, owner of the Zelazowa Wola estate.
From 1816-1822 Chopin studied piano under professional musician Wojcech
Zywny. He wrote his first piano compositions at the age of 7. In 1820,
then ten-year-old Chopin moved with his parents to Warsaw. There he
gained a reputation as a "second Mozart" for his piano playing. From
1823-1826 Chopin studied at the Warsaw Lyceum. In 1824 he was
influenced by the Jewish folklore and composed Mazurka in A minor,
called "The Jewish" by Chopin himself. From 1826-1830 he studied at the
Warsaw Conservatory under pianist Wilhelm Wurfel and composer Josef
Elsner. In 1829 Chopin attended a performance of Niccolò Paganini in Warsaw. In
the same year Chopin gave solo concerts in Vienna and premiered his
Piano Concerto No.1 in F minor. In 1830 he premiered his Piano Concerto
No.2 in E minor at the National Theatre in Warsaw. He visited Vienna
again in November of same year and played his two piano concertos with
great success. After Vienna he continued his concert tour to Munich and
Stuttgart. There he learned of the invasion of the Russian Army in
Poland, and composed the Etude in C minor, called Revolutionary. Chopin
chose the status of a political exile and finally emigrated to Paris,
France.
From 1830-1849 Chopin established himself as composer and piano player
in Paris. There he changed his name into Frédéric François Chopin. In
Paris he met Franz Liszt, who initiated a friendship, and they played
together in several concerts, but later became rivals. Chopin formed
personal friendship with composer and critic Hector Berlioz. His other
personal friends were Felix Mendelssohn and Vincenzo Bellini. In 1835 he made a trip to
Dresden and Karlsbad, where he visited with his relatives and
accompanied them to Poland. He became seriously ill with bronchial
asthma on his way back to Paris. In 1836 he proposed to a
seventeen-year-old Polish girl, named Maria Wodzinska, and she
accepted. Their engagement lasted for several months, but was called
off in 1837 by her mother after a certain manipulative influence by
George Sand.
In October of 1836, in Paris Chopin met George Sand at a party hosted by
Marie d'Agoult, mistress of Franz Liszt. Initially Chopin commented on
Sand: "What an antipathetic woman". In June of 1837 Sand wrote in a
letter to her friend about her agenda to abandon another affair in
order to start a relationship with Chopin. George Sand was strongly
attracted to Chopin, she destroyed his engagement to Maria Wodzinska,
and dominated his life for nine years. Chopin and Sand had a turbulent
relationship. In 1839, during their first winter vacation together on
Mallorca, Sand took along her children from her previous marriage. At
Mallorca Chopin did not have a decent piano to practice, while he was
composing his 'Raindrop' prelude. Sand witnessed the completion of
Chopin's greatest masterpiece, the cycle of 24 Preludes. He had to
struggle with a poor rental piano and became unhappy and fell ill, but
received little help from local doctors. Later Chopin enjoyed a better
environment at Sand's estate in Nohant. There his creativity flourished
during the summers of 1839 until 1843. At that time Chopin composed
many important works. However, Chopin and Sand were not a good match,
and eventually their differences prevailed. Sand was a pipe smoker and
a flamboyant party goer. Chopin suffered from bronchial asthma and
tuberculosis and needed a quiet solitude for his music. In George
Sand's violent quarrel with her daughter Solange, Chopin defended the
daughter. Sand left Chopin.
In February of 1848 Chopin gave his last concerts in Paris. He went to
England and Scotland in November of 1848, and fell ill there. He gave
his last concerts in London while being severely ill. He returned to
Paris, but was unable to teach or perform for several months during
1849. Shortly before he died, sensing the end was near, Chopin had
requested that Requiem by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart be sung at his funeral service at the
Church of the Madeleine. He also requested that his heart be removed
and brought in an urn to Warsaw, Poland. Chopin died on October 17,
1849, but could not be buried for two weeks, because the church did not
allow female singers for the Mozart's Requiem. At last, the church
relented and the funeral was held on October 30, 1849. A crowd of four
thousand attended the ceremony. Composer Berlioz, artist Delacroix,
poet Adam Mickiewicz, singer Viardot, were present among many others from
cultural circles - but notably absent was George Sand. Chopin's heart
was dispatched in an urn to Warsaw, and his body was laid to rest in
the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, France.