The
Polish composer Frederic Chopin was born in Zelasowa Wola and studied music from
the age of six. By the time he was seven, he had begun his career as a concert
pianist and had his first piece published. He entered the Warsaw Conservatory
and after diligent study emerged with honours in 1829.
His
first trip abroad was to Vienna, where he gave two successful concerts. Life
outside Poland was seductive, and after a brief visit home Chopin left his
native land for good, eventually settling in France, his father's homeland.
Although only 20, he was already an accomplished pianist noted for his sensitive
playing and imaginative improvisations. He had also composed two of his largest
works, both piano concertos. In each work the orchestra's role is secondary to
that of the soloist, whose part demands virtuoso playing of the highest
standard.
Arriving
in Paris in 1831 Chopin quickly made influential friends, but success was slower
to come his way. Although a gifted musician, he was not a natural performer: his
introverted nature did not appeal in the concert hall and his first 
appearance
was coolly received. Chopin's response was to perform only in the Parisian
Salon, which earned him the reputation of a snob. However, it was there that his
intimate music was heard to best effect and he soon became one of the most
popular and well-paid performers in the French capital.
The
vast majority of Chopin's 170 compositions are for the piano. Bach exerted an
influence, but even more so the operas of Bellini. Chopin adored soaring
melodies and long sustained lines and incorporated them into his works with a
generous splash of ornamentation. But paramount as an influence were the folk
songs and dances of his native country. Chopin borrowed their idiosyncratic
rhythms and unusual melodies for his Ballades
and Mazurkas and from this rich source developed his characteristic
harmonies and daring use of discords. His love of dance music can be heard in
his numerous
Waltzes, which are in fact impossible to dance to because of their frequent
changes of tempo.
In
1837 Chopin met the novelist George Sand, with whom he lived for ten years. It
was she who inspired him during his most prolific times and cared for him during
the long periods when he was incapacitated with tuberculosis. After a break with
Sand, Chopin gave concerts in England and Scotland in 1848, but died the next
year in Paris. He left behind a rich legacy of music that has influenced com-
posers as diverse as Brahms, Faure and Debussy and remains as popular as ever
today.
Piano Sonata No.3 in B-minor
Piano Concertos in E minor and F minor
Solo piano works: Preludes, Scherzos, Ballades, Waltzes, Mazurkas, Barcarolle
