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9 February 2010

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Fryderyk Chopin
languages: Polish  / English  / French  / German 
 

One of the greatest Polish composers.

  • 1810

    Fryderyk Chopin was born on 1st March (some historians quote the date of 22nd February) 1810 in Żelazowa Wola in central Poland. His father, Nicholas, was a Frenchman who came to Poland from Lorraine in 1878. Nicholas Chopin arrived in Poland with Jan Adam Weydlich, the manager of the property of Count Michal Pac at Marainville, the village where Nicolas lived. Fryderyk's mother, Justyna nee Krzyżanowska, was a relative of Countess Ludwika Skarbkowa, owner of the Żelazowa Wola manor. The Chopins settled down in the manor's outhouse, Mikolaj being appointed tutor of the Count's sons. Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin was christened in St Roch's Church in the nearby Brochow on 23rd April.

    On 1st October Nicholas Chopin starts to teach at a Warsaw Lycee and the Chopins move to Warsaw.

  • 1816

    Having practised the piano with his mother, Fryderyk now starts to take lessons with Wojciech Żywny.

  • 1817

    Composes his first works, "Polonaise in B flat major" (his father writes the score down) and "Polonaise in G minor". The latter gets published by the printing shop of the Visitation of Our Lady Church parish in the New Town district of Warsaw.

  • 1818

    Makes his first public appearance, playing "Piano Concerto in G minor" by the Czech composer Adalbert Gyrowetz at a charity concert.

  • 1822

    Stops taking lessons with Wojciech Żywny and starts learning composition with Józef Elsner and the organ with Wilhelm Wuerfl.

  • 1824

    Spends summer holidays at the manor of his schoolmate's family in Szafarnia, a tradional Mazovian village. Gets acquainted with Mazovian and Jewish folklore, and composes "Mazurka in A minor", called "The Jew". Chopin would revisit the countryside a few more times, always taking a keen interest in folk music.

  • 1825

    Chopin's opus 1, "Rondo in C minor", gets published.

  • 1826

    Starts learning composition with Jozef Elsner at Warsaw's Main School of Music, a division of the University of Warsaw. Three years later, in the final review for the Ministry, Elsner wrote: "Szopen Friderik - special aptitude, musical genius".

  • 1829

    While in Vienna, Chopin plays two concerts at the Kärntnerthortheater. The Viennese newspapers write: "Mr Chopin has made our acquaintance as one of the finest pianists, full of gentleness and deepest emotion".

  • 1830

    Composes "Concerto in F minor op. 21". The Concerto is performed on 17th March during Chopin's first own concert at the National Theatre, with Karol Kurpiński conducting. Maurycy Mochnacki writes: "He is all devoted to the genius of music. He breathes it".

    On 11th October Chopin plays his farewell concert before leaving Warsaw for Vienna and Paris. As it turned out, he was never again to return to Poland. The programme featured a new work, "Piano Concerto in E minor op. 11". The press wrote: "This is a work of a genius".

    On 2nd November Chopin leaves Warsaw, seen off with Jozef Elsner's cantata "Born in the Polish Land".

    When the November Rising breaks out on 29th November, Chopin is in Vienna. Friends and relatives discourage him from returning to Poland, and Chopin writes: "Cursed be the moment of my departure".

  • 1831

    The November Rising falls down on 8th September. Chopin is in Stuttgart at the time, and it is there and then that the "Etude in C minor op. 10 No. 12", called Revolutionary, is composed.

    Later that month Chopin arrives in Paris.

  • 1832

    At his first concert in Paris, in Salle Pleyel, Chopin plays "Concerto in F minor" and Variations on the Aria "La ci darem la mano" from Mozart's "Don Juan op. 2". The press writes about the "revival of piano music". In July the "Variations on a Theme by Mozart" were played in Leipzig by Clara Wieck, the famous pianist of the time and wife of Robert Schumann who, when commenting on the piece, said of Chopin: "Gentlemen, hats off, he is a genius."

  • 1833

    In January Chopin joins the Polish Literary Society in exile, headed by Duke Adam Czartoryski.

    On 15th December Chopin, Ferenc Liszt and Ferdinand Hiller play Bach's "Concerto for three pianos" at the Paris Conservatory. Chopin's performance is commented on enthusiastically by Hector Berlioz.

  • 1834

    Chopin refuses to apply for passport at the Russian Embassy in Paris, choosing the status of a political exile. This means he will never see his country again.

  • 1835

    On 26th April, accompanied by an orchestra, Chopin plays "Introduction" and "Polonaise Grande in E flat major op. 22" in the hall of the Conservatory. The concert is a tremendous success. In August Chopin meets with his parents in Karlsbad, where they have come for a spa treatment.

  • 1836

    In September in Dresden Chopin proposes to the seventeen-year-old Maria Wodzińska. His proposal is accepted on condition that during a trial year he takes care of his poor health, changing the life style.

    In October, at the Paris salon of Countess Maria d'Agoult, Liszt's lover, Chopin first meets George Sand, then thirty-two. Chopin comments on her: "What an antipathetic woman".

  • 1837

    The Wodziński family withdraws from the planned marriage of Chopin and Maria. Chopin writes "My misery" on a packet of Maria's letters.

  • 1838

    In May Chopin gets to meet George Sand closer. In July Eugene Delacroix sketches their joint portrait. In October they leave for Mallorca, where their love affair will get fulfilled. They will stay there until February of the following year, living, among other places, in the deserted monastery of the Carthusian brothers in Valldemosa. The humid, wintery conditions make Chopin's health deteriorate.
    Mallorca witnesses the completion of one of Chopin's greatest masterpieces, the cycle of "24 Preludes".

  • 1839

    Having left Mallorca, Chopin and George Sand spend the following three months in Marseilles. After a spell in Genoa, they leave for George Sand's property in Nohant in Central France. It is there that Chopin composes "Sonata in B flat minor" with "Funeral March". Chopin studies Johann Sebastian Bach's "Das Wohltemperierte Klavier".

    In October Chopin returns to Paris, keeping his affair with George Sand secret.

  • 1840

    Together with George Sand, Chopin attends Adam Mickiewicz's lectures at College de France.

  • 1841

    Summer in Nohant. Chopin will spend all summers there until 1846.

  • 1842

    Chopin's concert at Salle Pleyel gets enthusiastic reviews: "Chopin has reached his peak".

  • 1844

    Meets his sister Ludwika and her husband in Paris, spend time together in Nohant.

  • 1845

    First major misunderstandings with George Sand and her son Maurice in Nohant.

  • 1846

    In February Chopin and George Sand attend a Polish exile community ball at the Czartoryskis'.

    The last summer spent in Nohant, punctuated with violent conflicts. Chopin composes "Nocturnes op. 62" and "Mazurkas op. 63".

  • 1847

    In George Sand's violent quarrel with daughter Solange, Chopin sides with the daughter.

  • 1848

    On 16th February plays his last concert in Paris, in Salle Pleyel, to enthusiastic reviews.

    4th February sees the last, chance meeting of Chopin and George Sand.

    From April to November stays in England and Scotland, playing concerts and giving lessons.

    On 16th November in London plays publicly for the last time.

    Composes his last finished works: "Waltz in A minor" and "Mazurka in G minor".

  • 1849

    Sketches his last unfinished work, "Mazurka in F minor".

    On 22 June, after two hemorrhages, Chopin is diagnosed with tuberculosis in its last stage.

    On 9 August Chopin's sister Ludwika arrives in Paris with husband and daughter.

    On 15 October Delfina Potocka sings for Chopin. The composers receives the last sacrament and asks for his heart to be removed from his corpse and brought to Poland.

    On 17 October, at 2 a.m., Chopin dies.

    On 18th October, after a post-mortem, Chopin's embalmed corpse is laid in the crypt of St Magdalene's.

    On 30th October burial ceremony takes place at St Magdalene's, followed by burial at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. Sister Ludwika takes Chopin's heart to Poland, where it is placed inside a pillar of the Holy Cross Church at Krakowskie Przedmieście Street. In 1880 an epitath sculpted by Leandro Marconi is unveiled in the church.

    See also: Chopin's "Piano Concertos".

    Compositions

    For solo piano:
    • "Allegro de concerto in A major op. 46" (1841)
    • "Ballads in G minor op. 23" (1835), "F major op. 38" (1839), "A flat major op. 47" (1841), "F minor op. 52" (1842)
    • "Barcarolle in F sharp major op. 60" (1846)
    • "Berceuse (Lullaby) in D flat major op. 57" (1844)
    • "Bolero in C major op. 19" (before 1834)
    • "3 Ecossaises op. 72" (1830)
    • "Etudes op. 10" (1829-32), "op. 25" (before 1837), "3 Nouvelles Etudes" (1839)
    • "Fantasy in F minor op. 49" (1841)
    • "Impromptus in A flat major op. 29" (before1837), "F sharp major" op. 36 (1839), "G flat major op. 51" (1842), "Fantasy Impromptu in C sharp minor op. 66" (ca. 1834)
    • "Mazurkas" (1825-49)
    • "Nocturnes" (1828-46)
    • "Polonaises" (1817-42)
    • "24 Preludes op. 28" (1831-39)
    • "Preludium Cis-moll op. 45" (1841)
    • "Rondos" (1825-34)
    • "Scherzos in B flat minor op. 20" (1831-34), "B minor op. 31" (1835-37), "C sharp minor op. 39" (1839), "E major op. 54" (1842)
    • "Sonatas in C minor op. 4" (1827/28), "B minor op. 35" (1839), "B flat minor" op. 58 (1844)
    • "Tarantella in A flat major op. 43" (1841)
    • "Waltzes" (1829-49)
    • "Variations" (1824-38)
    Chamber works:
    • "Grand duo Concertant for piano and cello" (1832/33)
    • "Introduction and Polonaise in C major op. 3 for piano and cello" (1830)
    • "Sonata in G minor op. 65 for piano and cello" (1846/47)
    • "Trio in G minor op. 8 for piano, violin and cello" (1829)
    For piano and orchestra:
    • "Andante Spianato and Polonaise in E flat major op. 22" (1830-36)
    • "Fantasy on Polish Themes in A major op. 13" (ca. 1829)
    • "Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor op. 11" (1830)
    • "Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor op. 21" (1829/30)
    • "Rondo a La Krakowiak in F major op. 14" (1828)
    • Variations in B flat major op. 2 on Aria "La ci darem la mano" from Mozart's opera "Don Juan" (1827/28)
    Songs:
    • "19 Songs op. 74" (1829-47)
    Source: Polish Music Information Center, Polish Composers' Union, March 2002.

    About Chopin's music: Tadeusz Andrzej Zieliński, "Chopin: Different Shades of Genius"

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