Chopin

=Chopin=

Paige Bjerke - Paris
Chopin was a famous Polish composer and pianist. Chopin was born on March 1,1810 in Zelazowa wola, Poland where he lived most of his life. He was considered one of the few child prodigies of the time. He has many famous works like the Waltz, Fantisie Impromptu and many more. Even though most people in my generation wouldn’t recognize his name or even know what he did, they would be surprised by how much his work is a part of their life and current culture. You can hear his songs in many TV shows and movies. His work is in over 700 films and TV shows. Some of the shows you may know of are Spongebob, //The Avengers//, //The Parent Trap//, and //The Simpson’s//. His music has been a part of world culture since he wrote it, and I believe it will continue to be in many movies from now on.

Chopin began learning how to play the piano at age five from his mother Justyna Krzyzanowska, but his first professional teacher was the Czech Wojciech Zywny at age six. “Little Chopin” first began performing concerts at age seven, around the same time he would be invited to Belweder Palace to play with the son of Grand Duke Constantine of Russian Poland and play the piano for the Duke. Later composing famous pieces such as Ballades, Nocturnes, and Preludes, Chopin was acclaimed a leading virtuoso of his generation, said to have been a “perfect musician” and “a genius” by his peers. Growing up to hold as few as 30 public concerts, Chopin went into his death bed at age 39 likely due to pulmonary tuberculosis. Even though we know him as a Polish composer, Chopin moved to Paris in 1831 and never returned to his home country. His funeral was so well attended that over 3,000 mourners from as far away as England, Scotland, and Austria were turned away. He is buried in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

Frédéric Chopin has a lasting impression on not only Europe, but on the entire world. His attachment of music with nationalism influenced composers well after the late Romantic period. Much off Chopin’s works survived to this day further proving that all of his works were astonishing and certainly stunning. The impact of his work is so grand that it shapes even today’s music. His idea of melody over broken left hand chords left his audiences in awe and paved the way for future composers. In conclusion, Frédéric Chopin was an illustrious composer and left a mark in music history.