Frederic+Chopin

Matt Schofield Frédéric Chopin Frédéric Chopin was a brilliant pianist who lived from March 1, 1810 to October 17, 1849. Born in what was then known as the Duchy of Warsaw, Frédéric 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. Chopin’s fame escalated higher and higher after several performances in his early life. Rooting from his march and plays for the Duke, to his performance of Rondo Op 1 earning him first mention in foreign press, finally to his debut Paris concert at the Salle Pleyel which then made him universally adored. Due to his fame, Chopin traveled various times throughout his life. Being born in Warsaw, he moved to Paris at age 20. Chopin never came back to Poland to see his family. Even though he moved to Paris and got his citizenship there deep down he thought of himself as Polish. He held performances in cities such as Berlin, Vienna, Barcelona, and countless other places. Chopin was famous for his very independent finger technique. He wrote, “ Everything is a matter of knowing good fingering ... we need no less to use the rest of the hand, the wrist, the forearm and the upper arm. One needs only to study a certain position of the hand in relation to the keys to obtain with ease the most beautiful quality of sound, to know how to play short notes and long notes, and [to attain] unlimited dexterity.” This allowed him to play the most complicated pieces with ease. 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(1800-1850). The impact from his music left Warsaw famous for being the birthplace of the legendary Frédéric Chopin. Over 230 of Chopin’s works survived to this day further proving that all of his works were astonishing and certainly stunning. Being from Warsaw, his heart is still on display there today. 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.