Frederic Chopin wrote. Frederic Chopin: biography, interesting facts, creativity

In 1830, Chopin left Poland forever, earning money by virtuoso performances of his own musical compositions, although his health did not always allow him to give lengthy concerts. He settled in Paris, where he began to give music lessons and give concerts. Soon he developed tuberculosis. The French Revolution of 1848 made it impossible for him to earn a living, and he left for England. He returned to Paris almost completely disabled and soon died after several months of severe suffering.

Chopin's romantic appearance attracted women no less than his music. He himself was also attracted to women, but not always in terms of sex. Their adoration often reminded him of love; in his youth, Chopin felt an irresistible attraction to his friend Titus Wojciechowski. He showered him with love notes and loved to kiss him on the lips. With girls, he behaved much more restrained. At one time he was in love with Constance Gladkowska, with whom he studied music together, however, he was never able to tell or write to her about his feelings. Only many years later Constance was surprised to learn how much she once meant to Chopin.

The temptations of Paris did not attract Chopin. He, however, suffered a mild venereal disease, which he contracted from a woman named Teresa. This seemed to discourage him from having sex even more.

Chopin always dreamed of having his own family. In 1836 he proposed to Maria Wodzinskaya, the pretty and musically gifted daughter of a Polish count. She accepted his proposal, but her parents were quite concerned about his poor health. After some time, Chopin stopped receiving letters from Maria and abandoned all thoughts of marriage.

Later he met the novelist George Sand, who admired his music and himself and followed him everywhere. Chopin didn’t like her at first, and he once said to his friend: “What a disgusting woman this Sand is. And is she a woman at all? lasted 9 years. Them intimate relationship stopped after a couple of years, as Sand announced that in bed, Chopin was very much like a corpse. Sand raised two children and tried to turn Chopin into a third. She broke off all relations with Chopin when he opposed her in some dispute she had with her daughter's husband.

The last woman who seriously tried to get his attention was his wealthy student and financial patron Jane Sterling, of whom he said: "I'd rather choose death as my wife."

His life was tragic. It (life) is, as it were, divided into 2 parts. For the first 20 years he lived in Poland (until 1831), and then he was forced to leave Poland forever. For the rest of his life, Chopin lived in Paris, yearning for his homeland. There are 2 features of his work: 1) The motherland acquired for him the meaning of an unattainable romantic ideal, a dream for which he languished all his life. Chopin is a lyric composer. 2) Romantic impulses, languor in his music are always combined with clear logic, perfection of form. Chopin always rejected wildness, deliberateness and exaggeration. He couldn't stand stunning effects. Liszt said: "Chopin cannot bear excesses and unbridledness." Chopin loved Bach and Mozart. Chopin's music is distinguished by artistry, spirituality, and subtlety. He didn't like Beethoven.

Chopin created his own piano style, which combines both virtuosity and subtle, deep lyricism. He created new types of piano sound, a new color of piano sound, a new technique in the pedal.

Chopin rethought different genres of piano miniatures. The prelude became an independent, rather than an introductory piece. In depth, the prelude or impromptu approaches the drama. He did a lot of new things in the etude genre. Each study is a romantic miniature, and at the same time, each study is a path to mastering new techniques.

Nocturne and waltz. There are tragic-sounding nocturnes (c-moll) with complex continuous development. Waltzes and brilliant, concert, virtuoso, and there are deeply lyrical.

Chopin created new genres of romantic miniature based on Polish dances - the mazurka, the polonaise, the krakowiak.

Created new genres of large form. These are: the scherzo, which until then was part of the symphonic cycle (by Beethoven from the 2nd symphony); the ballad that was previously in German poetry. It - complex genres, in which there is a synthesis of different forms, including even cyclic ones. Chopin is the greatest master of melody. His melodic origins are different. His melodies combine the features of national Polish songwriting and the classics of Italian Belsant. The melodies have both melodiousness, and declamation, and complex instrumental development. Ornamentation gives a special originality to Chopin's melodies. These decorations are thematically important. The sources of originality are folk violin variation and virtuoso Italian singing. The harmonic language becomes more complicated, but the harmonies are very melodious, they seem to be composed of melodious voices. Features of harmony: Distant keys, alterations, enharmonic modulations, modulations into distant keys. This prepared Liszt, Scriabin and other later composers.

life path

Chopin was born near Warsaw in Zhelyazova Wola in a very cultured family. Father - former officer Army Kosciuszko. My father worked at the Warsaw Lyceum. Mother was very musical. Chopin showed an early liking for the piano. He gave his first concert at the age of 8. 1st piano teacher - Vojtech Zhivny. He instilled the boy's love for the classics. At the age of 13, he entered his father's lyceum. Studied Polish literature, aesthetics, history. During his lyceum years, Chopin wrote poetry, plays, and drew well (especially caricatures). He had congenital tuberculosis.

Musical life in Warsaw was quite intense and lively. Operas by Polish composers were staged, as well as Rossini, Mozart and others. Chopin heard Paganini, Hummel (pianist). Hummel was an influence on the early piano style. There were various musical circles in Warsaw. Chopin performed in them.

1826-1829

Studying at the Main School of Music (Conservatory). He studied composition with Elsner. Chopin started composing early (even before the conservatory). He wrote polonaises and waltzes.

Early work

1st group of works: The main works are concert, virtuoso and somewhat complex, lush, for piano and orchestra.

2nd group: miniatures - waltzes, mazurkas, polonaises.

The highest achievement of this period is 2 piano concertos. In 1828, Chopin went on a concert trip abroad for the first time. Was in Berlin, Vienna, Prague and Dresden. In 1830, he and his friends planned a new concert trip. In the autumn he went to Vienna and then to Paris. At this time, an uprising was brewing in Prague, which Chopin ardently supported. On the way to Paris - in the city of Stuttgart, he learned about the defeat of the uprising. This shocked him. He rushed to his homeland, but his friends held him back.

After that, Chopin's work changed. There was a drama never seen before. He wrote a stormy etude - c-moll, which he called Revolutionary (this etude was written in the same place - in Stuttgart). The impression of the defeat of the uprising was then expressed in other works (1st ballad, preludes a-moll and d-moll).

30-40 years

The main period of creativity. Paris in the 30s and 40s became cultural center Europe. All celebrities flocked there: Balzac, Stendhal, Hugo, Merimee, Musset, Delacroix (the artist who painted the only portrait of Chopin), Heine, Mickiewicz, Liszt, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and others. There were famous opera singers: Pasta, Malibran, Viardot, as well as there were: Berlioz, Ober, Halevi. Virtuoso pianists performed in Paris: Kalkbrenner, Thalberg, as well as Paganini. In Paris, Chopin became close to the Poles. entered the Polish literary society. First of all, Chopin conquered Paris as a pianist. He had the finest sound. Chopin was very weak, so his F was perceived as i. He conveyed the subtlety of color very well. He had an amazing rubato. In the future, Chopin performed little in concerts. He played mostly for his Polish friends.

1836-1837

Years of romance with the Polish Maria Wodzińska. Her parents didn't let them get married. After Chopin's death, a bundle of letters with Maria was found.

1838-1847

Years of living together with the writer George Sand (pseudonym). She wore men's suits, smoked a pipe, was similar in character and mentality to a man. They didn't get married. George Sand had 2 children (not by Chopin).

The dawn of creativity. George Sand introduced Chopin to the best people Paris. In winter, Chopin gave private lessons, and in summer he lived on the money he earned and was engaged in creativity.

In 1838 Chopin and George Sand went to the island of Mallorca. There was a romantic atmosphere that inspired him for the 2nd ballad, the polonaises and the 3rd scherzo.

Until 1838, Chopin wrote almost exclusively miniatures: mazurkas, etudes, polonaises, waltzes, nocturnes. Large form in the period before 1838 - 1st ballad, 1st and 2nd scherzos. After 38, Chopin showed a desire for dramatic and major genres: 2, 3 and 4 ballads, b-moll and h-moll sonatas, f-moll fantasy, fantasy polonaise, scherzos 3 and 4. Even miniatures become dramatic and large (c-moll nocturne, As-dur polonaise).

In 1847 - a break with George Sand. The rest of the years - the gradual extinction of creativity. In 1848 Chopin went on tour to London. There he gave lessons, performed a little in the salons. The last time he performed was at a Polish ball. Chopin died of tuberculosis in the arms of his sister. Mozart's requiem was performed at the funeral. According to Chopin's will, his heart was moved to Warsaw. Since the mid 40s. new trends appeared in his work: calm contemplation, light harmony. musical language more difficult. More polyphonic devices appear. Layered melodies. Harmony chromatized. From here begins the path to musical impressionism (Debussy and others). This is embodied in his "Lullaby".

The life story of the great Polish composer Frederic Chopin touches to the core. This unusually gifted, charming romantic with refined manners and a sensitive heart for all the short years of his life allotted to him by heaven never truly experienced a feeling of real happiness. He has always been a favorite of the public and the object of adoration of numerous fans, who now and then bombarded him with expensive gifts. However, in his personal life, this inspired lyricist was deeply unhappy - his heart was torn by pain, longing for the Motherland, torment from terrible disease and unhappy love...

Read a short biography of Frederic Chopin and many interesting facts about the composer on our page.

Short biography of Chopin

Frederic Franciszek Chopin was born near Warsaw in the family of an emigrant from France, Nikolai Chopin, and a Polish woman, Justina Kzhizhanowska. There are still heated discussions about the date of his birth - some historians believe that future composer was born on March 1, 1810, while others are convinced that he saw this world a few days earlier - on February 22. The mother of the future composer became his first music teacher, who instilled in the boy a taste for beauty. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, she came from a well-born family, received an excellent education, knew French, had a beautiful voice, knew how and loved to sing.

From childhood, Chopin was spoken of as little miracle. And many even compared it with Mozart because he had the perfect ear for music, masterfully improvised and subtly felt the instrument. Frederick was always emotional, he could burst into tears, listening to a concentrated melody that takes over the soul. In a rush musical inspiration he jumped out of bed in the middle of the night and ran to the instrument to play the fragment he dreamed of. At the age of seven little composer composed his first work - a small polonaise in G minor. The news about this even got into the issue of a Warsaw newspaper, where the music was rated as professional work a talented master, and the boy was called a genius.

At the same time, Chopin was sent to study with the outstanding Czech pianist Wojciech Zhivny. The boy began his studies with all seriousness, although he combined them with his studies at the school. His progress was so great that when he reached the age of 12, Zhivny refused to teach Frederick further, saying that he could give him nothing more. The fame of Frederic Chopin as a wonderful performer has already spread throughout Warsaw, it is not surprising that the boy had influential patrons who opened the door to high society for him. There he immediately becomes his own: contemporaries described him as a young man of exceptionally pleasant appearance, with an excellent sense of humor and a sharp tongue, which, from the first words upon meeting, can win over an interlocutor. At that time, Frederick traveled a lot around Europe, attending concerts famous musicians which contributes to the definition of his personal musical style.
Such a busy life does not interfere with education, and according to Chopin's biography, in 1823 he became a pupil of the Warsaw Lyceum, and in 1826 - a student high school music.

Farewell Motherland...

From the biography of Chopin, we learn that since 1829 the period of his active tour begins. Ferenc planned to stay a little longer in Kalisz, then go to Berlin, Dresden, Vienna, and finally, drive around the cities of Italy and France. In 1830, he left his native Poland forever, and he was not destined to return to his homeland. He has no choice but to keep love for his country throughout his life, and bequeath to her his longing heart.

Chopin found out about the uprising that broke out in Warsaw while in Austria, and immediately decided to go home. But in a letter, Frederick's father insisted that he stay abroad, and he had to obey. The news of the fall of the Polish capital was a great blow to him. Impressed by this terrible event, he created his best tragic creations - "Revolutionary Etude", prelude in d-moll, and final preludes op.28.

Chopin decides to temporarily settle in Paris, where he gives his first piano concert. Success comes to him immediately, he becomes a favorite of the public. On the wave of popularity that fell upon him, he gains many fans, enjoyed female attention, and makes friends with famous composers – F. Mendelssohn , G. Berliz, F. Liszt and V. Bellini. He maintained friendships with many of them for the rest of his life.

Frederic Chopin discovered early in his love for teaching. Unlike many of his colleagues, he devoted himself entirely to this craft; many later famous musicians were his students.

A story of great and tragic love

They were not destined to become husband and wife, and she did not have a chance to give him heirs. It seemed that fate laughed, pushing them together: a pale, sick Frederick, a handsome young man of 26 years old with impeccable manners and burning eyes, and a divorced, rude, masculine woman who could not be imagined without a cigarette between her teeth. Nevertheless, the romance, which lasted almost ten years, gave both of them not only pain and disappointment, but also love, a lot of sincere feelings and creative forces. He wrote his brilliant music, she wrote books, they inspired each other every day, which is probably why they continue to talk about their romance to this day.

At the moment when George Sand and Frederic Chopin first met, she was a divorced independent woman with two children, and he was engaged to Maria Wodzinska. Perhaps the reason for the passion that flared up in the heart of a woman was the fact that at the time of their acquaintance Chopin was sick and weak, and she had feelings similar to her mother's for all her lovers. One way or another, Sand drew attention to the unfortunate young man, and his engagement soon broke off, as Mary's parents considered him unworthy of their child.

When he first met the extravagant, dressed in a rough man's outfit, George Sand, Chopin did not pay any attention to her at all, only a few days later he remarked in passing: “What kind of disgusting woman is this Sand? And is she a woman at all? Nevertheless, it was in her arms that Frederick found solace, painfully experiencing a break in relations with his bride. Sand knew the right and shortest way to a man's heart, she quickly conquered him with her large expressive eyes and contradictory nature.

Chopin settled in a neighboring house next to his beloved. They carefully guarded their relationship from prying eyes, it happened that, having met at the reception of mutual acquaintances, they kept aloof and did not betray their feelings in any way. Later, the lovers rented a comfortable accommodation in one of the sleeping areas of Paris, but, receiving guests, they pretended that Chopin was only a guest in their common house. In 1838, Sand with two children and Frederic went to Mallorca to take a break from the bustle of the city and improve the health of the composer. Periodically, they returned to Noana, where the estate of the writer was located. There, Sand had to take care of all household chores, because Frederick, due to his constant illnesses, was practically useless in everyday life. The children of George Sand were very unhappy with the fact that they had to live under the same roof with Chopin. Son Moritz was painfully jealous of his mother for a man, and Solange plotted and even tried to seduce Frederick in order to destroy her mother's relationship. The unhealthy situation in the house had a detrimental effect on Chopin's mood. Tired of the endless squabbles, the painful jealousy of Moritz for his mother and the intrigues of Solange, which did not subside in the house, he told Sand that he intended to visit his native land, and she did not put obstacles in his way. Frederick leaves Noan forever and goes to Paris.

For a while, George Sand and Frederic Chopin continued to keep in touch through letters. However, regularly bumping into Solange in Paris, he listened to her stories about new love affairs and intrigues of her mother, mostly fictional. As a result, the girl achieved her goal: Chopin hated his former beloved and cut off the correspondence. The last time they clashed was in 1848, a year before the composer's death. Sand, seeing Chopin, wanted to speak to him, but he turned away and went out.

To forget these failed relationships, Chopin decides in London. It is there that he gives his last concert. The British climate finally broke the composer, in recent months life he could not compose and perform music, and tuberculosis and persistent depression brought him to the grave at the age of only 39 years. On October 17, Frederic Chopin died.

After Chopin's death, Sand settled down. Until her death, for 15 years she lived with one man - Alexander Manso, devoting herself to home, family and favorite work.

Interesting Facts

• Two have survived to this day. early works Chopin. These are the B-dur polonaise and the "Military March", which were written by him at the age of 7 years. The march was often performed at military parades in Warsaw.
• Since 1927, the Chopin Piano Competition has been held in the capital of Poland every 5 years.

• Chopin suffered all his life from the fact that the width of his palm was not enough to take complex chords. While still a boy, he invented a special device for stretching his fingers and wore it without removing it even in his sleep, although he caused unbearable pain.
• The composer retained the habit of playing in the dark throughout his life. This is how, he argued, inspiration comes to him. When the composer performed his music at parties, he always asked to dim the lights in the room.
• Several objects are named after Chopin - the airport and university in Warsaw, the Irkutsk College of Music, as well as a crater on Mercury.
• The composer did not like to talk about his personal life. His friends never heard a word from him about his affairs of the heart, but he himself was always happy to discuss their love affairs with them.
• Outwardly, Chopin was very attractive: he was fair-haired, blue-eyed, distinguished by a slender physique and had success among ladies all his life, but for ten years he loved the one that at the first meeting he did not even consider to be like a woman.
• After meeting the composer, George Sand sent him a note consisting of one phrase: “I bow to you. J.S. Chopin put this note in his personal album and kept it until the end of his life.
• The only painting showing the composer and Sand together was found torn in two after his death.
• Only a small part of the composer's epistolary legacy has come down to us. The composer's lovers K. Gladkovskaya and J. Sand preferred to destroy almost all the letters that Chopin sent them. Frederick's letters to his relatives, and with them his beloved piano, were turned into ashes by a fire in the apartment of his sister I. Barcinska.

• Chopin's heritage includes "Waltz of the Little Dog", which is listed under No. 1 op.64. Many mistakenly believe that this piece is the very famous unpretentious "Dog Waltz", which almost every inhabitant of the planet has heard. In fact, these are two completely different works, and the authorship of the latter has not been reliably established.
• Due to health problems in the last years of his life, the composer practically did not compose. The most famous work of that time can be called the "Mazurka" in f-moll, which Chopin never had a chance to perform on his own.
• Frederic Chopin had no children of his own.
• Throughout his life, Chopin loved his homeland - Poland, in his own words, wherever he was, his heart was always at home. These words were reflected in his will. He asked his sister Ludovika to give his heart to the Motherland after his death, and it happened. The composer's heart was immured in the wall of the Church of the Holy Cross in the Polish capital, and the body was buried in Paris. During the funeral, a handful of earth was poured into the grave home country, which Chopin cherished and carried with him on endless journeys.
• During his lifetime, Chopin admired Mozart, considered him a genius, and his music incredible. In accordance with the will, at the funeral of Chopin, which was attended by several thousand people sincerely saddened by the death of the composer, the famous "Requiem" by Mozart .
• In Warsaw, you can find 15 "Chopin" shops, which are installed in places somehow connected with the life of the composer. By clicking on a special button, you can listen to a 30-second excerpt of the most famous works of the composer.

• Recently, comics were released in Berlin that tell the story of Chopin's life as if he were living today. According to the plot, the composer arrives with a concert in prison, he is accompanied by a shaven-headed gangster-looking guy. In Poland, these comics were considered offensive and demanded that their distribution be banned, but the author himself explained that he did not want to hurt anyone's feelings, but only decided to acquaint young people with the composer's work in an accessible form.
• Franz Liszt characterized the art of Chopin with one Polish word - zal. Translated into Russian, it means "tender pity."
• The performance that marked the beginning of the musician's fame abroad took place at the age of 15. His game on charity concert The audience remembered not at all because he played the piano brilliantly. He attracted attention by the fact that he masterfully improvised on the aeolopantaleon - musical instrument which is a combination of organ and piano.
• Chopin's playing was not only admired, but also criticized. For example, the Viennese audience did not like his performances, because, in their opinion, he played too quietly. Frederick, speaking about this in letters to his friends, wrote that the audience in Vienna had simply become accustomed to "the clatter of the local pianists."
• Biographers are still scratching their heads about what actually happened between Chopin and Countess Delfina Potocka, whom he met during his stay in Dresden. He dedicated part of his compositions to her, and a few days before his death preferred to hear her singing. The composer often wrote letters to her, however, no one saw them. It is believed that most of these unknown documents are still kept by Delphine's heirs.

• In Poland, since 1995, there has been a music award from the Recording Academy "Frederik", which is a kind of analogue of the American Grammy.
• In 1983, the song "I like Chopin" by the Italian singer Gazebo topped many European charts. This musical composition is based on piano theme, which has nothing to do with the Polish composer.
• In 2007, Japanese developers released computer game"Eternal Sonata". The main character of the game is Chopin, who, 3 hours before his death, finds himself in a fairy-tale land where he has to find a cure for his illness. The game features Chopin's music performed by Russian pianist Stanislav Bunin.

Liszt and Chopin - friends or rivals?

Researchers of the life of two geniuses 19th century and found a single answer to this question. Some are convinced that Chopin and Liszt were secretly competing with each other. By this they also explain that pianists often performed in duets, thereby trying to avoid comparison. At large-scale concerts, virtuosos took the stage together, and sometimes included others in their ensemble. famous performers- so it was, for example, in 1833, when Sheet , Chopin and the Hertz brothers played an ensemble for two pianos in eight hands. Historians suggest that Liszt was haunted by the opponent's graceful game, from which he was very far away, and that is why, with the advent of the Pole in Paris, he preferred to go into the shadows. A contemporary of the composers, pianist F. Giller, later explained Ferenc's act - according to him, during this period he studied hard in order to master everything that Chopin showed the Parisian public.

However, most biographers are inclined to believe that these two greatest musician were close friends. They often met, discussed the latest world events and played their compositions. In 1836, Chopin took part in Liszt's concerto. That evening they performed each other's works - Ferenc played Frederick's etudes, and after that they performed his "Brilliant Waltz" together.

Whatever their creative union actually was, it did not last long. Why this happened is not exactly known. As possible cause cooling the relationship between the two geniuses, musicologists call the influence of women who were next to them. So, it is known for certain that Liszt's passionate admirer, the writer Marie D "Agu, was worst enemy George Sand. It is believed that these two sharks of the pen set the pianists against each other, and in many ways contributed to the strengthening of their friendship. According to another version, life itself divorced the virtuosos - with age, their views and characters began to change, which inevitably alienated them.

short biography

Fryderyk Chopin, full name- Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin (Polish Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin, also Polish Szopen); full name in French transcription - Frederic Francois Chopin (fr. Frédéric François Chopin) (March 1 (according to other sources, February 22) 1810, the village of Zhelyazova-Wola, near Warsaw, the Duchy of Warsaw - October 17, 1849, Paris, France) - Polish composer and pianist. In his mature years (since 1831) he lived and worked in France. One of the leading representatives of Western European musical romanticism, the founder of the Polish national composer school. He had a significant impact on world music.

Origin and family

The composer's father, Nicolas Chopin (1771-1844), from a simple family, moved from France to Poland in his youth. Since 1802, he lived on the estate of Count Skarbek Zhelyazov-Vol, where he worked as a teacher of the count's children.

In 1806 Nicolas Chopin married Justine Krzyzanowska (1782-1861), a distant relative of the Skarbeks Tekla. The Krzyzhanovski (Krzhizhanovski) family of the Pig coat of arms dates back to the 14th century and owned the village of Krzyzhanovo near Koscyan. Vladimir Krzhizhanovsky, the nephew of Justina Krzyzhanovskaya, also belonged to the Krzyzhanovsky family. According to the surviving evidence, the composer's mother received a good education, owned French, was extremely musical, played the piano well, possessed beautiful voice. Frederick owes his first musical impressions to his mother, the love of folk melodies instilled from infancy.

Zhelyazova Volya, where Chopin was born, and Warsaw, where he lived from 1810 to 1830, during Napoleonic Wars until 1813 they were on the territory of the Duchy of Warsaw, a vassal of the Napoleonic Empire, and after May 3, 1815, following the results of the Congress of Vienna, they were on the territory of the Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie), a vassal of the Russian Empire.

In the autumn of 1810, some time after the birth of his son, Nicolas Chopin moved to Warsaw. In the Warsaw Lyceum, thanks to the patronage of the Skarbeks, he got a place after the death of the teacher, Pan Mahe. Chopin was a French and German teacher and French literature, maintained a boarding school for pupils of the lyceum.

The intelligence and sensitivity of the parents soldered all family members with love and had a beneficial effect on the development of gifted children. In addition to Fryderyk, there were three sisters in the Chopin family: the eldest, Ludwika, married to Endrzeevich, who was his especially close and devoted friend, and the younger ones, Isabella and Emilia. The sisters had versatile abilities, and Emilia, who died early, had an outstanding literary talent.

Childhood

Already in childhood, Chopin showed extraordinary musical abilities. He was surrounded by special attention and care. Like Mozart, he impressed those around him with his musical “obsession”, inexhaustible imagination in improvisations, and inborn pianism. His susceptibility and musical impressionability manifested themselves violently and unusually. He could cry while listening to music, jump up at night to pick up a memorable melody or chord on the piano.

In its January issue for 1818, one of the Warsaw newspapers published a few lines about the first piece of music composed by a composer who was studying back in primary school. “The author of this Polonaise,” the newspaper wrote, “is a student who is not yet 8 years old. This is a real genius of music, with the greatest ease and exceptional taste, performing the most difficult piano pieces and composing dances and variations that delight connoisseurs and connoisseurs. If this child prodigy had been born in France or Germany, he would have drawn more attention to himself.

The young Chopin was taught music by giving him great expectations. The pianist Wojciech Zhivny (1756-1842), a Czech by origin, began to study with a 7-year-old boy. The classes were serious, despite the fact that Chopin, in addition, studied at one of the Warsaw schools. The boy's performing talent developed so rapidly that by the age of twelve, Chopin was not inferior to the best Polish pianists. Zhivny refused to study with the young virtuoso, saying that he could teach him nothing more.

Youth

After graduating from college and completing five years of studies with Zhivny, Chopin began his theoretical studies with the composer Józef Elsner.

The Ostrozski Palace is the seat of the Warsaw Chopin Museum.

The patronage of Prince Anton Radziwill and the princes Chetvertinsky introduced Chopin into high society, which was impressed by Chopin's charming appearance and refined manners. Here is what Franz Liszt said about this: “The general impression of his personality was quite calm, harmonious and, it seemed, did not require additions in any comments. Chopin's blue eyes shone more with intelligence than they were veiled with thoughtfulness; his soft and thin smile never turned bitter or sarcastic. The subtlety and transparency of the color of his face tempted everyone; he had curly blond hair, a slightly rounded nose; he was of small stature, frail, thin build. His manners were refined, varied; the voice is a little tired, often muffled. His manners were full of such decency, they had such a seal of blood aristocracy that he was involuntarily met and received like a prince ... to no interests. Chopin was usually cheerful; his sharp mind quickly found the funny even in such manifestations that not everyone catches the eye.

Trips to Berlin, Dresden, Prague, where he attended concerts of outstanding musicians, diligently visited opera houses and art galleries contributed to its further development.

mature years. Abroad

Since 1829, Chopin's artistic activity began. He performs in Vienna, Krakow, performing his works. Returning to Warsaw, he leaves it forever on November 5, 1830. This separation from his homeland became the cause of his constant hidden grief - longing for his homeland. In 1830, news arrived that an uprising for independence had broken out in Poland. Chopin dreamed of returning to his homeland and taking part in the battles. The preparations are over, but on the way to Poland he was caught by terrible news: the uprising was crushed, the leader was taken prisoner. Having passed Dresden, Vienna, Munich, Stuttgart, he arrived in Paris in 1831. On the way, Chopin wrote a diary (the so-called "Stuttgart Diary"), reflecting his state of mind during his stay in Stuttgart, where he was seized by despair due to the collapse of the Polish uprising. Chopin deeply believed that his music would help native people achieve victory. "Poland will be brilliant, powerful, independent!" - so he wrote in his diary. During this period, Chopin wrote his famous "Revolutionary Etude".

Chopin gave his first concert in Paris at the age of 22. The success was complete. Chopin rarely performed in concerts, but in the salons of the Polish colony and the French aristocracy, Chopin's fame grew extremely quickly, Chopin gained many loyal fans, both in artistic circles and in society. Kalkbrenner highly appreciated the pianism of Chopin, who nevertheless offered him his lessons. However, these lessons quickly ceased, but the friendship between the two great pianists continued for many years. In Paris, Chopin surrounded himself with young talented people who shared with him a devoted love of art. His entourage included the pianist Ferdinand Hiller, the cellist Francomm, the oboist Brodt, the flutist Tulon, the pianist Stamati, the cellist Vidal, and the violist Urban. He also maintained acquaintance with the largest European composers of his time, among whom were Mendelssohn, Bellini, Liszt, Berlioz, Schumann.

Over time, Chopin began teaching himself; the love of teaching piano was the hallmark of Chopin, one of the few great artists who devoted much time to it.

In 1837, Chopin felt the first attack of a lung disease (most likely it was tuberculosis). A lot of grief in addition to parting with the bride brought him in the late thirties love for George Sand (Aurora Dupin). Staying in Mallorca (Majorca) with George Sand had a negative impact on Chopin's health, he suffered from bouts of illness there. However, many greatest works, including 24 preludes, were created on this Spanish island. However, he spent a lot of time countryside in France, where George Sand had an estate in Nohant.

A ten-year cohabitation with George Sand, full of moral trials, greatly undermined Chopin's health, and the break with her in 1847, in addition to causing him considerable stress, deprived him of the opportunity to rest in Nohant. Wanting to leave Paris in order to change the situation and expand his circle of acquaintances, Chopin went to London in April 1848 to give concerts and teach. This turned out to be his last trip. Frederic Chopin's last public concert took place on November 16, 1848 in London. Success, a nervous, stressful life, a damp British climate, and most importantly, a chronic lung disease that periodically worsened - all this finally undermined his strength. Returning to Paris, Chopin died on October 5 (17), 1849.

About Chopin deeply mourned the whole music world. Thousands of fans of his work gathered at his funeral. According to the wish of the deceased, at his funeral famous artists of that time, Mozart's Requiem, a composer whom Chopin put above all others, was performed (and he called his Requiem and the Jupiter symphony his favorite works), and his own Prelude No. 4 (E minor) was also performed. In the Père Lachaise cemetery, Chopin's ashes rest between the graves of Luigi Cherubini and Bellini. The composer bequeathed that his heart be transported to Poland after his death. Chopin's heart was, according to his will, sent to Warsaw, where it was walled up in a column of the Church of the Holy Cross.

Creation

As noted in encyclopedic dictionary Brockhaus and Efron N. F. Solovyov,

“Chopin's music abounds in boldness, finesse, and nowhere suffers from whimsicality. If after Beethoven there was an era of novelty of style, then, of course, Chopin is one of the main representatives of this novelty. In everything that Chopin wrote, in his wonderful musical contours, a great musician-poet is visible. This is noticeable in finished typical etudes, mazurkas, polonaises, nocturnes, etc., in which inspiration flows over the edge. If there is a certain reflectivity in anything, it is in the sonatas and concertos, but nevertheless amazing pages appear in them, as, for example, the funeral march in the sonata op. 35, adagio in the second concerto.

The best works of Chopin, in which he put so much soul and musical thought, can be attributed to etudes: in them, he introduced, in addition to technique, which before Chopin was the main and almost sole purpose, a whole poetic world. These sketches breathe either a youthful impetuous freshness, like, for example, ges-dur, or a dramatic expression (f-moll, c-moll). In these sketches he put first-rate melodic and harmonic beauties. You can't reread all the etudes, but the crown of this wonderful group is the cis-moll etude, which, in its deep content, reached Beethoven's height. How much dreaminess, grace, wondrous music in his nocturnes! In piano ballads, the form of which can be attributed to the invention of Chopin, but especially in polonaises and mazurkas, Chopin is a great national artist, painting pictures of his homeland.

Author of numerous works for piano. He interpreted many genres in a new way: he revived the prelude on a romantic basis, created a piano ballad, poeticized and dramatized dances - mazurka, polonaise, waltz; turned the scherzo into an independent work. Enriched harmony and piano texture; combined classic form with melodic richness and fantasy.

Among the works of Chopin: 2 concertos (1829, 1830), 3 sonatas (1828-1844), fantasy (1842), 4 ballads (1835-1842), 4 scherzos (1832-1842), impromptu, nocturnes, etudes, waltzes, mazurkas , polonaises, preludes and other works for piano; as well as songs. In his piano performance, the depth and sincerity of feelings were combined with elegance and technical perfection.

Chopin in 1849 is the only surviving photograph of the composer.

The most intimate, "autobiographical" genre in Chopin's work is his waltzes. According to the Russian musicologist Isabella Khitrik, the connection between Chopin's real life and his waltzes is extremely close, and the totality of the composer's waltzes can be considered as a kind of Chopin's "lyrical diary".

Chopin was distinguished by restraint and isolation, therefore his personality is revealed only to those who know his music well. Many famous artists and writers of that time bowed to Chopin: composers Franz Liszt, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Ignaz Moscheles, Hector Berlioz, singer Adolf Nurri, poets Heinrich Heine and Adam Mickiewicz, artist Eugene Delacroix, journalist Agathon Giller and many other. Chopin also met professional opposition to his creative credo: for example, one of his main lifetime competitors, Sigismund Thalberg, according to legend, went out into the street after a Chopin concert, shouted loudly and answered his companion’s bewilderment: there was only one piano all evening, so now you need to at least a little forte. (According to contemporaries, Chopin could not play forte at all; the upper limit of his dynamic range was approximately mezzo-forte.)

Artworks

For piano and ensemble or orchestra

• Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello Op. 8 g minor (1829)
• Variations on a Theme from the Opera "Don Giovanni" Op. 2 B-dur (1827)
• Rondo a la Krakowiak Op. 14 (1828)
• "Great Fantasy on Polish Themes" Op. 13 (1829-1830)
• Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Op. 11 e-moll (1830)
• Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Op. 21 f minor (1829)
• "Andante spianato" and the following "Great Brilliant Polonaise" Op. 22 (1830-1834)
• Cello Sonata Op. 65 g-moll (1845-1846)
• Polonaise for cello Op. 3

Mazurkas (58)

• Op.6 - 4 Mazurkas: fis-moll, cis-moll, E-dur, es-moll (1830)
• Op.7 - 5 Mazurkas: B-dur, A-moll, F-moll, As-dur, C-dur (1830-1831)
• Op.17 - 4 mazurkas: B-dur, e-moll, As-dur, a-moll (1832-1833)
• Op.24 - 4 mazurkas: g-moll, C-dur, A-dur, b-moll
• Op.30 - 4 mazurkas: c-moll, h-moll, Des-dur, cis-moll (1836-1837)
• Op.33 - 4 mazurkas: gis-moll, D-dur, C-dur, h-moll (1837-1838)
• Op.41 - 4 Mazurkas: cis-moll, e-moll, H-dur, As-dur
• Op.50 - 3 mazurkas: G-dur, As-dur, cis-moll (1841-1842)
• Op.56 - 3 Mazurkas: H-dur, C-dur, c-moll (1843)
• Op.59 - 3 Mazurkas: a-moll, As-dur, fis-moll (1845)
• Op.63 - 3 Mazurkas: H major, f minor, cis minor (1846)
• Op.67 - 4 Mazurkas: G-dur, g-moll, C-dur, No. 4 a-moll 1846 (1848?)
• Op.68 - 4 Mazurkas: C-dur, a-moll, F-dur, No. 4 f-moll (1849)

Polonaise (16)

• Op. 22 Large brilliant polonaise Es-dur (1830-1832)
• Op. 26 No. 1 cis-moll; No. 2 es-moll (1833-1835)
• Op. 40 No. 1 A-dur (1838); No. 2 in c-moll (1836-1839)
• Op. 44 fis-moll (1840-1841)
• Op. 53 As-dur (Heroic) (1842)
• Op. 61 As-dur, Polonaise Fantasy (1845-1846)
• woo. No. 1 in d-moll (1827); No. 2 B-dur (1828); No. 3 f-moll (1829)

Nocturnes (total 21)

• Op. 9 b-moll, Es-dur, H-dur (1829-1830)
• Op. 15 F major, Fis major (1830-1831), g minor (1833)
• Op. 27 cis-moll, Des-dur (1834-1835)
• Op. 32 H-dur, As-dur (1836-1837)
• Op. 37 g minor, G major (1839)
• Op. 48 c minor, fis minor (1841)
• Op. 55 f-moll, Es-dur (1843)
• Op. 62 No. 1 H-dur, No. 2 E-dur (1846)
• Op. 72 e-moll (1827)
• Op. posth. cis minor (1830), c minor

Waltzes (19)

• Op. 18 "Great Brilliant Waltz" Es-dur (1831)
• Op. 34 No. 1 "Brilliant Waltz" As-dur (1835)
• Op. 34 No. 2 a-moll (1831)
• Op. 34 No. 3 "Brilliant Waltz" F-dur
• Op. 42 "Great Waltz" As-dur
• Op. 64 No. 1 Des-dur (1847)
• Op. 64 No. 2 cis-moll (1846-1847)
• Op. 64 No. 3 As major
• Op. 69 No. 1 As-dur
• Op. 69 No. 10 H-moll
• Op. 70 No. 1 Ges-dur
• Op. 70 No. 2 f-moll
• Op. 70 No. 2 Des-dur
• Op. posth. e-moll, E-dur, a-moll

Piano sonatas (total 3)

Musical cover of Frederic Chopin's Funeral (Funeral) March, released for the first time as individual work under this name. Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig, 1854 (Breitkopf & Härtel print board no. 8728)

• Op. 4 No. 1 in c-moll (1828)
• Op. 35 No. 2 in b-moll (1837-1839), including the Funeral (Funeral) March (3rd movement: Marche Funèbre)
• Or. 58 No. 3 in b-moll (1844)

Preludes (total 25)

• 24 Preludes Op. 28 (1836-1839)
• Prelude cis-moll op","45 (1841)

Impromptu (total 4)

• Op. 29 As-dur (circa 1837)
• Op, 36 Fis-dur (1839)
• Op. 51 Ges-dur (1842)
• Op. 66 Impromptu Fantasy cis-moll (1834)

Etudes (total 27)

• Op. 10 C-dur, a-moll, E-dur, cis-moll, Ges-dur, es-moll, C-dur, F-dur, f-moll, As-dur, Es-dur, c-moll (1828 -1832)
• Op. 25 As-dur, f-moll, F-dur, a-moll, e-moll, gis-moll, cis-moll, Des-dur, Ges-dur, h-moll, a-moll, c-moll (1831 -1836)
• WoO f-moll, Des-dur, As-dur (1839)

Scherzo (total 4)

• Op. 20h minor (1831-1832)
• Op. 31 b minor (1837)
• Op. 39 cis minor (1838-1839)
• Op. 54 E major (1841-1842)

Ballads (total 4)

• Or. 23 g-moll (1831-1835)
• Op. 38 F-dur (1836-1839)
• Op. 47 As major (1840-1841)
• Op. 52 f-moll (1842-1843)

Other

• Fantasy Op. 49 f-moll (1840-1841)
• Barcarolle Op. 60 Fis-dur (1845-1846)
• Lullaby Op. 57 Des-dur (1843)
• Concert Allegro Op. 46 A major (1840-1841)
• Tarantella Op. 43 As major (1843)
• Bolero Op. 19 C-dur (1833)
• Sonata for Cello and Piano Op. 65 g-moll
• Songs Op. 74 (total 19) (1829-1847)
• Rondo (total 4)

Arrangements and arrangements of Chopin's music

• A. Glazunov. Chopiniana, suite (one-act ballet) from the works of F. Chopin, Op. 46. ​​(1907).
• Jean France. Orchestration of 24 Preludes by F. Chopin (1969).
• S. Rachmaninov. Variations on a Theme by F. Chopin, Op. 22 (1902-1903).
• M. A. Balakirev. Impromptu on the themes of Chopin's two preludes (1907).
• M. A. Balakirev. Re-orchestration of F. Chopin's Piano Concerto in e-moll (1910).
• M. A. Balakirev. Suite for orchestra from the works of F. Chopin (1908).

Memory

• Chopin is one of the main composers in the repertoire of many pianists. Recordings of his works appear in the catalogs of major record companies. Since 1927, Warsaw has been hosting international competition pianists named after Chopin. Among its winners were outstanding pianists Lev Oborin, Yakov Zak, Bella Davidovich, Galina Czerny-Stefanska, Maurizio Pollini, Marta Argerich.
• In 1934, the Chopin University was founded in Warsaw, which was later transformed into the Society. Chopin. The Society has repeatedly published Chopin's works and articles about his work.
• In 1949-1962. The Polish musicologist Ludwik Bronarski published the complete works of Chopin - “Fr. Chopin, Dzieła wszystkie, PWM, Kraków.
• A crater on Mercury is named after Chopin.
• In 1960, a USSR postage stamp dedicated to Chopin was issued.
• In 1998, the Moscow State College (then - a school) of musical performance, and in 2011 the Irkutsk College of Music began to bear the name of F. Chopin.
• In 2001, Okęcie Airport (Warsaw) was named after Frederic Chopin.
• By the Decree of the Seimas of the Polish Republic, 2010 was declared the Year of Chopin.
• On March 1, 2010, the Frederic Chopin Museum was opened in Warsaw after reconstruction and modernization. This event is dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of the famous Polish composer and musician.
• In 2010, a memorial plaque was installed in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and a street was named after Frederic Chopin.
• December 2, 2010 in Alma-Ata at the Kazakh National Conservatory. Kurmangazy, the Embassy of Poland in honor of the Year of Chopin opened a concert hall named after Frederic Chopin, and Kazpost issued a commemorative postage stamp dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Frederic Chopin.
• In 2010, also in honor of the composer's 200th birthday, Russian pianist Rem Urasin performed all of Chopin's works in a cycle of 11 concertos.
• Monuments in honor of Chopin have been erected in many cities of Poland and the world (including Warsaw, Poznan, Zhelyazova Wola, Krakow, Paris, Shanghai, Tirana, Singapore, etc.)

Frederic Chopin was a brilliant Polish composer and one of the great pianists of the first half of the 19th century.
His father, a Frenchman by birth, was a tutor in the house of Counts Skarbekov, and then a teacher at the Warsaw Lyceum; mother is a Polish woman from impoverished nobles. Chopin studied at the lyceum where his father taught, and at the same time attended the Warsaw Main Music School. From the very early years he impressed with his exceptional musical talent and, as a nine-year-old boy, he already performed publicly in concerts.
His first piano teacher was the Czech Adalbert Zhivny, later replaced by the famous Warsaw composer, director of the Main Music School - I. Elsner, author of a number of operas in the Italian style that were popular at that time. Chopin's composing abilities also showed up early, and when he left Warsaw in 1830, already a completed and famous pianist, there were many works in his portfolio, including several published ones. After a short stay in Vienna and Munich, where he great success acted as a pianist, Chopin went to Paris, the center of the musical life of that time. He soon rose to prominence among the Parisian musicians and entered into friendly relations with the most famous contemporaries: Liszt, Berlioz, Bellini, Meyerbeer, Balzac, H. Heine, Delacroix and others. Of exceptional importance for him was his acquaintance with George Sand, with whom he was connected by a deep feeling, which was interrupted, in many respects, due to political differences.
Having established himself as a first-class pianist and composer, Chopin became one of the most fashionable piano teachers in aristocratic Polish and French houses. As a virtuoso, he performed very rarely, and then mainly in the salons - in small rooms in front of a small, "chosen" audience. One of the reasons for this restraint in the field concert activity was the weakness of his health, which led to a severe lung disease. The last years of life were, in fact, painful withering. Chopin died and was buried in Paris.
With the exception of very few works, Chopin wrote only for the piano.
Friends insisted that Chopin move from purely piano work to composing major symphonic works and, above all, create a genuine folk opera. But he still limited himself exclusively to the sphere of the pianoforte. And it wasn't by chance. Large forms of symphonic or operatic creativity, designed for a wide audience, remained alien to him, therefore, an overwhelming task. However, without leaving the aristocratic salon, he turned the piano into an orchestra. With ingenious ingenuity, he opened up the widest range of colorful possibilities of piano sounds, achieving hitherto unsurpassed mastery of modern pianism. Chopin managed to extract from this instrument both powerful sounds, which in their impression are not inferior to orchestral ones, and the most delicate shades, reflecting the subtlest psychological movements. On the other hand, the songs built on Polish folk intonations make Chopin's works understandable to the mass audience.
The prevailing opinion that Chopin's work as a whole is sentimental is one-sided. Chopin did not pass by the influences of that sensitive trend that is characteristic of all art in the first quarter of the 19th century. Elements of this direction can be found in all the works of Chopin. Basically, however, they are characteristic of the first period of his work, when he had not yet freed himself from the influences of Field, Hummel and Italian opera composers (Rossini and others). AT the best works In the middle and late period of his work, in ballads, polonaises, scherzos and preludes, sentimentalism sometimes replaces the genuine tragedy rooted in Polish romantic heroics.
Chopin's influence on musical creativity huge. This influence manifested itself in the development of the harmonic style of European music and the musical form in general. It is noticeable in the harmonies of Wagner's Tristan, in Liszt's major piano and orchestral works. It is difficult to find a composer in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries who was not, to some extent, influenced by Chopin. In the history of Russian music, it most clearly affected the work of Scriabin and his followers.