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Fryderyk Franciszek
Chopin
Nocturne Opus 9 Number 2 in Eb Major
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Fryderyk Chopin was born fifty kilometers west of Warsaw, at Żelazowa Wola in Sochaczew County, in what was then part of the Duchy of Warsaw.
His father, Mikołaj (in French, Nicolas) Chopin, originally a Frenchman from Lorraine, had emigrated to Poland in 1787 at age sixteen and had served
in Poland's National Guard during the Kościuszko Uprising. He subsequently tutored children of the aristocracy, including the Skarbeks,
one of whose poorer relations, Justyna Krzyżanowska, he married.Justyna's brother would become the father of American Union
General Włodzimierz Krzyżanowski.Justyna and Mikołaj were married in the 16th-century Basilica in Brochów.
There, too, their second child and only son, born 1 March 1810, would be baptized "Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin".
In 1892 a parish church document was found that cites his birthdate as 22 February 1810, but he usually gave 1 March as the date.
Here Chopin lived the first few months of his life; his family moved to Warsaw where his father worked as a college professor.
In Warsaw Fryderyk Chopin was considered
a "second Mozart." By the age of 7 he had
composed two polonaises.
The child prodigy was featured in the Warsaw
newspapers.
The "little Chopin" became the attraction at receptions
given in the aristocratic salons of Warsaw.
Chopin gave his first piano recital at the age of 8.
Maria Wodzińska was Chopin’s student; she painted this portrait
and gave it to him. They became engaged, but her family convinced her to break the engament,
due to Chopin’s poor health. Chopin was devasted and always kept
her letters with a handwritten note of his saying “My Sorrow.”
Chopin preferred more intimate settings for a recital, like the home of Count and Countess Radziwil, as he didn’t like large concert halls.
While visiting Vienna, he heard about an uprising in Warsaw and decided not to return to Poland. He stayed in Vienna
for a few more months before visiting Munich and Stuttgart, Germany, where he learned
of Poland's occupation by the Russian army.
1830
Chopin moved to Paris in 1830;
he was 20 years old and had already composed many works
for the piano, including his two concertos and some of his Études Opus 10.
Paris - Church of Notredame Guardian of the Night
In Paris, Chopin formed personal friendships with the artists Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz, Felix Mendelssohn, and Vincenzo Bellini.
Robert Schumann wrote: "Hats off, gentlemen! A genius!"
Notredame Cathedral
Chopin formed a strong friendship with Camille Pleyel,
owner of the Pleyel piano
manufacture. From that time on, Chopin’s pianos where
manufactured by Pleyel. Often Chopin would
go to the piano factory, to explain how he wanted his
new piano.
In 1838, his friend Eugène Delacroix painted this portrait. Chopin was
already very ill with tuberculosis.
He had to give private classes and perform in
public, to support himself, having little time for what
he really wanted to do, ... compose for the piano.
In 1836, at a party hosted by Countess Marie d'Agoult,
fiancée of composer and close friend Franz Liszt, Chopin met
Amandine - Aurore Dupin, Baroness Dudevant, better known by her pseudonym George Sand,
a writer.
Franz Liszt
Baroness Dudevant fell in love with him and wanted to take care of Chopin, so that his health would improve,
so that he would dedicate more time to composing . Finally, he said “Yes.”
They spent long summers in her country state “Nohant.” Very often, she invited several of his friends to spend weekends
with them. Frequent visitors were Franz Liszt
and Eugène Delacroix.
In 1845 problems emerged in Chopin's relationship with Aurore at the same
time of a further deterioration in his health.
These problems finally brought an end
to their relationship in 1847.
Aurore by Eugène Delacroix
In 1847 Chopin gave concerts in England and Scotland
with Jane Stirling, although he was severely ill.
He returned to Paris in 1848, but was unable
to teach or perform.
His sister Ludwika came from Poland to take care him.
Chopin requested that Mozart's Requiem be sung at his funeral, at the Church of the Madeleine and attended by nearly 3,000 people;
this church didn’t allow female singers in its choir,and the funeral was delayed for almost 2 weeks,
until the church finally granted Chopin's final wish. The female singers remained behind a black velvet curtain.
Chopin is buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery
in Paris; at his own request, his heart was
removed and sent, in an urn, to Warsaw, where it is sealed
in a pillar in the Church of the Holy Cross. His grave attracts many visitors
and is always decorated with flowers, even during winter.
This is the pillar in the Church of the Holy Cross in Warsaw where the urn with
Chopin’s heart is sealed.
The exact spot is the small niche
at the bottom, where the little flower bouquet
is placed.
The Church of the Holy Cross in 1945, after Warsaw was bombed by the Nazis.
The pillar where Chopin’s heart rests remained intact.
The Church of the Holy Cross after reconstruction.