Frédéric Chopin was a pianist and composer from Poland. His talents were unparalleled, and his influence on other artists, even to this day, is exceptional. While most people are familiar with his music, not a lot know about the man himself. Let's take a look into the personal life of Chopin.
Traveling Across Europe
Chopin’s father was a French national who worked as an accountant before marrying his Polish mother and relocating to Warsaw. Chopin, who began studying piano at age 8 and harmony and counterpoint at age 10, soon outpaced his tutors. He performed two new, beautifully lyrical piano concertos in Warsaw in 1830. In November of the same year, he left Poland for Vienna, and after eight months, for Paris.
Self Portrait
In 1830, Paris was the uncontested cultural capital of Europe. A hotbed of new ideas in the arts and letters, and the musical hub of Romanticism. Chopin established himself as a celebrity in the capital with a stunning debut at the Salle Pleyel on February 26, 1832, in the presence of Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, and Luigi Cherubini. He made a good life as a teacher and socialized with the best painters of the day.
Late 1830’s
Chopin’s creativity reached a new peak in the late 1830s after he met the novelist Aurore Dudevant. The emotional happiness he found early in their nine-year relationship inspired some of his finest works. They shared a chamber at an abandoned Carthusian monastery in Majorca during the winter of 1838-39. In the first movement of the sonata, Chopin combined turbulence with passionate desire in a cohesive statement.
Leaving Paris
Chopin was unwell and left Paris in April 1848 for a lengthy stay in England and Scotland, returning in November. He was the first composer to write exclusively for the piano, either solo or in conjunction with other instruments. His solo works are mostly brief and improvised. Sonatas in B-flat and B minor are among his best works, blending intense drama and lyrical softness. He died on October 17, 1849, at age 39. His body was buried at Père Lachaise cemetery, but his heart was interred at a church in Warsaw, near the place of his birth.