Frédéric Chopin
Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the early Romantic period
Frédéric François Chopin, born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin on 1 March 1810, was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist from the early Romantic period. He focused almost entirely on solo piano music. His reputation as a leading composer of his time rests on what has been called a poetic genius rooted in a professional technique unmatched among his peers.
Chopin came into the world in Żelazowa Wola and was raised in Warsaw, a city that after 1815 fell within Congress Poland. Showing prodigious talent as a child, he finished his musical training and produced his early compositions in Warsaw. At age twenty, he left Poland—just under a month before the November 1830 Uprising broke out—and settled in Paris at twenty-one. From then on, he performed in public only thirty times, favoring the more private setting of the salon. He earned his living by selling his works and teaching piano, for which he was much sought after. He became friends with Franz Liszt and earned the admiration of contemporaries like Robert Schumann. Following a broken engagement to Maria Wodzińska between 1836 and 1837, he entered into a frequently difficult relationship with the French writer George Sand. A short, unhappy trip with Sand to Mallorca in 1838–39 turned out to be one of his most creatively fertile periods. In his last years, admirer Jane Stirling provided financial support. Chronically ill for much of his life, Chopin died in Paris in 1849 at age thirty-nine.
Every piece Chopin wrote involves the piano. The vast majority are for solo piano, though before leaving Warsaw he also composed two piano concertos, some chamber works, and nineteen songs set to Polish texts. His piano pieces are technically demanding and pushed the instrument’s boundaries; his own playing was noted for its nuance and sensitivity. His major piano output includes mazurkas, waltzes, nocturnes, polonaises, the instrumental ballade (a genre he invented), études, impromptus, scherzi, preludes, and sonatas, some of which were published only after his death. His compositional style was shaped by Polish folk music, the classical traditions of Mozart and Schubert, and the atmosphere of the Paris salons he frequented. His innovations in style, harmony, and musical form, along with his linking of music to nationalism, left a lasting mark on the late Romantic period and beyond.
Chopin’s music, his status as one of the first major musical celebrities, his indirect ties to political rebellion, his famous love life, and his early death have made him a defining symbol of the Romantic era. His works remain popular, and he has inspired numerous films and biographies of varying accuracy. Among the many tributes to him is the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, established by the Polish parliament to study and promote his life and work, which also runs the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition—a contest devoted entirely to his compositions.
- born
- 1 March 1810 (generally accepted; baptismal record gives 22 February 1810)
- died
- 17 October 1849
- field
- Composer, pianist
- nationality
- Polish
- known_for
- Solo piano works, including mazurkas, waltzes, nocturnes, polonaises, ballades, études, preludes, and sonatas
Lore & Background
Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola and grew up in Warsaw, which in 1815 became part of Congress Poland. A child prodigy, he completed his musical education and composed his early works in Warsaw before leaving Poland at age 20, less than a month before the outbreak of the November 1830 Uprising; at 21, he settled in Paris. Thereafter he gave only 30 public performances, preferring the more intimate atmosphere of the salon. He supported himself by selling his compositions and giving piano lessons, for which he was in high demand. Chopin formed a friendship with Franz Liszt and was admired by many musical contemporaries, including Robert Schumann. After a failed engagement to Maria Wodzińska from 1836 to 1837, he maintained an often troubled relationship with the French writer George Sand. A brief and unhappy visit to Mallorca with Sand in 1838–39 proved one of his most productive periods of composition. In his final years he was supported financially by his admirer Jane Stirling. In poor health most of his life, Chopin died in Paris in 1849 at age 39.
Reader's Guide
All of Chopin's compositions feature the piano. Most are for solo piano, though he also wrote two piano concertos before leaving Warsaw, some chamber music, and 19 songs set to Polish lyrics. His piano pieces are technically demanding and expanded the limits of the instrument; his own performances were noted for their nuance and sensitivity. Chopin's major piano works include mazurkas, waltzes, nocturnes, polonaises, the instrumental ballade (which Chopin created as an instrumental genre), études, impromptus, scherzi, preludes, and sonatas, some published only posthumously. Among the influences on his style of composition were Polish folk music, the classical tradition of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Schubert, and the atmosphere of the Paris salons, of which he was a frequent guest. His innovations in style, harmony, and musical form, and his association of music with nationalism, were influential throughout and after the late Romantic period.
Did You Know?
- Chopin's earliest surviving musical manuscript is a polonaise in A♭ major from 1821, dedicated to his teacher Wojciech Żywny.
- Chopin's father, Nicolas Chopin, was a Frenchman from Lorraine who emigrated to Poland in 1787 at age sixteen.
- Chopin's final Conservatory report (July 1829) read: 'Chopin F., third-year student, exceptional talent, musical genius.'
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Give me a kiss, dearest lover. I'm certain that you still love me, and I fear you always, like some tyrant over me. I don't know why, but I fear you. Upon my word, only you have power over me, you and... no one else." — Frédéric Chopin "Letter of application to the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire." — Frédéric Chopin "My piano has not yet arrived. How did you send it?
By Marseilles or by Perpignan? I dream music but I cannot make any because here there are not any pianos . . . in this respect this is a savage country." — Frédéric Chopin "I'm a revolutionary, money means nothing to me." — Frédéric Chopin
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