On October 15, 1849, an unusual musical evening. The famous Polish beauty Delfina Potocka performed an aria from Bellini's opera and several others to her own accompaniment. musical works. There were few listeners - brother and sister, and some of the servants. This was the last meeting between the dying Frederic Chopin and the one to whom the Great Musician dedicated his First Piano Concerto. On the night of October 17, 1849 - 160 years ago - Frederic Chopin passed away, he died of a lung disease at the age of thirty.

Death of Frederic Chopin. Mid 19th century engraving

Frederic Chopin - glorious son Poland, the founder of the Polish romantic musical classics. A man who madly loved his homeland and, by the will of circumstances, was deprived of the opportunity to live in home. Much can be written about Chopin, but it is better to listen to his extraordinary waltzes, nocturnes, mazurkas, concertos... The music of the soul, the music of love, the music of melancholy.

Frederic Chopin lived a tragic life - the first 20 years he lived in Poland, and in 1831 he was forced to leave Poland forever. The very first performance of the little pianist took place in Warsaw at the age of seven, and all of Warsaw soon recognized his name. At the same time, one of his first compositions, a polonaise for piano in G-minor, was published. And by the age of twelve, Chopin was not inferior in performing skills to the best Polish pianists.

Frederic Chopin. Late 19th century engraving

But as always in people's lives, everything is distorted and changed by politics: Poland is rebelling against the Russian autocracy, Chopin at this time is in Europe with a concert tour. He wants to return and help his friends, but relatives and friends strongly advise him in letters not to come. People close to Chopin are afraid that persecution may affect him too. Let him better remain free and serve his homeland with his art. The composer resigned himself and went to Paris. On the way, Chopin was overtaken by shocking news: the uprising was brutally suppressed, its leaders were thrown into prison, exiled to Siberia. Isn't it true that all this looks like what once happened to A.S. Pushkin? Fates and circumstances are so similar...

In the autumn of 1831, Chopin arrived in Paris and lived there for the rest of his life. He wrote music, loved, hoped, suffered, dreamed of returning home to Poland dear to his heart. But the last years of the composer's life were sad - friends and relatives were dying, there was a break with his beloved woman and he was almost alone. Exacerbated lung disease, which Chopin suffered from a young age. The last two years the composer wrote almost nothing. “But I am no longer able to worry or rejoice - I have completely ceased to feel anything - I just vegetate and wait for this to end as soon as possible,” he wrote to one of his friends.

He gave the last concert of his life in London in favor of Polish emigrants. Chopin died of tuberculosis in the arms of his sister. Mozart's requiem was performed at the funeral. Chopin was buried, according to his will, at the famous Parisian cemetery Père Lachaise next to the grave of his beloved composer Vincenze Bellini. A handful of native Polish land was poured onto the coffin... Chopin's heart, as he bequeathed, was transported by his sister to Warsaw and immured in one of the columns of the Church of the Holy Cross.

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) - Polish pianist and composer. He was born in 1810, March 1 (according to other sources, February 22), in the village of Zhelyazova Volya, located near Warsaw. Chopin's biography will be discussed in this article.

Family

The composer's father is Nicolas Chopin (1771-1844).

He married in 1806 Yustyna Kzhizhanovskaya (1782-1861). According to the surviving testimonies, the composer's mother received a good education. She was very musical, played the piano, sang well, spoke French. It is to his mother that Frederic owes the love for folk melodies instilled from a young age, which was then reflected in his work, as well as his first musical impressions. Some time after the birth of the boy, in the autumn of 1810, the father moved to Warsaw.

First achievements in music

Frederic Chopin, whose biography is already in early years marked by achievements in music, as a child he showed musical abilities. The famous Catalani foresaw in him, then still a ten-year-old boy, a great future. Frederic Chopin began playing the piano at the age of seven, as well as composing music. From the age of nine, the boy began to study with Wojciech Zhivni, a Czech, a serious teacher. Chopin's performing talent developed so rapidly that by the age of twelve the boy was not inferior to the best pianists in Poland.

The first public performance of this musician took place in Warsaw in 1818. By this time he was already the author of several pieces for pianoforte - marches and polonaises. Chopin, whose biography and work are covered in our article, in 1823 entered one of the Warsaw schools. Here he continued his studies in music.

Biography of Chopin and Interesting Facts about him are supplemented by the following event. In 1825, the composer was invited to perform in front of Alexander the First, the Russian Emperor. He received an award after the concert - a diamond ring.

Continuing education

Zivny was Chopin's only piano teacher. Seven years after studying with him, in the early 1820s, Frederick began studying with J. Elsner. By this time, his talent had developed greatly. Chopin's biography was replenished with new facts in 1826, when in July he graduated from the Warsaw School, and in the autumn he entered the Warsaw Higher School of Music in order to continue his education. Here Frederick studied for about three more years.

His patrons, Princes Chetverinsky and Anton Radzwill, introduced him to high society. Chopin made a pleasant impression with his appearance and address. This was noted by many of his contemporaries. Liszt, for example, said that the impression Frederick made was "calm, harmonious."

Works created while studying with Elsner

Under the guidance of an excellent teacher and musician Elsner, who immediately noticed Chopin's genius talent, Frederic made great strides. Elsner's photo is shown below.

During his studies, Chopin wrote many works for the piano, from which one can single out the rondo, the first sonata, variations on a theme by Mozart, the nocturne in E minor, Krakowiak and others. Even then, the folk music of Poland, as well as the poetry and literature of this country (Vitvitsky, Slovak, Mickiewicz, and others) had the strongest influence on this composer. In 1829, after completing his studies, Frederick went to Vienna, where he performed his works. Chopin's biography was marked by the first independent concert, held in 1830 in Warsaw. A number of others followed him.

Chopin leaves home

Chopin in 1830, October 11, played in Warsaw for the last time, after which he left his homeland forever. He lived in Vienna from the end of 1830 to 1831 (the first half). Theater visits, musical acquaintances, concerts, trips to the outskirts of the city had a favorable effect on the development of the talent of such a musician as Chopin. The biography and work of this composer in those years were marked by the following events.

Chopin left Vienna in the summer of 1830. He spent the beginning of September in Stuttgart, where he learned of the fall of Warsaw and the failure of the Polish uprising. Then, after passing Munich, Vienna, Dresden, he arrived in Paris in 1831. Chopin's biography and his work can be studied in more detail if we turn to the diary that the writer kept on the way ("Stuttgart Diary"). It describes the composer's state of mind during his stay in Stuttgart, where Frederick was overcome by despair due to the defeat of the Polish uprising. This event was reflected in his work, which we will now tell you about.

New works of the composer

Frederic Chopin, whose biography we are interested in, was impressed by this news and wrote an etude in C minor, which is often called revolutionary, as well as two preludes, deeply tragic: D minor and A minor. Among the new compositions of this composer at that time were also the polonaise in E-flat major, concertos for piano and orchestra, nocturnes, Polish songs based on works by Mickiewicz and Witwicki, etc. Frederick subordinates the technical elements of the works to completely musical and poetic images.

Chopin in Paris

So, as we have already said, the biography of Chopin in 1831, in the fall, was marked by the move of this composer to Paris. Since then, his life has been connected with this city. Here the composer became close friends with Bellini, Berlioz, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Giller, and also met such artists and writers as Georges de Sand, Lamartine, Hugo, Delacroix, Heine, Musset, Balzac. In 1832, on February 26, Chopin gave his first concert in Paris, in which he performed variations on the theme of Mozart's Don Giovanni, as well as a piano concerto. Liszt, who was present at the speech, noted that Chopin's talent, together with his innovations, opened a new phase in the development of art. Even then it was clear that Frederic Chopin would achieve great success as a composer. The biography, summarized in the article, allows you to verify this.

Life in Paris in the 1830s

Frederick in the period from 1833 to 1835 often performs works together with Giller, Liszt, the Hertz brothers. He rarely performed in concerts, but in the salons of the French aristocracy and the Polish colony, the fame of this composer grew very quickly. He also had opponents (Field, Kalkbrenner), but this did not prevent Frederick from gaining many fans in society, including among artists. The years 1836-1837 were decisive in the personal life of this composer. Then the engagement with Maria Vodzinskaya was broken off, and Chopin became close to George Sand. In 1837, Frederick felt the first bout of lung disease. Such was Chopin's biography at that time ( summary).

The heyday of creativity

The highest flowering of Frederick's work falls on the period from 1838 to 1846. It was at this time that Chopin wrote the most significant and perfect works, including the second and third sonatas, polonaises in F sharp minor and A flat major, ballads, barcarolle, polonaise fantasy, nocturnes, scherzos, preludes, mazurkas, etc. He also continued to perform in concerts with Frank, Pauline Viardot, Ernst, but much less often than before. Usually Frederick spent the winter in Paris, in Nohant, and the summer - in the estate of George Sand. He met only one winter (1839-1840) due to poor health in the south, on the island of Mallorca in Spain. It was here that his 24 preludes were completed.

The death of his father and the break with George Sand are two tragic events that Chopin experienced

The biography, briefly described, is supplemented by the following two important events in the life of the composer. First, Chopin's father died in 1844, in May. It was extremely hard for the composer to survive his death. His health began to inspire fear. The second event that occurred in 1847 was the break with George Sand. It finally undermined the strength of the composer. The portrait of this woman by the artist Delacroix, written in 1838, is presented below.

Wanting to leave the city of Paris, in order to get rid of everything that resembled the experience here, Frederick goes in 1848, in April, to London.

The last two years of Chopin's life

The last two years of Frederic Chopin's life pass in excruciating suffering. He practically does not compose music and does not perform at concerts. In 1848, on November 16, his last performance took place in London at the Polish evening. Climate, nervous life, unexpected success- all this undermined the painful nature of the composer, and, returning to Paris, the great musician fell ill. Frederic stops studying with his students. In his state of health in the winter of 1849, a significant deterioration occurs. Neither the arrival in Paris of Ludovika, his beloved sister, nor the cares of his friends bring relief, and he dies after severe agony.

Chopin's death

The death of Frederic Chopin was a blow to the world of music, and the funeral brought together his numerous admirers. In Paris, at the Pere Lachaise cemetery, Chopin was buried. Ashes rest between Bellini and Cherubini. Frederick placed Mozart above other composers. The adoration of the symphony "Jupiter" and the requiem reached him to a cult. At his funeral in accordance with the wishes of the deceased famous artists Mozart's Requiem was performed. According to his will, the composer's heart was later transported to his homeland, to Warsaw, to the Church of the Holy Cross.

Dance genres in the work of Chopin

Chopin's creativity was inspired by boundless devotion to his people, his homeland, the struggle for national liberation. He used wealth folk music Poland. A significant place in the legacy of Chopin is occupied by various dance genres. It should be noted that danceability is one of the essential qualities inherent in musical folk culture Poland. Waltzes, polonaises, mazurkas (represented in which were the features of three folk dances - oberek, kujawiak and mazur) reveal the links that exist between the work of Frederic and the folk music of Poland in all its diversity. Frederic Chopin, whose biography we have described, showed innovation in their transformation and interpretation. For example, his polonaises noticeably expand and democratize this genre, once solemnly ceremonial. Mazurkas poeticize and deepen folk dance. Waltzes are characterized by the features of the folk-dance melody of the Slavs.

Non-dance genres

Chopin also reinterprets various non-dance genres. His sketches are highly artistic creations, where ideological and emotional content is combined with the original means of their implementation. Chopin's scherzos are also rather idiosyncratic compositions. They differ from the scherzos used in the classical symphony, as well as from the sonata. Ballads are dramatic narrative narratives inspired by poetic images, full of romantic freedom, contrasts, and life diversity.

Chopin's musical language

Chopin's genre innovation is organically combined with the novelty of his musical language. Frederick was created new type melody - flexible, extremely expressive, unfolding continuously, combining various instrumental and vocal, dance and song features. Also, Frederic Chopin, whose biography is described above, revealed new possibilities for harmony. He fused together various elements of Polish folk music with romantic harmony. Chopin strengthened the role of colorful and dynamic elements. Very interesting are his discoveries in the field of polyphony (all voices are saturated with melodic expressiveness) and musical form(using the technique of variational development, characteristic of the folk music of Poland). The innovation of this composer fully affected his performing arts. He made, like Liszt, a real revolution in the technique of playing the piano.

The influence of Chopin's work on other composers

Chopin's work as a whole is characterized by clarity of thought and harmony. Far from his music as isolation, academically cold, and from romantic exaggeration. It is alien to insincerity, at its core folk, spontaneous, freedom-loving.

Chopin's biography and his works inspired many musicians. Frederick's work had a great influence on many generations of composers and performers. The influence of the melodic and harmonic language of Frederic Chopin can be traced in the works of Wagner, Liszt, Debussy, Fauré, Albeniz, Grieg, Scriabin, Tchaikovsky, Shimanovsky, Rachmaninov.

The meaning of creativity

Chopin's biography and music call him today great interest, and this is no coincidence. This great composer reinterpreted many genres. He revived the prelude on a romantic basis, also created a piano ballad, dramatized and poeticized dances: waltz, polonaise, mazurka, turned the scherzo into an independent work. Chopin enriched piano texture and harmony, combined classical form with fantasy and melodic richness.

He composed about fifty mazurkas, the prototype of which is a waltz-like Polish folk dance with a triple rhythm. These are small plays. In them, harmonic and melodic turns sound in Slavonic.

Frederic Chopin gave only about thirty public concerts in his lifetime. He performed mostly at the homes of his friends. His performing style was very peculiar. According to his contemporaries, he was distinguished by rhythmic freedom - the extension of some sounds due to the fact that others were reduced.

Memory of Frederic Chopin

Every five years in Warsaw, since 1927, international competitions named after Chopin, in which the most famous pianists participate. In 1934, the Chopin Institute was also organized, called the Society. F. Chopin since 1950. Similar societies also exist in Austria, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. They also existed in France before World War II. In the town of Zhelyaznova-Volya, where the composer was born, the Chopin House-Museum was opened in 1932.

The International Federation of Societies named after this composer was founded in 1985. In Warsaw in 2010, on March 1, the Frederic Chopin Museum was opened after modernization and reconstruction. This event is timed to coincide with the bicentenary of his birth. 2010 was also declared the Year of Chopin in Poland. This composer, as you can see, is still known, remembered and loved not only at home, but all over the world.

Chopin's biography and all the dates of the events that happened to this great composer were described in our article as completely as possible. In music schools today, the work of this author is included in the compulsory program. However young musicians the biography of Chopin is briefly studied. For children, this is enough. But in adulthood, I want to get to know such an interesting composer better. Then the biography of Chopin, written briefly for children, no longer satisfies us. That is why we decided to create more detailed description life and work of this great man. Chopin's biography, a summary of which you can find in various reference books, was supplemented by us on the basis of various sources. We hope that the information provided was of interest to you. Now you know what events Chopin's biography consisted of and what works he wrote. All the best!

The life story of the great Polish composer Frederic Chopin touches to the core. This extraordinarily gifted, charming romantic with refined manners and sensitive heart for all the short years of his life allotted to him by heaven, he 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 the 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 a small 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 fit of 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, the little composer composed his first work, a short polonaise in G minor. The news about this even got into the issue of a Warsaw newspaper, where the music was appreciated as the professional work of 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, Frederic traveled a lot around Europe, attending concerts of famous musicians, which contributes to the definition of his personal musical style.
Such a rich 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 at the Higher School of 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 concerto. 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 Frederic, 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 strength. 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.

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 woman’s heart 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 a reception with 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 early works by Chopin have survived to this day. 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 the university in Warsaw, 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. Beloved composers K. Gladkovskaya and J. Sand chose 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 land from his native country was poured into the grave, which Chopin tremblingly kept 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 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 is music award Recording Academy "Frederick", 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. At the heart of this musical composition lies a piano theme that 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. Chopin's music is played in the game Russian pianist Stanislav Bunin.

Liszt and Chopin - friends or rivals?

Researchers of the life of two geniuses of the XIX century have 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 other famous performers in their ensemble - this was the case, 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 musicians 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 George Sand's worst enemy. 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, the virtuosos divorced herself life - with age, their views and characters began to change, which inevitably alienated them.

Other roles of the great composer

According to contemporaries, Chopin possessed not only outstanding musical abilities. So, many argue that he had an amazing acting talent, and if he devoted himself to the theater, he could write his name in its history. Frederick had the ability to amazingly accurately imitate gestures, gait, voice, and even intonations. different people. He regularly played in home performances, and felt very free on stage. It often happened that he rescued his comrades on the stage when they forgot the text - Frederic began to improvise, thereby saving the performance from failure. The famous Polish drama artist Piasetsky and the comedian Herve unanimously predicted a great future for the boy in a theatrical career.

In addition, Frederick had a great gift as a draftsman. In addition to ordinary pictures, Chopin drew the most interesting caricatures, which his friends from the lyceum remembered throughout his life. fine arts the musical genius took the hated math classes. most famous work composer is a caricature of the rector of the lyceum S. Linde.

It is also known that Chopin was very fond of dancing, and always willingly did it in the company of friends. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, he danced mazur, oberek and "Cossack" especially famously. But it often happened that the dancers did not like the guest pianist, and then Chopin himself took his place.

Films about Chopin and his work

Chopin's biography has inspired many filmmakers to create feature films and documentaries about him. In many of them the leading theme is the composer's relationship with George Sand. The most significant in cinema are:

• The biographical drama A Song to Remember directed by Charles Vidor in 1945. It talks about life famous composer and his affair with a scandalous writer. Chopin's patriotism is the dominant idea in the film. The film was nominated for an Oscar in six categories at once.
• Romantic drama The Youth of Chopin (1951), created on the basis of the story by G. Bachner and Jerzy Broszkiewicz. Director Alexander Ford focuses on five years of the composer's life - from 1825 to 1830. The authors of the picture depict the musician as an ardent revolutionary and bring his patriotic feelings to the fore.
• 36 hour Feature Film"Blue Note" (the second name is "Farewell Message") directed by Andrei Zhulavsky, released in 1991. It tells about the composer's personal life, his feelings for Sand and relationships with loved ones.
• Romantic musical comedy "Improvisation". This work theater director James Lapine was released in 1991. It highlights the events taking place in country house Duchess d'Antan during a gala reception. This evening, George Sand meets not only Chopin, but also many famous people of that time - Liszt, Delacroix, de Musset and others.

• The drama Chopin's Riddle, or the Strange Case of Delfina Potocka (1999), directed by Tony Palmer, tells the story of recent years the life of Frederick and his feelings for the Polish Countess Potocka.
• Feature film by Jerzy Antczak “Chopin. The Desire of Love (2002) tells the story of the composer's life beginning in 1830. The plot revolves around the complex relationship between the composer and Sand and her two children.
• AT documentary“In the footsteps of Chopin” (2008) the audience is given the opportunity to go on a journey through those historical places where the great maestro once visited. His music in the film is performed by famous contemporary pianists Janusz Oleiniczak and Yves Henri.

Despite the fact that the life and work of Chopin has been studied, as they say, inside and out, for many, his personality remains a mystery to this day. And the main paradox is this - this poetic composer was prominent representative romantic era, however, as a pianist, he did not fit into it at all. Unlike the performers of his time, he did not gravitate towards large concert halls, neither to theatrical pomposity, nor to crowds of fans. He was more attracted to a confidential, intimate atmosphere in which he could tell in his piano playing about the most intimate. Liszt spoke a lot about the phenomenon of this musician and his playing - he considered his art to be inexplicable and elusive, which only the elite could comprehend.

Video: watch a film about Chopin

Biography and episodes of life Frederic Chopin. When born and died Frederic Chopin, memorable places and dates important events his life. composer quotes, images and videos.

Frederic Chopin's years of life:

born February 22, 1810, died October 17, 1849

Epitaph

"Your melody is in my soul,
It has joy and sadness
Both life and dreams.
When the sunset falls on the fields
Dressed in light and shadow,
You are coming."
From Anna German's song "Letter to Chopin"

Biography

The biography of Frederic Chopin is the life story of the great Polish composer, who glorified the culture of his country to the whole world. Chopin can be called a genius without any exaggeration. And this genius began to manifest itself in the very childhood of the composer. He was always incredibly sensitive to music and was literally obsessed with it. When the boy was not yet eight years old, one of the Warsaw newspapers wrote about his first play, calling Chopin a "real genius of music" and a "wunderkind".

Classes in music school and the school of music came easily to Chopin. He soon became a virtuoso pianist. One day, Chopin's teacher, pianist Wojciech Zhivny, refused to study with the twelve-year-old Frederik, saying that he had nothing more to teach this child. At the age of twenty, Chopin was already touring Europe. During his tour, an uprising arose in Poland, and the composer, succumbing to the persuasion of friends and relatives, chose to remain in exile. Nevertheless, this separation from his family and homeland weighed heavily on him all his life. In Europe, love and glory awaited Frederic - Chopin was gladly received in all salons and aristocratic circles. He also had no shortage of students, especially since teaching music was another passion of the composer besides composing and performing it.

Chopin's fame attracted many people to him, including women in love with him, but he was not officially married. In a free marriage, he lived for several years with the writer George Sand. But the first serious object of Chopin's love was the Pole Maria Wodzinskaya, with whom he entered into a secret engagement. Alas, her wealthy parents did not want a son-in-law of a musician who earns his living by hard work, albeit world-famous. After Chopin's break with Vodzinskaya, George Sand literally "took" the modest and intelligent Pole into her hands. The years of the relationship between Chopin and George Sand were the years of the composer's heyday, but then Sand broke fragile heart beloved, who was already weakened by illness. Homesickness, the death of his father, a break with Sand and poor health (recent studies say that Chopin had cystic fibrosis) deprived the composer of the strength to fight.

The last year of his life, Chopin did not give concerts or lessons. Chopin's death occurred in Paris, the cause of Chopin's death was tuberculosis. Chopin's funeral took place at the Pere Lachaise cemetery, where thousands of his admirers came to say goodbye to the brilliant composer and pianist. Chopin's heart was removed from his body, placed in an urn and immured in one of the columns of a church in Warsaw. The memory of Chopin does not fade all over the world to this day. Festivals and competitions in his name are constantly held, the collections of his museums are replenished, and Chopin's music remains eternal, as a perfect and wonderful gift from one of the best composers in the history of mankind.

life line

February 22, 1810 Frederic Francois Chopin's date of birth.
1818 Chopin's first public performance in Warsaw.
1823 Admission to the Warsaw Lyceum.
1826 Graduated from the Warsaw Lyceum, entered the Warsaw higher school music.
1829 Graduation from music school, a trip to Vienna with performances.
1830 Chopin's first solo concert in Warsaw.
October 11, 1830 Chopin's last concert in Warsaw.
1830-1831 Life in Vienna.
1831 Moving to Paris.
February 26, 1832 Chopin's first concert in Paris.
1836-1837. Termination of the engagement with Maria Vodzinskaya, rapprochement with George Sand.
1838-1846 The highest flowering of Chopin's creativity.
winter 1838-1839 Life in the Valldemos Monastery in Spain.
May 1844 Death of Chopin's father.
1847 Break with George Sand.
November 16, 1848 Last performance Chopin, held in London.
October 17, 1849 Death of Frederic Chopin.
October 30, 1849 Funeral of Frederic Chopin.

Memorable places

1. The village of Zhelyazova-Volya, where Chopin was born.
2. Frederic Chopin's house in Zhelyazova Volya, where he was born and where the Chopin Museum operates today.
3. Museum of Frederic Chopin in the Little Salon of the Chopin family in Warsaw.
4. Manor Noan (estate of George Sand), where Chopin lived with his beloved.
5. Monument to Chopin in Kyiv.
6. Monument to Chopin and Sand in the Botanical Gardens of Singapore.
7. Chopin Park in Poznan, where a monument to Chopin is erected.
8. Museum of Chopin and George Sand in the Valldemos Monastery in Spain, where the couple lived in 1838-1839.
9. Père Lachaise Cemetery, where Chopin is buried.
10. Basilica of the Holy Cross, where Chopin's heart is immured in one of the columns according to his will.

Episodes of life

Everyone considered Chopin to be an incredibly kind and well-mannered person. Everyone loved him - from art colleagues to acquaintances and students, affectionately called an angel or mentor. A quote about Chopin from one of the letters of recommendation is "the best of people".

Chopin was not immediately fascinated by Sand. On the contrary, at the first meeting, she seemed completely unpleasant to him. But Sand decided to conquer brilliant composer despite the fact that she constantly had other lovers. When, finally, Chopin was enchanted, he completely fell under the power of his beloved. George Sand loved the composer, but it was a selfish, draining feeling. Behind Chopin's back, his friends discussed that Frederic was melting right before their eyes, and George Sand was "endowed with the love of a vampire." When George Sand, using a convenient pretext, broke up with Chopin, this greatly crippled his already weakened health.

Covenant

“You can achieve more with kindness than with violence.”

"Time is the best censor, and patience is the supreme teacher."

Biography of Frederic Chopin

condolences

“In order to fully understand and convey it, one must completely, with all one’s soul, immerse oneself precisely in his only soul.”
Heinrich Neuhaus, Russian pianist

“Anything I could say in my pathetic French would be so far from him, so unworthy of his memory. The deepest reverence, adoration, his true cult was enthusiastically preserved by all who knew him and heard him. No one is like Chopin, no one even remotely resembles him. And no one can explain everything he was. What a martyr's death, what a martyr's life itself - for a being so perfect, so pure in everything! He must be in heaven… unless…”
Solange Sand, daughter of George Sand, stepdaughter of Chopin

In 1795, after the third partition of Poland between Prussia, Austria and Russia, this state completely lost its independence and disappeared from the map of Europe. The Poles tried several times to organize uprisings to achieve independence - in 1830, 1846, 1848, 1863 - but to no avail. It was in support of numerous Polish immigrants as compatriots that Frederic Chopin's concert was organized in London on November 16, 1848, which became his last public performance.

Despite a short and difficult life, Chopin left behind the glory of a talented musician, composer, and teacher. The future genius of music was born in long-suffering Poland on March 1, 1810 - this was the period of French rule. Frederik studied music from the age of seven to twelve, and during this time he achieved the mastery of the best Polish pianists. Very early he showed himself as a composer and performer. He made his first public appearance at the age of 8. But subsequently, Chopin did not like concerts for large audiences. Although I had to perform a lot: in my own apartments in a narrow circle of close people, at soirees, in secular salons, and even in palaces. And he also worked as a teacher - he gave private piano lessons.

In connection with the first Polish uprising for independence - in 1830 - Chopin leaves his homeland. But at heart he remains a patriot. This is evidenced by the musician’s diary (“Stuttgart Diary”), and his works of this period, for example, “Revolutionary Etude”, as well as the composer’s testament, according to which his heart was sent to Warsaw and immured in a column of the Church of the Holy Cross.

Chopin settled in France and lived there for almost 20 years, until his death. Some even consider him more of a French musician than a Polish one. The greatest attachment of Chopin's life is also connected with France - Aurora Dupin, better known under the pseudonym George Sand. The couple has been living together as a family for about 10 years: on the Spanish island of Mallorca and on the Sand estate near Paris-Nohant.

In addition to the writer, Chopin had several other novels: Constance Gladkovskaya, Maria Vordzhinskaya, Princess Marcelina Czartoryzhskaya, Countess Delfina Potocka. But none of them ended favorably, a strong union and unity of souls did not work out. In everyday life, the composer was, like all geniuses, helpless, in need of constant support, but at the same time remained selfish and capricious. Someone even considers Chopin an eccentric and a little crazy person because of his suspiciousness and excessive sensitivity. Moreover, he was in poor health - he suffered from a chronic lung disease - from cough and constant colds to consumption and tuberculosis. With these diseases, the early death of the musician is connected. Chopin left no children behind.

Chopin was known as a musician-poet, a follower of new fresh ideas in music, the inventor of the genre of piano ballads, the author of typical etudes, as well as colorful dances - mazurkas, waltzes, polonaises. He was called the "Polish Mozart". But on the other hand, Chopin is a national artist, an exponent of the national heritage, the culture of Poland - this is how he passed throughout his life, from birth to death on October 5, 1849.

Maria Igumnova