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Chopin: Prince of the Romantics
A completely new edition of the definitive biography of Chopin, unavailable for many years, by one of the finest of contemporary European historians. Two centuries have passed since Chopin's birth, yet his legacy is all around us today. The quiet revolution he wrought influenced the development of Western music profoundly, and he is still probably the most widely studied and revered composer. For many, he is the object of a cult. Yet most people know little of his life, of the man, his thoughts and his feelings; his public image is a sugary blur of sentimentality and melodrama. Adam Zamoyski cuts through the myths and legends to tell the story of Chopin's life, and to reveal all that can be discovered about him as a person. He pays particular attention to recent revelations about the composer's health, and places him within the intellectual and spiritual environment of his day.
356 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 1979
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1113 people want to read
About the author
Adam Zamoyski
27 books309 followersA historian and a member of the ancient Zamoyski family of Polish nobility. Born in New York City and raised in England. He is Chairman of the Board of the Princes Czartoryski Foundation. On June 16, 2001, in London, England, he married the artist Emma Sergeant.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
January 23, 2023
This is the first biography I’ve read about Chopin. There are many interesting things about him, some even surprising. Chopin was of weak health and delicate stature. I would have never guessed that despite that whatever he did in his life he did it with gusto, full of energy. He wasn’t someone who wanted to lie in bed unless he wasn’t able to walk. Otherwise, he was a very social person, who enjoyed his evenings out. But those were meaningful evenings. They were filled with music and conversations on different topics involving literature, politics, philosophy, and more.
This most enjoyable biography is written with details, but not overwhelming the beautiful flow of Chopin’s story. This book is a very pleasant journey in which we get to know a man who was allowed to develop his own style in his early age, and followed his natural instinct. To the end, he stayed true to his own style. The style of delicate key touching, and not pounding. Even when he tried to disguise himself with a different name, once he started playing, people knew right away what his real name was. It is a remarkable story of an extraordinary man who was forced into exile, but continued to introduce his genius to the world. Truly impressive and inspiring story.
This most enjoyable biography is written with details, but not overwhelming the beautiful flow of Chopin’s story. This book is a very pleasant journey in which we get to know a man who was allowed to develop his own style in his early age, and followed his natural instinct. To the end, he stayed true to his own style. The style of delicate key touching, and not pounding. Even when he tried to disguise himself with a different name, once he started playing, people knew right away what his real name was. It is a remarkable story of an extraordinary man who was forced into exile, but continued to introduce his genius to the world. Truly impressive and inspiring story.
December 23, 2015
Adam Zamoyski's biography of the brief but eventful life of the great Romantic composer Frederic Chopin, from Polish child prodigy to Paris dandy, his turbulent relationship with George Sand and his early death, penniless in Paris.
Chopin's prodigious talent as a pianist is recognised early on. But despite being lauded as the great nationalist hope in his native Poland, where his polonaises and mazurkas are inspired by the harmonies of Polish folk songs, the teenage Chopin soon becomes stifled by the provincialism of Warsaw. At 19, he leaves Poland for the temptations of bohemian Paris, never to live in his homeland again.
Categories:
Factual, Life Stories, Music, Classical, Drama
Abridged by Doreen Estall.
March 19, 2010
Adam Zamoyski's biography of the brief but eventful life of the great Romantic composer Frederic Chopin, from Polish child prodigy to Paris dandy, his turbulent relationship with George Sand and his early death, penniless in Paris.
Chopin's prodigious talent as a pianist is recognised early on. But despite being lauded as the great nationalist hope in his native Poland, where his polonaises and mazurkas are inspired by the harmonies of Polish folk songs, the teenage Chopin soon becomes stifled by the provincialism of Warsaw. At 19, he leaves Poland for the temptations of bohemian Paris, never to live in his homeland again.
Abridged by Doreen Estall. Broadcast on:BBC Radio 4, 9:45am Monday 15th March 2010
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qftk
Chopin's prodigious talent as a pianist is recognised early on. But despite being lauded as the great nationalist hope in his native Poland, where his polonaises and mazurkas are inspired by the harmonies of Polish folk songs, the teenage Chopin soon becomes stifled by the provincialism of Warsaw. At 19, he leaves Poland for the temptations of bohemian Paris, never to live in his homeland again.
Abridged by Doreen Estall. Broadcast on:BBC Radio 4, 9:45am Monday 15th March 2010
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qftk
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2018
Well I have mixed feelings about it. Author Zamoyski has researched his subject well and he portrays Chopin and those around him clearly. At various points in the biography Zamoyski relates common public opinion from Chopin's contemporaries as well as opinions of Chopin's biographers and states his own well researched opinion, at times in disagreement with the commonly held belief.
So I appreciated the author's clear prose style, thoroughly researched as it was but at the same time I found it somewhat tedious to read and a bit dry because he often goes into great detail about day to day events in the composer's life and sprinkles it liberally with quotes taken from letters of Chopin's friends and contemporaries. I am glad I have read this none the less, as it gave me a clearer picture of Chopin and his life, whose music I love.
The book has corrected some of the mistaken beliefs I had about Chopin. I didn't realize that he had made quite a name for himself in his youth in Poland. He was born there and moved away at age 19 never to return, though he did make initial plans to return a couple of times. Those plans never materialized. But before leaving Poland he had left quite a mark on the musical scene of that country. I had always believed that he was virtually unknown before he came to Paris. I am glad to have a clearer picture. Also it is interesting to see how the Polish culture influenced his various genre (i.e. Polonaises, Mazurkas, etc.). Another interesting tidbit was that Chopin's teacher in Poland, (not remembering his name right now), gave to Chopin what may be the best gift he ever received and may be the core of Chopin's musical genius. That gift was that he (the teacher) gave Chopin mostly free reign on what to explore and how to do it in his compositions. The teacher broke with the tradition (at least in Poland) of giving students definite and fairly strict compositional guidelines. So in his formative years, Chopin never went through what most music/composition students went through to become musicians and composers.
Also, most other biographies of Chopin have usually stated that the composer died penniless. While true in some respects, Zamoyski paints a slightly different picture. Immediately after his death Chopin's sister, who was present at his death, found among his affects a moderately large sum of cash. Zamoyski doesn't state how much but it was apparently much more than anyone expected to find and it was enough to pay off nearly all of Chopin's outstanding debts. So while Chopin wasn't fabulously wealthy nor did he leave any money to his friends or family, he did have more money than most people thought given his habit to spend so freely during his lifetime. Chopin was a poor money manager as Zamoyski clearly portrays but this somewhat unexpected discovery after his death was interesting.
This book is a biography only and the author does not talk in much depth about Chopin's music. He mentions many of Chopin's works but mostly in reference to when they were written or published with an occasional comment about how the mood of a given piece matches Chopin's at the time it was written. Zamoyski does include quite a few quotes from Chopin's contemporaries about particular pieces but there is no musical assessment or analysis that a musician or musicologist would appreciate. As a musician I was hoping for that.
The book also clarified for me the cause of Chopin's death at age 39. While in retrospect it can't be confirmed definitively, all the available evidence was that he had Tuberculosis or Consumption as it was called back then. Apparently he had it for several years prior to his death in spite of the fact that some of the doctors who treated him stated that he didn't.
Also it would have helped to have a glossary of people in the back. I understand that isn't common in biographies but there were so many people in Chopin's day to day life that I found it confusing to keep track of which were which. I had no problem with all the musicians (e.g. Liszt, Schumann, Berlioz, etc.) since I know of them well, nor of a few others (e.g. George Sand, Fontana). But everyone else, especially all the Polish names and some of the French names, were difficult to keep track of. So a glossary of people would have been helpful.
Worth reading for a clear portrayal of Chopin's life.
So I appreciated the author's clear prose style, thoroughly researched as it was but at the same time I found it somewhat tedious to read and a bit dry because he often goes into great detail about day to day events in the composer's life and sprinkles it liberally with quotes taken from letters of Chopin's friends and contemporaries. I am glad I have read this none the less, as it gave me a clearer picture of Chopin and his life, whose music I love.
The book has corrected some of the mistaken beliefs I had about Chopin. I didn't realize that he had made quite a name for himself in his youth in Poland. He was born there and moved away at age 19 never to return, though he did make initial plans to return a couple of times. Those plans never materialized. But before leaving Poland he had left quite a mark on the musical scene of that country. I had always believed that he was virtually unknown before he came to Paris. I am glad to have a clearer picture. Also it is interesting to see how the Polish culture influenced his various genre (i.e. Polonaises, Mazurkas, etc.). Another interesting tidbit was that Chopin's teacher in Poland, (not remembering his name right now), gave to Chopin what may be the best gift he ever received and may be the core of Chopin's musical genius. That gift was that he (the teacher) gave Chopin mostly free reign on what to explore and how to do it in his compositions. The teacher broke with the tradition (at least in Poland) of giving students definite and fairly strict compositional guidelines. So in his formative years, Chopin never went through what most music/composition students went through to become musicians and composers.
Also, most other biographies of Chopin have usually stated that the composer died penniless. While true in some respects, Zamoyski paints a slightly different picture. Immediately after his death Chopin's sister, who was present at his death, found among his affects a moderately large sum of cash. Zamoyski doesn't state how much but it was apparently much more than anyone expected to find and it was enough to pay off nearly all of Chopin's outstanding debts. So while Chopin wasn't fabulously wealthy nor did he leave any money to his friends or family, he did have more money than most people thought given his habit to spend so freely during his lifetime. Chopin was a poor money manager as Zamoyski clearly portrays but this somewhat unexpected discovery after his death was interesting.
This book is a biography only and the author does not talk in much depth about Chopin's music. He mentions many of Chopin's works but mostly in reference to when they were written or published with an occasional comment about how the mood of a given piece matches Chopin's at the time it was written. Zamoyski does include quite a few quotes from Chopin's contemporaries about particular pieces but there is no musical assessment or analysis that a musician or musicologist would appreciate. As a musician I was hoping for that.
The book also clarified for me the cause of Chopin's death at age 39. While in retrospect it can't be confirmed definitively, all the available evidence was that he had Tuberculosis or Consumption as it was called back then. Apparently he had it for several years prior to his death in spite of the fact that some of the doctors who treated him stated that he didn't.
Also it would have helped to have a glossary of people in the back. I understand that isn't common in biographies but there were so many people in Chopin's day to day life that I found it confusing to keep track of which were which. I had no problem with all the musicians (e.g. Liszt, Schumann, Berlioz, etc.) since I know of them well, nor of a few others (e.g. George Sand, Fontana). But everyone else, especially all the Polish names and some of the French names, were difficult to keep track of. So a glossary of people would have been helpful.
Worth reading for a clear portrayal of Chopin's life.
February 15, 2018
“At noon, the grim servants of death appeared at the entrance to the temple bearing the coffin of the great artist. (…) A shiver of death ran through the congregation, (…) As for me, I fancied I could see the sun grow pale and the gilding of the domes take on an evil greenish tint…”
It has only been several months that I have taken an interest in classical music. I was raised on rock music – I had never heard anything by Chopin. That has changed completely – ever since I heard the Prélude no. 4, op. 28 in E minor, I have been enchanted by his music and the thought of him. Curious, I started reading this biography – thinking this would be the perfect timing, as I am now also enrolled in a course about Romanticism. I cannot tell you how glad I am I did this – I cannot explain how much I appreciate Chopin and his work and cannot put it into words.
“The incomparable genius for whom heaven was jealous of the earth, and of whom I think so often, no longer being able to see him in this world, nor to hear his divine melodies. (…) Is it because his life was a thirty-nine-year agony that his music is so lofty, so sweet, so sublime?”
It has only been several months that I have taken an interest in classical music. I was raised on rock music – I had never heard anything by Chopin. That has changed completely – ever since I heard the Prélude no. 4, op. 28 in E minor, I have been enchanted by his music and the thought of him. Curious, I started reading this biography – thinking this would be the perfect timing, as I am now also enrolled in a course about Romanticism. I cannot tell you how glad I am I did this – I cannot explain how much I appreciate Chopin and his work and cannot put it into words.
“The incomparable genius for whom heaven was jealous of the earth, and of whom I think so often, no longer being able to see him in this world, nor to hear his divine melodies. (…) Is it because his life was a thirty-nine-year agony that his music is so lofty, so sweet, so sublime?”
May 26, 2021
This book is very well written and is the best one I’ve read about this composer. I highly recommend it.
July 16, 2022
As a proud bearer of Chopin’s nose (though none of his talent), I am finally happy I got to know him a little more. But this is where my happiness end, because through that book, I learned how sad and painful his life was. I am very melancholic after (and was during, too) reading the book and might torture myself a bit more with his letters which i am planning to read next.
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4/5 because some parts were a bit unclear - author jumps from topic to another that I wish he explained better.
〰️
4/5 because some parts were a bit unclear - author jumps from topic to another that I wish he explained better.
September 27, 2009
[These notes were made in 1983:]. A most interesting book. It's written in good scholarly prose - clear, to the point, and readable without being flamboyant. Only the occasional slip in idiom betrays that the author was perhaps not always thinking exclusively in English. The research looks fairly thorough, and appears to have been derived from a great many contemporary documents, including substantial collections of letters. Zamoyski does not try to hide the fact that he has a thesis - that Chopin was by no means the ultra-Romantic that the common image suggests. But he does not seem to be doing anything Procrustean to the facts to fit that thesis, although to a certain extent we always have to trust the author's general interpretation, based as it is on far wider reading than he can conveniently present to us. Chopin himself emerges as a human and almost commonplace creature, except for the extraordinary gift of music in his head and fingers. George Sand is treated evenhandedly and without either vituperation or misguided sympathy. Zamoyski tempers her own rather bitter account of the affair (from her later autobiography) with quotations from her letters at the time. And the account of Chopin's death is simple and not maudlin. I found the whole thing very good reading.
December 5, 2015
1. Chopin, more than any other great composer was left alone enough to create his own style of writing for piano – which is why Liszt said Chopin was never able to achieve perfection with any form he had not invented himself (like the Polonaises, Ballades, and Mazurkas). 2. Chopin’s secret performance skill was a steady left hand with a tempo rubato right hand “the right would just hint at the anticipation of the phrase or else reluctance to begin it.” 3. “Fingers should fall, not strike. And caress rather than hit the keys.” 4. Chopin felt bad musical phrasing was similar to saying a sentence one did not understand. 5. Chopin believed “you must sing with the fingers” as though you were an opera singer. He made some students take singing lessons to help them understand. 6. Keep your piano seat low with you elbows level with the white keys. 7. Best line of Zamoyski‘s was about Chopin “regarding technique as no more than a means of unlocking their powers of expression.” 8. Chopin considered his musical style, “Slavonic”. 9. Always use a metronome – he did.
If you are a Chopin nut like I am, you will love reading this book.
If you are a Chopin nut like I am, you will love reading this book.
June 2, 2021
I’m afraid that I bit off more than I cared to chew with this biography. It is very thorough and I was just looking for sort of a casual overview of the composer’s life. I don’t play a lot of Chopin’s stuff (meaning I’m not good enough to play most of his stuff), but I wanted to learn more about the man. I knew nothing before, and now everything. Ask me a question about Chopin, I dare you.
July 17, 2011
I thought it an excellent biography. I could not put it down and went through it in one reading. It is unsentimental, and leaves one with a feeling of having had the opportunity to 'understand' Chopin a little.
This biography made me rush to my collection of Chopin CDs.
This biography made me rush to my collection of Chopin CDs.
September 29, 2017
Een goed en toegankelijk geschreven biografie van Chopin. De auteur houdt zich aan de feiten, en waar bepaalde beweringen of anekdotes over Chopin twijfelachtig of ongefundeerd zijn, benoemt hij dit of verwijst ze naar het rijk der fabelen. Zo leer je als lezer de mens Chopin kennen alsook het wonderbaarlijke genie dat hij moet zijn geweest, getuige de reacties die hij opriep als hij plaatsnam achter de piano. Ook maakt Zamoyski duidelijk dat Chopin een vernieuwer was in de muziek. Voor liefhebbers van klassieke muziek een heerlijk boek. Neem alleen al de vele opmerkingen en opinies van of over Chopin die de revue passeren. Een kleine greep:
Toen in het najaar van 1831 Polen werd verslagen door de Russen, schreef Chopin dat hij ‘de wonden van het heden [zou] genezen met herinneringen aan het verleden’
Tegen Liszt: ’Concerteren past mij niet, het publiek jaagt mij angst aan, zijn verwachtingsvolle adem verstikt mij, zijn onderzoekende blikken verlammen mij, zijn vreemde gezichten doen mij verstommen, maar jij, jij bent ervoor gemaakt. Als je het niet weet te boeien, weet je minstens te verdoven.’
Over Beethoven: ‘zijn hartstocht klinkt te vaak alsof er een natuurramp plaatsvindt’.
Schumann over Chopin: ‘Als de machtige despoot van het Noorden (de tsaar) zou weten welk een gevaarlijke vijand hem bedreigt in de werken van Chopin, in de eenvoudige melodieën van deze mazurka’s, dan zou hij deze muziek verbieden. De werken van Chopin zijn als onder bloemen verborgen kanonnen.’
Heine over Chopin: ‘Chopin ontleent er geen voldoening aan dat er door andere handen wordt geklapt om de vlugge behendigheid van zijn handen. Hij streeft een groter succes na; zijn vingers zijn de dienaren van zijn ziel, en voor zijn ziel wordt geapplaudisseerd door degenen die niet alleen met hun oren, maar ook met hun ziel luisteren.’
Mendelssohn over Berlioz: ‘Zijn orkestratie is een verschrikkelijke bende, zo’n chaotische knoeiboel dat men na het doornemen van zijn partituren zich gedwongen ziet de handen te wassen.’
Debussy over Chopin: ‘Door de aard van zijn genie onttrekt Chopin zich aan elke poging tot classificatie.’
Markies de Custine (een markante homoseksuele aristocraat met wie met Chopin bevriend raakte) over Chopin: ‘Zorg dat je overleeft omwille van je vrienden; het is een grote troost je af en toe te horen spelen; in de moeilijke tijden die nu dreigen, zal alleen de kunst zoals jij die ervaart, in staat zijn mensen te verenigen die in het dagelijks leven tegenover elkaar staan; mensen hebben elkaar lief, mensen begrijpen elkaar in Chopin.’
Toen in het najaar van 1831 Polen werd verslagen door de Russen, schreef Chopin dat hij ‘de wonden van het heden [zou] genezen met herinneringen aan het verleden’
Tegen Liszt: ’Concerteren past mij niet, het publiek jaagt mij angst aan, zijn verwachtingsvolle adem verstikt mij, zijn onderzoekende blikken verlammen mij, zijn vreemde gezichten doen mij verstommen, maar jij, jij bent ervoor gemaakt. Als je het niet weet te boeien, weet je minstens te verdoven.’
Over Beethoven: ‘zijn hartstocht klinkt te vaak alsof er een natuurramp plaatsvindt’.
Schumann over Chopin: ‘Als de machtige despoot van het Noorden (de tsaar) zou weten welk een gevaarlijke vijand hem bedreigt in de werken van Chopin, in de eenvoudige melodieën van deze mazurka’s, dan zou hij deze muziek verbieden. De werken van Chopin zijn als onder bloemen verborgen kanonnen.’
Heine over Chopin: ‘Chopin ontleent er geen voldoening aan dat er door andere handen wordt geklapt om de vlugge behendigheid van zijn handen. Hij streeft een groter succes na; zijn vingers zijn de dienaren van zijn ziel, en voor zijn ziel wordt geapplaudisseerd door degenen die niet alleen met hun oren, maar ook met hun ziel luisteren.’
Mendelssohn over Berlioz: ‘Zijn orkestratie is een verschrikkelijke bende, zo’n chaotische knoeiboel dat men na het doornemen van zijn partituren zich gedwongen ziet de handen te wassen.’
Debussy over Chopin: ‘Door de aard van zijn genie onttrekt Chopin zich aan elke poging tot classificatie.’
Markies de Custine (een markante homoseksuele aristocraat met wie met Chopin bevriend raakte) over Chopin: ‘Zorg dat je overleeft omwille van je vrienden; het is een grote troost je af en toe te horen spelen; in de moeilijke tijden die nu dreigen, zal alleen de kunst zoals jij die ervaart, in staat zijn mensen te verenigen die in het dagelijks leven tegenover elkaar staan; mensen hebben elkaar lief, mensen begrijpen elkaar in Chopin.’
June 5, 2025
Being Polish American myself, I must admit I have always preferred to read Polish topics written by those of Polish ancestry. Others, I feel strongly, miss the spirit of the Polish Soul, and I include Michener in this grouping. But Zamoyski delivers to my fullest expectations, delivering insights into Chopin’s life and relationships. I was surprised to learn that despite his many years in France, almost equal to his years in Poland, Chopin had to strain to speak French. Thus he took great relaxation in speaking Polish with the numerous exiles in Paris, including Adam Czartoryski and his family. I found this biography filled in my manner gaps of the details of Chopin’s life. I only wish I had read it before I wrote my WWII/Cold War series I entitled the Chopin Trilogy. It makes references to the artist’s life, but I use his story to portray the Polish spirit embodied in my Protagonist, Stanley Wisniewski. Had I read this biography first, another layer of understanding may have been infused to it.
Excellent word by Adam Zamoyski.
Excellent word by Adam Zamoyski.
Read
February 9, 2018I liked the real letters text included. Overall interesting reading, however, it's visible that the text is composed by a polish writer and some phrases and sentences are of typical polish structure which were only translated to english so this made the book slightly hard to read.
August 7, 2025
Had een boek met meer muziek verwacht; al lijkt dat, zo tekent de schrijver op in de epiloog, het ongrijpbare deel van deze man. In wezen voegt zijn geleefde leven niets toe aan het bevatten van zijn muziek. Je kan blijkbaar net zo goed zijn piano bestuderen.
April 9, 2018
Loved it! It took me some time to finish the book due to school assignments, but I still got fascinated by Chopin's life and the amazing prose of Zamoyski.
January 13, 2025
A great take on the life of Chopin. There are plenty of anecdotes, both from the author and the composer, that are amusing and paint a funny little caricature of the composer’s life. Definitely recommend.
September 2, 2014
I am giving this book three stars instead of four simply because I am unfamiliar with the biographical and musicological literature on Chopin. Zamoyski is very sure-footed when it comes to describing the social, political and cultural contexts of the two countries where Chopin passed most of his life. Similarly his comments on George Sand and the other public personalities that he was associated with throughout his life all have a ring a credibility.
As far as Zamoyski's assessments of Chopin's compostions go, I am simply unable to make any comment lacking the musical training required to do so. This is clearly a very strong book about the man and his times that may or may not also contain sound musicological judgements. I certainly enjoyed the book and suspect it is as good or better than anything else on the market.
As far as Zamoyski's assessments of Chopin's compostions go, I am simply unable to make any comment lacking the musical training required to do so. This is clearly a very strong book about the man and his times that may or may not also contain sound musicological judgements. I certainly enjoyed the book and suspect it is as good or better than anything else on the market.
September 2, 2016
A very good, thoroughly researched biography of Chopin. The life of Chopin is beautifully portrayed against the historical events of his time, with a lot of insights by the Polish historian Zamoyski. A wonderful book for musicians and lovers of the music by Chopin.
The book makes you understand better, and marvel once more upon the miracle how the completely new and stunningly expressive musical language of Chopin came into being.
The book makes you understand better, and marvel once more upon the miracle how the completely new and stunningly expressive musical language of Chopin came into being.
April 10, 2019
A fascinating picture emerges from this wonderful biography. For any musician, to understand what was going on in his head, and in his life, this one is way too short.
May 14, 2020
Interesting to read this well-written and engaging biography in 2020, in time of COVID-19. Chopin died at the age of 39 of TB, having known of his illness and its likely outcome for several years. (It could also be said that perhaps he also died of a broken heart, the result of a truly terrible break-up with George Sand, with whom he had his most important and most encompassing LTR.)
There's something tremendously Polish about Chopin - his tenderness, depth, melancholia so well reflected in his music. And yet also universal - appealing to listeners across time and space. Not for nothing were his favorite composers JS Bach and Mozart. The fact that his ancestry was as much French as Polish - is curious. He certainly seemed to have made himself "at home" in Paris, where he lived from 1831 to his death, the most productive and more celebrated years of his life. Exile was good for his music and his art, even if it was (in some ways) a difficult burden for him to be separated from the family he loved.
There's something tremendously Polish about Chopin - his tenderness, depth, melancholia so well reflected in his music. And yet also universal - appealing to listeners across time and space. Not for nothing were his favorite composers JS Bach and Mozart. The fact that his ancestry was as much French as Polish - is curious. He certainly seemed to have made himself "at home" in Paris, where he lived from 1831 to his death, the most productive and more celebrated years of his life. Exile was good for his music and his art, even if it was (in some ways) a difficult burden for him to be separated from the family he loved.
July 25, 2023
This is probably the cheapest book I own (it cost $6!) but the material is rich and fascinating. Memoirs and biographies of music composers are not very mainstream, which is why I was eager to read Zamoyski's take on Chopin. The way he wove other people's opinions on Chopin and excerpts of letters into his own narrative about Chopin's life and inmost thoughts was beautiful and seamless, and made for an enjoyable reading experience. (Speaking of enjoyable reading experiences, I read the first half of this book at cafes while having coffee and pastries, which is honestly the peak morning routine). I also liked learning about the crossovers between Chopin and other renowned artistic figures like George Sand (I had no idea that the two had a nearly decade long relationship!). Annotating the book was so fun, and I was able to slip a couple of Taylor Swift lyrics in here and there. Overall, a solid read that I would highly recommend 🎶
October 27, 2021
Chopin jest wielki prawda? Cudowny, mistrz, trzeba go podziwiać. Ale tak jak JP2, nie mozna go znać. A to był chłopak, który nie umiał z dziewczynami gadać, który złapał chorobę weneryczną w domu publicznym. Facet, który potrzebował opieki kobiet, bo słabował przy kazdej zmianie pogody. Geniusz, ale taki, który wątpił w to, czy cokolwiek soba reprezentuje. Kochał chyba 2 razy w życiu - każdorazowo średnio szczęśliwie. O tym wszystkim dowiadujemy się z biografii pióra pana Zamoyskiego, jak dla mnie geniusza pióra. To moje odkrycie 2021, zanurzam się w poszczególne zdania w książce z rozkoszą, równocześnie uzupełniając wiedzę o jednym z najwybitniejszych postaci kultury europejskiej. Absolutnie polecam, należy przeczytać, nawet jeśli tak jak ja, nie umie się umysłem objać muzyki Chopina. Prześwietna książka.
February 17, 2020
Rarely do I enjoy biographies, but this is (kind of) an exception. Perhaps it has simply to do with the character of Chopin, whose music I adore since a young age, but it could also be the engaging way Zamoyski presents the facts.
No doubt this is a very well researched book, produced by a dedicated authority.
As a pianist, I can say that reading it is transforming the way I listen to and play Chopin's masterful music. Every piece now gets infused with so much more meaning and background that I can listen and study with different ears.
Recommended read for all of Chopin's many fans.
No doubt this is a very well researched book, produced by a dedicated authority.
As a pianist, I can say that reading it is transforming the way I listen to and play Chopin's masterful music. Every piece now gets infused with so much more meaning and background that I can listen and study with different ears.
Recommended read for all of Chopin's many fans.
September 8, 2020
The Real man behind Chopin (Szopen). I have read 2 other Chopin’s biographies, but only in this one i came across facts and details I had not read about in the other ones. Adam Zamoyski is an excellent and passionate historian, researcher of details. I love his articulate yet easy to read writing style, his knowledge of details and intend to read all Zamoyski’s books as I also share his interest in topics, people and times he has written about so far. Very enjoyable and interesting read. Highly recommended.
November 6, 2019
My personal expectations were probably higher than the book could provide. As Chopin is number one on my piano playing routine and each time I discover more and more masterpieces, I was looking for a biography as beautiful as his music, with more details and poetry.
Though the author explains the facts in quite nice wording I still feel I lacked something after reading this book.
Or maybe I was expecting too much :)
Though the author explains the facts in quite nice wording I still feel I lacked something after reading this book.
Or maybe I was expecting too much :)
August 9, 2025
I love Chopin’s music and was looking so forward to learning about the artist himself. For that this biography was disappointing. Way too much about “what he did” and all the myriads of people around him. There was little to no “heart” in this description of his genius. I found it cold, journalistic and boring. His music is rich, gloriously beautiful, to the point of tears at times. I don’t believe Zamoyski knew much at all about Chopin’s heart.
December 23, 2025
A very insightful biography that touches on both Chopin’s personal life and music.
Chopin was the very embodiment of the Romantic spirit, as described by Delacroix: ‘The incomparable genius for whom heaven was jealous of the earth’. Seen by his generation as a half man half angel sent from heaven in a state of painful, suffering impermanence, his music transcends life and touches the spirit of listeners around the world.
Chopin was the very embodiment of the Romantic spirit, as described by Delacroix: ‘The incomparable genius for whom heaven was jealous of the earth’. Seen by his generation as a half man half angel sent from heaven in a state of painful, suffering impermanence, his music transcends life and touches the spirit of listeners around the world.
February 24, 2021
I start to smell it out. Zamoyski's books start strong and somehow fizzle out. Maybe the lot of the historian who cannot finish with a bang if history decided to go pale. His account of the Polish genius is promising but oscillates around a minute description of Chopin's problematic relationship with George Sand, which, as we know, ended nowhere, and that's where the book ends.
July 29, 2023
A fascinating short biography of Frederic Chopin, whose short life included passionate composition and playing of the piano that places him among the greatest composers for that instrument. In addition there was his immersion in the musical and artistic culture of the day, including friendships with composers and artists like Liszt and Delacroix.
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