Chopin: The Man and His Music (Volume 1)

by James Huneker, Herbert Weinstock (Introduction)

James Gibbon Huneker (1857–1921) was a distinguished American newspaper critic, an essayist, and a prolific author. His writing style is remarkable — unrestrained, informal, full of brilliant insight — and this style plus Huneker's wide knowledge of art and literature as well as music has kept his literacy work alive. The Man and His Music reflects the intimate, thorough knowledge of Chopin's music that Huneker acquired while studying to be a concert pianist and his unusually keen insight into the character of the great Polish composer whose music he adored.
The book is divided into two parts. The first treats Chopin's life — his youth in Poland, his emigration to Paris, the famous George Sand episode, his sickness and death — and comments on Chopin as a teacher and as a pianist and performer. The second part discusses the entire body of Chopin's music, piece by piece. Huneker notes his own overall impression of the individual compositions as well as the impressions of Schumann, George Sand, Chopin's biographer Frederick Niecks, many of the great pianists, and others. He directly compares differing editions of Chopin's Études, Preludes, Nocturnes, Mazurkas, Polonaises, Sonatas, and other works edited by von Bülow, Kullak, Riemann, Mikuli, and Godowsky in their detailed treatment of fingering, phrasing, pedaling, tempo indication, and so forth.
Huneker's entire work is reprinted here unchanged, thoroughly edited in running footnotes by Herbert Weinstock to correct the exuberant Huneker's inaccuracies and to add information that modern musical scholarship has unearthed. Weinstock has also provided an engrossing introductory essay on Huneker, and has amplified the bibliography to include modern books and articles on Chopin.
A classic in musical biography and commentary, this work is unsurpassed for sympathetic understanding and insight into Chopin's life and music. It will interest equally music students, pianists, and music lovers.

Genres: Music, Biography, History, Classical Music, Biography Memoir, Classics, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

Huneker was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied piano in Europe under Leopold Doutreleau and audited the Paris piano class of Frédéric Chopin's pupil Georges Mathias. He came to New York City in 1885 and remained there until his death. In the USA he studied with Franz Liszt's student Rafael Joseffy, who became his friend and mentor.

Huneker wrote the analysis and commentary on the complete works of Chopin for Schirmer's music publishing company. His analysis of all the piano solo works of Johannes Brahms, written shortly after that composer's complete works were published after his death, is highly regarded.

He was the music editor of the Musical Courier and for two years was music editor of the New York paper The Sun, and a frequent contributor to the leading magazines and reviews.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hu...

Reviews

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong]

A fairly flowery account of the life of Chopin. He does not go in chronological order, but rather according to subject. It starts with his life in Poland, then his love life with George Sand, then an analysis of his music and others viewpoints, including audience members and other composers.

Informative, but written in an archaic style which I found a bit boring.

[Rene]

The first part is a biography, which is interesting, but a bit short. The second part is about all the compositions of Chopin. This part can hardly be read if one is not familiar already, in great detail, with all these compositions. Although I have listened quite often to the music by Chopin, and even play some of it, I could not follow the very detailed analysis. I wonder who can, except professional pianists.

[Huguette Larochelle]

the book is about the music ,not much about him .

[Mehrnaz]

This book isn't an introduction to Chopin's music. If you're not familiar with his works, I don't recommend it.

[Patricia]

A long a boring regurgitation of other peoples thoughts and research. In depth description of pictures of Chopin. If I didn't already know the music, I would have written the subject off. How can I get the time I spent on this back again?

[Susan Molloy]

Although I enjoyed reading this biography of one of my favorite music composers, I have read better ones. It sufficed for my research.

[Gillian]

An interesting account of Chopin's life and work with analyses of most, including comparisons of versions.

[Lillian]

Just a quick browse, this book is super advanced to me. Maybe one day I can get half of it.

[Yvonne Carter]

A musician trying to write a biography of a famous composer doesn't work; author thought more of his own connections

[Ana]

Quite a difficult read if you're not a piano player and Chopin's music affliction. I was just an unsuspecting fan of his music...

[Michael Finocchiaro]

This book was ok but lacked in biographical details. There were no illustrations or scores and it was more of a critique of other 19c writings on Chopin and his music then a standalone study.

[Sue]

Too convoluted. Guess you have to know music AND Polish to read this book. ugh.

[Lena]

I really tried finishing this one - and I failed.. not an excitable biography