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Nocturne: A life of Chopin
Biography. Tan cloth covers very nice, light bumps on the corners and spine ends. Dust jacket lightly rubbed, wrinkle at the top of the spine panel. Autohr signed inscription on the first endpaper, interior clean and tight.
- GenresMusic
286 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1978
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September 8, 2013
This is one of many biographies about Chopin but the first one that I have read so I had no clear idea of who he was, all I knew was that he was a famous classical musician. Obviously I don't listen to much classical music although I like the idea of becoming familiar with these works.
So who was Chopin? He was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1810 to loving parents, father a French peasant (although by the time Chopin was born that was not generally known) and mother a Polish gentlewoman. Poland was regularly in political upheaval but Frederick Chopin had a mostly happy childhood, his father taught French at the lyceum to the sons of Polish gentry, he had 3 sisters to whom he was close, he had many friends and he showed musical promise by the time he was 6 years old. He composed a Polonaise in G minor at the age of 8 and become a Warsaw celebrity being invited to play in the drawing rooms of society hostesses and the palaces of the the Polish nobility. He gave his first public concert shortly after his 8th birthday.
The family was exposed to tuberculosis, common then and incurable; his youngest sister Emily died from it at age 14. Chopin suffered ill health because of it, he was frail, but he lived into his late 30's before it killed him.
In his personality he was reserved, loyal, indecisive, temperamental, creative, nervous, passionate about music and, just my opinion, somewhat effeminate.
In this book there are some letters which are controversial, the author and others believe they are letters that he wrote to Countess Delphina Potocka, the Chopin Society believes them to be forgeries. After reading the book I am of the opinion that they are probably forgeries. They do not fit with his personality as otherwise characterized. In my opinion.
But I am also of the opinion that although I can know some basics facts of his life I cannot even come close to a rudimentary understanding of who he was without listening to his music. His music was how he expressed his inner self.
So who was Chopin? He was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1810 to loving parents, father a French peasant (although by the time Chopin was born that was not generally known) and mother a Polish gentlewoman. Poland was regularly in political upheaval but Frederick Chopin had a mostly happy childhood, his father taught French at the lyceum to the sons of Polish gentry, he had 3 sisters to whom he was close, he had many friends and he showed musical promise by the time he was 6 years old. He composed a Polonaise in G minor at the age of 8 and become a Warsaw celebrity being invited to play in the drawing rooms of society hostesses and the palaces of the the Polish nobility. He gave his first public concert shortly after his 8th birthday.
The family was exposed to tuberculosis, common then and incurable; his youngest sister Emily died from it at age 14. Chopin suffered ill health because of it, he was frail, but he lived into his late 30's before it killed him.
In his personality he was reserved, loyal, indecisive, temperamental, creative, nervous, passionate about music and, just my opinion, somewhat effeminate.
In this book there are some letters which are controversial, the author and others believe they are letters that he wrote to Countess Delphina Potocka, the Chopin Society believes them to be forgeries. After reading the book I am of the opinion that they are probably forgeries. They do not fit with his personality as otherwise characterized. In my opinion.
But I am also of the opinion that although I can know some basics facts of his life I cannot even come close to a rudimentary understanding of who he was without listening to his music. His music was how he expressed his inner self.
Displaying 1 of 1 review