Frederic Chopin was born to a French-expatriate father and
Polish mother in the village of Zelazowa Wola in the Duchy of Warsaw.
Originally, Chopin's birthday, asserted by both his family and the composer
himself, was March 1, 1810. However, the discovery of parish baptismal records
in 1892 place his birthday a week earlier on February 22. Both of his parents
were musical—his father played flute and violin and his mother, who played
piano, gave lessons to Chopin as a child. He began giving public concerts at
the age of seven and was soon compared to Mozart and Beethoven. As a child,
Chopin would play for Alexander I, Tsar of Russia and the Grand Duke
Constantine Pavlovich of Russia, ruler of Russian Poland. In November 1830, at
the age of 20, Chopin left Poland for Vienna, with plans to ultimately travel
on to Italy. Soon after his departure, however, the November Uprising broke
out. The Polish rebellion was quickly crushed by the Russian Empire and
Chopin's anger over the outcome found outlet in the famous "Revolutionary"
Etude and Scherzo in B minor.
In September 1831, Chopin traveled to Paris with some
uncertainties of ultimately settling there. A few months later in February
1832, Chopin gave a concert that brought him much adoration. In addition to the
success of this concert, Robert Schumann, in reviewing Chopin's Variations
on "La ci darem la mano," wrote: "Hats off, gentlemen! A genius." In
Paris, Chopin would meet and became friends with many of the Romantic period's
leading characters, including the wealthy Rothschild banking family, Hector
Berlioz, Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, Heinrich Heine, and Eugene Delacroix.
Chopin spent most of the remainder of his life in Paris, playing for private
groups of Paris's intellectual elite, and usually only giving a single annual
public concert.
During a visit to Carlsbad in 1835, which was to be the last
time Chopin saw his family, he met Maria Wodzińska. The following year Chopin
proposed to Maria. However, his persistent frail health forced Maria's parents
to call off the engagement. Shortly thereafter, Chopin met, at a party, the
French author Amandine Aurore Lucille Dupin—better known by her pen name George
Sand. Chopin, at first, did not take to Sand, remarking to Ferdinand Hiller,
"What a repulsive woman!" Sand, on the other hand, was greatly intrigued by
Chopin and was willing to break off her current relationship in hopes of
beginning one with him. By 1838, Chopin's and Sand's relationship was an open
secret.
About a year later, in May 1839, Chopin eventually moved
into Sand's house and between 1839-43 they spent their summers at her estate in
Nohant. These quiet summers were particularly productive for Chopin as a
composer. However, over the coming years his health gradually deteriorated.
Sand became less of a lover and more of a nurse, often referring to Chopin as
her "third child." In 1845, Chopin and Sand broke off their relations. Count Wojciech
Grzymała, who had witnessed the relationship since its beginning, remarked that
Sand had "poisoned his whole being" and had caused Chopin's failing health and
early death.
Chopin gave his last concert in Paris in February 1848 and
his last public performance in London later that year in November. After his
return from London, he once again took up residence in Paris and spent the
winter in illness. The following summer of 1849, his sister came to Paris at
Chopin's request. Chopin remained in weak health and on October 15, Chopin's
condition took a drastic turn for the worse. Only his closest friends remained
with him. He died a few days later, just before two in the morning on October
17.
Frédéric Chopin
Biography
Frederic Chopin was born to a French-expatriate father and Polish mother in the village of Zelazowa Wola in the Duchy of Warsaw. Originally, Chopin's birthday, asserted by both his family and the composer himself, was March 1, 1810. However, the discovery of parish baptismal records in 1892 place his birthday a week earlier on February 22. Both of his parents were musical—his father played flute and violin and his mother, who played piano, gave lessons to Chopin as a child. He began giving public concerts at the age of seven and was soon compared to Mozart and Beethoven. As a child, Chopin would play for Alexander I, Tsar of Russia and the Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich of Russia, ruler of Russian Poland. In November 1830, at the age of 20, Chopin left Poland for Vienna, with plans to ultimately travel on to Italy. Soon after his departure, however, the November Uprising broke out. The Polish rebellion was quickly crushed by the Russian Empire and Chopin's anger over the outcome found outlet in the famous "Revolutionary" Etude and Scherzo in B minor.In September 1831, Chopin traveled to Paris with some uncertainties of ultimately settling there. A few months later in February 1832, Chopin gave a concert that brought him much adoration. In addition to the success of this concert, Robert Schumann, in reviewing Chopin's Variations on "La ci darem la mano," wrote: "Hats off, gentlemen! A genius." In Paris, Chopin would meet and became friends with many of the Romantic period's leading characters, including the wealthy Rothschild banking family, Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, Heinrich Heine, and Eugene Delacroix. Chopin spent most of the remainder of his life in Paris, playing for private groups of Paris's intellectual elite, and usually only giving a single annual public concert.
During a visit to Carlsbad in 1835, which was to be the last time Chopin saw his family, he met Maria Wodzińska. The following year Chopin proposed to Maria. However, his persistent frail health forced Maria's parents to call off the engagement. Shortly thereafter, Chopin met, at a party, the French author Amandine Aurore Lucille Dupin—better known by her pen name George Sand. Chopin, at first, did not take to Sand, remarking to Ferdinand Hiller, "What a repulsive woman!" Sand, on the other hand, was greatly intrigued by Chopin and was willing to break off her current relationship in hopes of beginning one with him. By 1838, Chopin's and Sand's relationship was an open secret.
About a year later, in May 1839, Chopin eventually moved into Sand's house and between 1839-43 they spent their summers at her estate in Nohant. These quiet summers were particularly productive for Chopin as a composer. However, over the coming years his health gradually deteriorated. Sand became less of a lover and more of a nurse, often referring to Chopin as her "third child." In 1845, Chopin and Sand broke off their relations. Count Wojciech Grzymała, who had witnessed the relationship since its beginning, remarked that Sand had "poisoned his whole being" and had caused Chopin's failing health and early death.
Chopin gave his last concert in Paris in February 1848 and his last public performance in London later that year in November. After his return from London, he once again took up residence in Paris and spent the winter in illness. The following summer of 1849, his sister came to Paris at Chopin's request. Chopin remained in weak health and on October 15, Chopin's condition took a drastic turn for the worse. Only his closest friends remained with him. He died a few days later, just before two in the morning on October 17.