Sunday, September 24, 2023 | Composer of the Week

Frederic Chopin  ("FRED-er-ick  SHOW-pan")

• Born in Poland, 1810
• Died 1849 at age 39
• Romantic Period

Compositions Include:

• Almost every composition was for solo piano:
• Preludes
• Polish dances such as Mazurkas and Polonaises
• Etudes
• Nocturnes
• Ballades
• Waltzes
• Piano Sonata No. 2, Movement III: Funeral March

Other Details:

• When he left Poland to tour as a concert pianist, he took a vial of Polish dirt that he carried the rest of his life. It was buried with him when he died.
• When he was 21, Russian army invaded Warsaw while he was traveling in another country.  Deciding it was too dangerous for him to return home, he moved to Paris, France.
• Master at improvising at the piano
• During home concerts (aka "salons"), if he were requested to play the Funeral March from the piano sonata, he never played another piece after that. It made him too sad for his beloved Poland homeland.