Chopin Facts

       Chopin's Personality 

               Chopin was generally gregarious and had several close male friends in his teens 

               (several who went to Paris after the crushed Polish Uprising in Warsaw in 1830).  

               He also went to many parties of intellectuals and artists in Paris where he was 

               generally popular.  He also played for groups of his friends at his apartment.  

               Chopin was raised around aristocrats and emulated some their demeanor (good 

               posture, restrained expression) and overall was fairly quiet and reserved.  

               After a year or so in Paris Chopin was making good money from publishing his 

               music and giving piano lessons to the children (usually daughters) of aristocrats.  

               As he made more money he moved to nicer apartments and he had a taste for fine 

               clothing and furniture.                

               Chopin did not like or engage in the idealistic politics of Liszt and many 

               other Romantics of his time. 

               Chopin's father was French and had migrated to Poland where he met Chopin's 

               mother.  Despite his father's background, Chopin always saw himself as Polish 

               even while living most of his life in Paris.


       Chopin's Music Influences

                Bel canto opera - particularly Vincenzo Bellini

                The classic values including Mozart's of balance and proportion. 

                The counterpoint of J.S. Bach.    

                Some of the music of Beethoven.    

                The piano music of John Field and Johann Hummel.


        Chopin's Piano Playing

               Chopin was a highly original pianist who influenced piano music to the end of 

               the 19th century.  His technique was extraordinary.

               Chopin was a very quiet piano player.  His ability to create different volume levels 

               in the quieter levels of piano music is legendary. 

               But his inability to play loudly was a detriment to his playing large concert halls. 

               That, along with a lack of  comfortability with large audiences led to him 

               playing only about 30 large concerts in his career.  


       Chopin & Liszt

              Liszt could project piano sound far better than Chopin which was to his 

              benefit as he became very wealthy by playing over 1,000 concerts in 8 years.  

              Liszt was also far more extroverted than Chopin and was a great showman.  

              Chopin's piano playing influenced Liszt far more than Liszt's influenced Chopin's.

              For several years after Chopin arrived in Paris, he and Liszt were great friends, 

              but for several reasons the relationship cooled in a few years but they always 

              remained somewhat friendly. 

              Chopin & Liszt played piano duets in public on several occasions.


                  Chopin's funeral was held at the Church of the Madeleine in Paris, on 

                  October 30th.  Entrance was restricted to ticket holders, but over 3,000 

                  people arrived without invitations, from as far as London, Berlin and 

                  Vienna, and were excluded.  Mozart's Requiem was sung at the funeral.  

                  Chopin was buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery, the Funeral March from 

                  his Piano Sonata No. 2 was played at his graveside.