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George
Harrison TheDespair
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FrdricChopin
Pianit,Compoer (18101849)

ConideredPoland'greatetcompoer,FrdricChopinfocued
hieffortonpianocompoitionandwaatronginfluenceon
compoerwhofollowedhim.

Synopsis

NAM BornonMarch1,1810,inZelazowaWola,Poland,FrdricChopin,
FrdricChopin grewupinamiddleclassfamily.Hepublishedhisfirstcompositionat
age7andbeganperformingoneyearlater.In1832,hemovedto
OCCUPATION
Pianit,Compoer Paris,socializedwithhighsocietyandwasknownasanexcellentpiano
teacher.Hispianocompositionswerehighlyinfluential.Hediedon
IRTHDAT
October17,1849,inParis,France.
March1,1810

DATHDAT
Octoer17,1849 Early Years
PLACOFIRTH
ZelazowaWola,Poland FrdricChopinwasbornFryderykFranciszekSzopenonMarch1,
1810,inthesmallvillageofZelazowaWola,DuchyofWarsaw(now
PLACOFDATH
Pari,France Poland).HisFather,Nicholas,wasaFrenchmigrwhowasworking
asabookkeeperwhenhemetandmarriedJustynaKrzyzanowska.
AKA
SoonafterFrdricwasborn,Nicholasfoundemploymentasatutor
FrderkFrancizek
zopen
foraristocraticfamiliesinWarsaw.
Frderkzopen
FrdricFranoi
Chopin Hisfather'semploymentexposedyoungChopintoculturedWarsaw
FrderkFrancizek society,andhismotherintroducedhimtomusicatanearlyage.By
Chopin age6,youngChopinwasablyplayingthepianoandcomposingtunes.
NICKNAM Recognizinghistalent,hisfamilyengagedprofessionalmusician
Frcek WojciechZywnyforlessons,andsoonpupilsurpassedteacherinboth
techniqueandimagination.
FULLNAM
FrdricChopin

Child Prodigy

By1818,Chopinwasperforminginelegantsalonsandwritinghisowncompositions,includingthe
PolonaiseinGMinor.By1826,hehadcomposedseveralpianopiecesindifferentstyles,andhis
parentsenrolledhimintheWarsawConservatoryofMusic,wherehestudiedforthreeyears
underPolishcomposerJosefElsner.

However,sensingheneededabroadermusicalexperience,Chopin'sparentseventuallysenthim
toVienna,wherehemadehisperformancedebutin1829.Audienceswereenthralledwithhis
highlytechnicalyetpoeticallyexpressiveperformances.Overthenextfewyears,Chopin
performedinPoland,Germany,AustriaandParis,wherehesettledin1832.Therehequickly
establishedrelationshipswithotheryoungcomposers,amongthemFranzLiszt,VincenzoBellini
andFelixMendelssohn.

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Life in Paris

WhileinParis,Chopinfoundhisdelicatestyledidn'talwaysenthrallthelargerconcertaudiences,
whohadbeenexposedtotheworksofFranzSchubertandLudwigvanBeethoven.Afortuitous
introductiontotheRothschildfamilyopenednewdoors,however,andChopinsoonfound
employmentinthegreatparlorsofParisasbothrecitalistandteacher.Hisincreasedincome
allowedhimtolivewellandcomposesuchpiecesasNocturnesofOpp.9and15,theScherzoin
Bflatminor,Op.31andtheSonatainBflatminor,Op.35.

Relationship with George Sand

ThoughChopinhadhadyouthfulloveaffairsandwasatonetimeengaged,noneofhis
relationshipslastedmorethanayear.In1838hebeganaloveaffairwithFrench
novelistAmantineLucileAuroreDupin,aka,GeorgeSand.Thecouplespentaharshwinteron
theSpanishislandofMajorca,whereChopinbecameill.InMarch1839,Sandrealized
thatChopinneededmedicalattentionandtookhimtoMarseille,wherehewasdiagnosedwith
consumption(tuberculosis).

AfteraperiodofrecuperationinMarseille,inMay1839ChopinandSandsettledsouthofParisin
Nohant,Sand'scountryhome.Thenextsevenyearsprovedtobethehappiestandmost
productiveperiodofChopin'slife.Hesteadilycomposedaseriesofmasterpieces,includingthe
SonatainBMinor,theOpus55NocturnesandtheOpus56Mazurkas.Thegrowingdemandfor
hisnewworksandhisgreaterunderstandingofthepublishingbusinessalsobroughtincreased
incomeandprovidedChopinanelegantlifestyle.

Final Years and Death

Bythemid1840s,bothChopin'shealthandhisrelationshipwithGeorgeSandweredeteriorating.
Hisbehaviorhadalsobecomeerratic,possiblyduetoanundiagnosedformofepilepsy.Their
affairendedin1848after,amongotherthings,Sand'sunflatteringportrayaloftheirrelationshipin
her1846novelLucreziaFloriani.Attheend,bothpartiesweretooproudtoreconcile,and
Chopin'sspiritandhealthwerebroken.HemadeanextendedtourtotheBritishIsles,wherehe
struggledunderanexhaustingschedule,makinghislastpublicappearanceonNovember16,
1848.HethenreturnedtoParis,wherehediedonOctober17,1849,atage39.Hisbodywas
buriedatPreLachaisecemetery,buthisheartwasinterredatachurchinWarsaw,nearthe
placeofhisbirth.

ArticleTitle
FrdricChopinBiography
Author
Biography.comEditors
WebsiteName
TheBiography.comwebsite
URL
http://www.biography.com/people/fredericchopin9247162
AccessDate
February25,2017
Publisher
A&ETelevisionNetworks
LastUpdated
May25,2016
OriginalPublishedDate
n/a
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