Poland's Frederic Chopin
One of Warsaw's Most Famous Composers Died an Exile in Paris
Educated from an early age in Warsaw, Chopin made his name as a composer before the age of 20. He subsequently continued his career in Paris.
Frederic Chopin, one of the 19th century’s great composers, was born in Poland. Poland remains proud of Chopin as a Polish-born citizen, even though this “second Mozart” left Poland at age 20 to pursue his career in Western Europe. Chopin’s likeness can be seen on the faces of statues in Poland and has been featured on banknotes. His name was even given to one of Poland’s best potato vodkas. And while Chopin’s body is buried in Paris, his heart is encased in a pillar in the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw.
Chopin only lived until the age of 39, so he effectively spent half of his life in Warsaw, where he started giving concerts at age seven. Born in 1810, Chopin first began taking professional piano lessons at age six – before this, he was given lessons at the piano by his mother, Justyna Krzyzanowska. His father was also important to Chopin’s early musical talent; Nicholas Chopin was responsible for transcribing onto paper Chopin’s first composition, Polonaise in B Flat Major. His musical development continued under various teachers of piano and organ.
Chopin’s musical education ended at the Warsaw Conservatory, part of the University of Warsaw, where he took classes in music theory, composition, and figured bass. His teacher, Jozef Elsner, noted that his student possessed “musical genius.”
In 1830, Chopin left Warsaw for good. He had already given concerts in Vienna, and it is there that he learned of the November 1830 Uprising (against Russian rule in Poland). Chopin might have returned to his homeland, but family and friends dissuaded him from this journey. From Vienna, Chopin traveled to Paris, where he would live out the rest of his life.
Moving to Paris was a fortunate career move for Chopin, where he was welcomed by fellow Poles, introduced to famous pianists and composers, and invited into the circles of Paris’ best musical and artistic talents. He joined the Polish Literary Society and refused to apply for a Russian passport, solidifying his status as a political exile. While Chopin made this decision with the knowledge that he would not be able to return to Poland, he was still able to visit with family when they traveled outside of the country.
Chopin’s love affair with George Sand is one of the most interesting aspects of his short life. The French Romantic writer met Chopin in the late 1830s. The couple traveled in the warmer climates of Europe in order to keep Chopin out of the northern winters, which were extremely hard on his delicate health. Earlier in this same decade, Chopin was plagued with ill health – so much so that one engagement was made and called off. Chopin was a victim of tuberculosis, which eventually claimed his life, and no doubt put strain on his relationship with George Sand. This turbulent affair ended in 1847.
