Frederic Chopin, Pianist and Composer

Frederic Chopin was born into a loving, supportive family. On either “March first” or “February twenty-second,” 1810 Frederic Chopin was born to parents, Nicolas and Justyna.2,3 Nicolas was a teacher and was commissioned to tutor Count Skarbek’s children. It was at the Count’s estate in Zelazova Vola Poland where Frederic was born. On “23 April 1810,” Frederic Chopin was christened as Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin.4 It wasn’t until Chopin moved to France that he changed the spelling of his name. In October of 1810 Nicolas moved his family to Warsaw, Poland so

Frederic learned the music before attempting to change the art. He accomplished much in his adolescence, going to school and playing concerts. It was during this time that he realized that he wanted to be a professional musician. He did not write his music, he played his music and it was written down. “[A] stray note, pointless when considered only on paper, becomes pure poetry when realized on the piano.”21 Chopin wrote for himself, and wrote using common techniques, the musical currency of the period. Even though Chopin used commonalities of his day,“No one before him had ventured so far into the unknown.”22 Chopin was a innovator of his time. He wrote on the piano as if the instrument he was playing on was a human voice. His music was difficult to play, possibly because of his disregard for the speed of fingers, as a accomplished singer could easily execute his works. Franz Liszt comments on the achievements of Chopin: “We owe to him the extension of chords, be they struck together, arpeggiated, or rolled; those chromatic and enharmonic twisting lines, of which his pages offer such striking examples; those little groups of embellishing notes, over the melodic figure, that fall like drops of iridescent dew.”23 Chopin did not care what the public thought of him, rather he cared what they thought of his music. He didn’t anticipate or even think of changing music, just leaving his mark, making it more enjoyable for at least one person. “It is generally acknowledged—even by those to whom his music makes little appeal as such —that the esteem in which Chopin is held is justified by qualities of a peculiarly distinctive kind.”24 Chopin’s distinctive style was short lived however, on “17 October 1849” Frederic François Chopin died, leaving his mark in music.25

Frederic Chopin was a great composer because of his family’s support and musical background, his compositions, and his love for the art.

Chopin could improvise on the piano, phrasing music and connecting chords together with undertones, which are soft notes that fill the chords. He learned how to play

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