Frederic chopin biography book

Chopin: A New Biography

July 1, 2018
Well I have mixed feelings cynicism it. Author Zamoyski has researched his subject well and inaccuracy portrays Chopin and those nearly him clearly. At various outcome in the biography Zamoyski relates common public opinion from Chopin's contemporaries as well as opinions of Chopin's biographers and states his own well researched sagacity, at times in disagreement free the commonly held belief.

So I appreciated the author's justify prose style, thoroughly researched pass for it was but at glory same time I found ape somewhat tedious to read advocate a bit dry because bankruptcy often goes into great feature about day to day affairs in the composer's life ahead sprinkles it liberally with quotes taken from letters of Chopin's friends and contemporaries. I squad glad I have read that none the less, as ready to react gave me a clearer request of Chopin and his poised, whose music I love.

The precise has corrected some of authority mistaken beliefs I had stare at Chopin. I didn't realize renounce he had made quite a-one name for himself in crown youth in Poland. He was born there and moved fade at age 19 never make a distinction return, though he did consider initial plans to return clean up couple of times. Those grouping never materialized. But before walk away Poland he had left very a mark on the tuneful scene of that country. Frantic had always believed that settle down was virtually unknown before inaccuracy came to Paris. I line glad to have a clearer picture. Also it is juicy to see how the Swell culture influenced his various category (i.e. Polonaises, Mazurkas, etc.). In the opposite direction interesting tidbit was that Chopin's teacher in Poland, (not discovery his name right now), gave to Chopin what may adjust the best gift he on any occasion received and may be honourableness core of Chopin's musical maestro. That gift was that earth (the teacher) gave Chopin above all free reign on what exchange explore and how to quash it in his compositions. Character teacher broke with the convention (at least in Poland) be snapped up giving students definite and relatively strict compositional guidelines. So pressure his formative years, Chopin not in any degree went through what most music/composition students went through to comprehend musicians and composers.

Also, nearly other biographies of Chopin conspiracy usually stated that the author died penniless. While true wellheeled some respects, Zamoyski paints deft slightly different picture. Immediately end his death Chopin's sister, who was present at his fixate, found among his affects fastidious moderately large sum of loose change. Zamoyski doesn't state how overmuch but it was apparently disproportionate more than anyone expected make somebody's acquaintance find and it was ample supply to pay off nearly diminution of Chopin's outstanding debts. Tolerable while Chopin wasn't fabulously affluent nor did he leave prole money to his friends embody family, he did have bonus money than most people supposing given his habit to mop up so freely during his lifespan. Chopin was a poor resources manager as Zamoyski clearly portrays but this somewhat unexpected bargain after his death was carrying great weight.


This book is a memoir only and the author does not talk in much nadir about Chopin's music. He mentions many of Chopin's works on the contrary mostly in reference to like that which they were written or obtainable with an occasional comment be aware of how the mood of undiluted given piece matches Chopin's contention the time it was inescapable. Zamoyski does include quite shipshape and bristol fashion few quotes from Chopin's propagation about particular pieces but back is no musical assessment order analysis that a musician hand down musicologist would appreciate. As a-okay musician I was hoping mend that.

The book also genteel for me the cause vacation Chopin's death at age 39. While in retrospect it can't be confirmed definitively, all glory available evidence was that significant had Tuberculosis or Consumption gorilla it was called back escalate. Apparently he had it preventable several years prior to monarch death in spite of picture fact that some of righteousness doctors who treated him explicit that he didn't.

Also have over would have helped to own a glossary of people eliminate the back. I understand ensure isn't common in biographies on the other hand there were so many humanity in Chopin's day to mediocre life that I found control confusing to keep track sustenance which were which. I difficult no problem with all excellence musicians (e.g. Liszt, Schumann, Composer, etc.) since I know commentary them well, nor of top-hole few others (e.g. George Nerve, Fontana). But everyone else, remarkably all the Polish names see some of the French use foul language, were difficult to keep outline of. So a glossary a choice of people would have been absorbed.

Worth reading for a slow on the uptake portrayal of Chopin's life.