Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin

Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin was born on March 10, 1810 according to Chopin and his family, in the village of Zelazowa Wola near Sochaczew, in the region of Mazovia, which was part of the Duchy of Warsaw (Murdoch) but written records have documented that he was born on February 22 (Huneker). Chopin’s parents, Mikolaj Chopin and Tekla Justyna Krzyzanowaska, were married in 1806 and had four children: three daughters: Ludwika, Izabela and Emilia, a son Fryderyk, the second child. Shortly after Fryderyk was born the family moved to Warsaw, where Mikolaj Chopin received a job as a French language and literature lecturer in the Warsaw Lyceum. He also ran a boarding school for sons of the gentry (Murdoch).

Fryderyk was extremely musically talented even as a child and was compared to the early childhood genius of Mozart. By the time Fryderyk turned seven he was the author of two polonaises, and the first one was published in the engraving work shop of Father Cybulski (Murdoch). The young composer was featured in the Warsaw newspapers and also began giving public charity concerts. Wojciech Zywny was Fryderyk’s piano teacher from 1816 to 1822 when the teacher was not able to help Fryderyk because his skills were better than his own.

Fryderyk attended the Warsaw Lyceum where his father was a professor from 1823 to 1826. His summer holidays were spent in estates belonging to the parents of his school friends in various parts of the country. Chopin became well acquainted with the folk music of the Polish plains in its authentic form, with its distinct sound, rhythms and dance vigor. Fryderyk resorted to this source of inspiration when composing his first mazurkas in 1825, as well as later ones until the very end of his life (Huneker).

Chopin began studying the theory of music, figured bass and composition, in the autumn of 1826, at the Warsaw School of Music. The Warsaw School of Music was part of the Conservatory and, at the same time, connected with Warsaw University. Chopin, however, Chopin did not attend the piano class. Jozef Elsner, the head composer, aware of the exceptional nature of Chopin’s talent, allowed to concentrate on piano music but was unbending on theoretical subjects, in particular counterpoint. Chopin gained solid founding, discipline, and precision of construction, as well as an understanding of the meaning and logic of each note while in Elsner’s school. During this period he composed his first extended works such as the Sonata in C minor, Variations, op. 2 on a theme from Don Juan by Mozart, The Rondo a la Krakowiak, op. 14, The Fataisie, op. 13 on Polish Airs and the Trio in G minor, op. 8 for piano, violin and cello. Chopin finished his education at the Higher School in 1829, and after his third year of his studies Elsner wrote in a report “Chopin, Fryderyk, third year student, amazing talent, musical genius” (Murdoch).

Chopin planned a longer stay abroad to become acquainted with the musical life of Europe and to win fame after completing his studies. He had never left Poland until then with the exception of two stays in Prussia. In 1828 he accompanied his father’s friend, Professor Feliks Jarocki, on his journey to Berlin to attend a congress of naturalists. There, unknown to there Prussian people, he concentrated on observing the local musical scene. Now he started to pursue bolder plans (Huneker). While in Vienna with Wilhelm Wurfel introduced him to the musical milieu and enabled Chopin to give two performances in the Kartnertortheater in 1829. He played Variations, op. 2 on a Mozart them and then Rondo a la Krakowiak, op.14, as well as performing improvisations. The public had loved him, even though the critics censured the performance because of its small volume of sound, and called him genius at the piano and praised his compositions.

Once Chopin returned to Warsaw he devoted himself to composition and wrote two Concertos for piano and orchestra: in F minor and E minor. The first concerto was inspired to a considerable extent by the composer’s feelings towards Konstancja Gladkowska, who studied singing at the Conservatory (Murdoch). This was also the period of the first nocturne, etudes, waltzes, mazurkas, and songs to words by Stefan Witwicki. Chopin gave many public performances at the National Theatre in Warsaw where the premiere of both concertos took place, during the last month before his planned longer stay abroad.

In the autumn of 1831 Chopin arrived in Paris where he met many fellow countrymen. Following the national defeat, thousands of exiles, including participants of the armed struggle, politicians, representatives of Polish culture and Warsaw friends of Chopin, the poets Stefan Witwicki and Bohdan Zaleski, looked for protection from the Russian occupation in a country and city which they found most friendly (Huneker). Chopin made close contacts with the so-called Great