200 years Chopin

Wszystkiego Najlepszego Fryderyk! I have no idea how to pronounce it, but it means 'Happy Birthday Frédéric' in Polish. Thanks to Fiddler at Rockhound Place to remind me of Chopin's birthday with her post, even though there is no absolute certainty if March first really was the day he was born. Last year we had Mendelssohn to celebrate and this year Chopin. There are celebrations all around the globe, but especially in Poland of course. Chopin's life and heritage is very interesting in the sense that he examplifies in one way how intertwined France and Poland are. Many people think Chopin is French and they are wrong but also a little right at the same time.

While reading about Chopin today, it occurred to me that I have never gone through a Chopin phase. I actually don't think I ever will. I have definite favorite pieces, the very well known Nocturne in E# minor and the Prelude in E minor for example. I would love to be able to play the Etude 25 Winter Wind, usually played very fast, though I prefer it very slow, as it becomes somewhat haunting. If I one were to look into my brain and look at the music section, they would discover a huge love for French composers, from early music to modern. Even though Chopin spent the second half of his life in France and his father had come to Poland from France, I cannot find in his music what I consider typically French. This is neither quantifiable nor educated, just based on my emotional experience.

Like many others though, I struggle at the piano with Chopin. Usually I give up relatively quickly. And then I saw this video on youtube (stick around for 0:25) and it makes me want to run to the piano and play, as much as it makes me want to sell it real fast and look for a different past time.



Robert Schumann on Chopin: "It was an unforgettable picture to see Chopin sitting at the piano like a clairvoyant, lost in his dreams; to see how his vision communicated itself through his playing, and how, at the end of each piece, he had the sad habit of running one finger over the length of the plaintive keyboard, as though to tear himself forcibly away from his dream."