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- Frederick Chopin, as a Man and Musician — Volume 1
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Frederick Chopin, as a Man and Musician — Volume 1
Chapters
39 totalPREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION (1888) PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION (1890) PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION (1902) PROEM: POLAND AND THE POLES CHAPTERS I-XIX - PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.
PROEM. - POLAND AND THE POLES.
CHAPTER I. - FREDERICK CHOPIN'S ANCESTORS.—HIS FATHER NICHOLAS CHOPIN'S BIRTH, YOUTH, ARRIVAL AND EARLY VICISSITUDES IN POLAND, AND MARRIAGE.—BIRTH AND EARLY INFANCY OF FREDERICK CHOPIN.—HIS PARENTS AND SISTERS.
CHAPTER II - FREDERICK'S FIRST MUSICAL INSTRUCTION AND MUSIC-MASTER, ADALBERT ZYWNY.—HIS DEBUT AND SUCCESS AS A PIANIST.—HIS EARLY INTRODUCTION INTO ARISTOCRATIC SOCIETY AND CONSTANT INTERCOURSE WITH THE ARISTOCRACY.—HIS FIRST COMPOSITIONS.—HIS STUDIES AND MASTER IN HARMONY, COUNTERPOINT, AND COMPOSITION, JOSEPH ELSNER.
ADALBERT ZIWNY.
CHAPTER III - FREDERICK ENTERS THE WARSAW LYCEUM.—VARIOUS EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCES.—HIS FATHER'S FRIENDS.—RISE OF ROMANTICISM IN POLISH LITERATURE.—FREDERICK'S STAY AT SZAFARNIA DURING HIS FIRST SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.—HIS TALENT FOR IMPROVISATION.—HIS DEVELOPMENT AS A COMPOSER AND PIANIST.—HIS PUBLIC PERFORMANCES.—PUBLICATION OF OP. I.—EARLY COMPOSITIONS.—HIS PIANOFORTE STYLE.
CHAPTER IV. - FREDERICK WORKS TOO HARD.—PASSES PART OF HIS HOLIDAYS (1826) IN REINERZ.—STAYS ALSO AT STRZYZEWO, AND PAYS A VISIT TO PRINCE RADZIWILL.—HE TERMINATES HIS STUDIES AT THE LYCEUM (1827). ADOPTION OF MUSIC AS HIS PROFESSION.—EXCURSIONS.—FOLK-MUSIC AND THE POLISH PEASANTRY.—SOME MORE COMPOSITIONS.—PROJECTED TRAVELS FOR HIS IMPROVEMENT.—HIS OUTWARD APPEARANCE AND STATE OF HEALTH.
CHAPTER V. - MUSIC AND MUSICIANS IN POLAND BEFORE AND IN CHOPIN'S TIME.
Description
This volume offers a careful, fact‑based portrait of the famed pianist and composer, exploring both his personal life and artistic output. The author begins by contrasting the freedoms of novelists with the constraints biographers face, setting a tone of measured scholarship. Early sections map the historical backdrop of Poland and the early attempts to chronicle Chopin’s life, from Liszt’s flamboyant tribute to earlier, less reliable sketches. Readers are introduced to the primary sources—letters, contemporary accounts, and the composer’s own writings—that ground the narrative.
Building on that foundation, the biographer presents a nuanced assessment of Chopin’s creative development, drawing connections between his personal circumstances and the evolving style of his piano works. By weaving excerpts from the composer’s correspondence with critical commentary, the author highlights both the genius and the human vulnerabilities that shaped his music. Listeners will appreciate the balanced approach that avoids romantic exaggeration while still capturing the emotional depth behind the nocturnes, mazurkas, and polonaises that defined an era.
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Language
en
Duration
~13 hours (765K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2003-11-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
About the author
Frederick Niecks
1845–1924
A thoughtful music scholar with a performer’s background, he helped shape how English-speaking readers came to know composers such as Chopin and Schumann. His writing blends deep historical research with a clear passion for music itself.
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