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# **REYNALDO HAHN — A LIFE** ## **I. Origins, Childhood in Caracas and Paris, and the Awakening of a Poet-Musician** Reynaldo Hahn was born on **August 9, 1874**, in Caracas, Venezuela, the youngest of…

# **ERNEST SCHELLING — A LIFE** ## **I. Origins, Childhood Genius, and the Formation of an Artist** Ernest Henry Schelling was born on **July 26, 1876**, in Belvidere, New Jersey, into a family that…

# **IGNAZ BRÜLL — A LIFE ** **A Brahms' friend ** **I. Origins, Childhood, and the Making of a Young Pianist** Ignaz Brüll was born on **November 7, 1846**, in the Moravian town of…

# **IGNAZ BRÜLL — A LIFE** ## **I. Origins, Childhood, and the Making of a Young Pianist** Ignaz Brüll was born on **November 7, 1846**, in the Moravian town of Proßnitz (today Prostějov, Czech…

# **Chopin’s early compositions ** ## 1. The First Polonaises: Childhood Pieces That Already “Sound Polish” Chopin’s earliest surviving works are **polonaises** written when he was still a child, especially the **Polonaise in G…

# **The Warsaw Conservatory Years (1820–1826): A Growing Artistic Identity** When Frédéric Chopin entered his second decade of life, something in his musical nature shifted decisively. The charming prodigy who had delighted Warsaw salons…

# **THE CHILDHOOD OF FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN ** ## **I. A Child of Two Worlds (1810–1812)** Frédéric Chopin was born on **1 March 1810** in the small Polish village of **Żelazowa Wola**, a rural estate…

# **CHOPIN – A LIFE (1810-1849)** # **Childhood in Żelazowa Wola and Warsaw (1810–1820)** ## **Early Life and Family Circle** Frédéric François Chopin was born on **1 March 1810** in the small Polish village…

# **LORIN MAAZEL — 30 ANECDOTES & CURIOSITIES** **1. The Little Boy Who Conducted Before He Could Read** Family friends remembered a toddler standing on a sofa, waving his arms with uncanny authority whenever…

# **KLAUS TENNSTEDT – 30 ANECDOTES & CURIOSITIES** **1. The Quiet Boy Who Heard Everything** As a child in Merseburg, Tennstedt was so shy that teachers feared he lacked confidence. Yet at home he…

# **KLAUS TENNSTEDT – A LIFE IN 20 CHAPTERS** ## **Chapter I – Childhood in Merseburg (1926–1939)** Klaus Tennstedt was born in Merseburg, in the German province of Saxony-Anhalt, in 1926. His childhood was…

Meyerbeer (1791-1864) Composer. He was the most celebrated creator of French grand opera. This style emphasized lavish spectacle and stagecraft, often at the expense of musical and dramatic quality. By sheer talent Meyerbeer managed…

THE LAST DAYS OF FRYDERYK CHOPIN THE SLOW END AT PLACE VENDOME, WHO ACCOMPANIED HIM, AND HOW HE DIED ON 17 OCTOBER 1849 The final months of 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 were not marked by a…

𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄 𝐃𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐓-𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃, 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄, 𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐄𝐋, 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐗 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐃𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭-𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝, later known as 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐥é𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫-𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝, was born in 1828 into a family…

𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄-𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐄-𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐍 — 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐄𝐋, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑, 𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐌 Few figures in nineteenth-century French culture united so many apparently contradictory identities as 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝. She…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟎 — 𝐀 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃 When 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 became 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝’s lover…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟗 — 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐎𝐓 Among the many women who entered 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤…

𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐃𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐊𝐀 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 Maria Wodzińska occupies a singular place in the biography of Frédéric Chopin. She was not merely one of the women associated with the composer’s emotional life:…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟔 — 𝐌𝐎𝐉𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐃𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐃𝐙𝐈Ń𝐒𝐊𝐀 Among all the women who entered 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧’s…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 The move to Paris changed almost every external circumstance of Fryderyk Chopin’s life. Warsaw had…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟎–𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟎 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐉𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐈𝐀Ł𝐎𝐁Ł𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐈, 𝐉𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒𝐙𝐘Ń𝐒𝐊𝐈, 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐀, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐘𝐓𝐔𝐒…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟎–𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟎 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 The first people…

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗚𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗩 𝗠𝗔𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗥? 𝗔𝗹𝗺𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 Among the many relationships that shaped 𝗚𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘃 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗿's artistic life, none was more profound than his…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗭 𝗔𝗦 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗬 𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗙 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝟮𝟬 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘆 — 𝟭𝟴𝟰𝟴 When 𝗛𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘇 returned to France from…