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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…

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…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟖 — 𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐏𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐙 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐙𝐓 Of all the composers of his…

𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐈 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤.

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐑’𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 Frédéric Chopin died in his apartment on Place Vendôme in Paris on 17 October 1849, at the age of thirty-nine. That same morning, the French sculptor…

𝐖𝐎𝐉𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐇 𝐆𝐑𝐙𝐘𝐌𝐀Ł𝐀 — 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃, 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 The figure of 𝐖𝐨𝐣𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐆𝐫𝐳𝐲𝐦𝐚ł𝐚 occupies a far more important place in the life of Fryderyk Chopin than his relative absence from popular biographies…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟏–𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟗 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟕 — 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐘𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐇 𝐆𝐑𝐙𝐘𝐌𝐀Ł𝐀 Among the many people who entered…

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…

𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄 — 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓, 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 Auguste-Joseph Franchomme (1808–1884) was one of the most distinguished French cellists of the nineteenth century and, above all, one of Frédéric Chopin’s closest musical friends…

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 𝟒 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 “𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄” 𝐊𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐉𝐀 𝐆Ł𝐀𝐃𝐊𝐎𝐖𝐒𝐊𝐀 In 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟏𝟖𝟐𝟗, when 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 was…

𝐉Ó𝐙𝐄𝐅 𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐘𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐊 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐃 𝐀 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐔𝐒 Józef Elsner (1769–1854) was one of the decisive figures in Chopin’s artistic formation. Strictly speaking, Elsner was primarily a composer, conductor, theorist…

𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐄 𝐇. 𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈 — 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒, 𝟏𝟖𝟏𝟎–𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟎 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑 — 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐉Ó𝐙𝐄𝐅 𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐍𝐄𝐑 When 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 completed his piano…

𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗢 𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗘, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔 𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗘, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔 𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗟 To say that Frédéric Chopin composed only music for the piano is a useful simplification, but it is…

Portrait of Frederic Chopin by Dutch painter Ary Scheffer - 1847

Chopin in 1831

𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐘𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐊 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 — 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃, 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂 Julian Fontana (1810–1869) was one of Frédéric Chopin’s closest Polish friends, and his importance in Chopin’s life went far beyond ordinary…

𝐉𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒𝐙𝐘Ń𝐒𝐊𝐈 — 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃, 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 Jan Edward Matuszyński (1808–1842) was one of Frédéric Chopin’s closest and most trusted friends, a companion from his Warsaw youth who later…

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…

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐘𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐊 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐍 Ł𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐊𝐈 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 The celebrated monument to 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 stands in the western part of 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 Ł𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐤𝐢 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 in 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐰, close to the 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐰𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 and the Warsaw University Botanical…

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐘𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐊 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐌 — 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 The 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 is located in the historic 𝐎𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐬𝐤𝐢 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞, at 𝟏 𝐎𝐤ó𝐥𝐧𝐢𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 in central 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐰, close to the Vistula escarpment and the city’s…

𝐅𝐑𝐘𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐊 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍’𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐖 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 Between 1817 and 1827, the 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 lived in a building adjoining the 𝐊𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐳 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 at the 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐰. Today, the building is marked by a commemorative profile of…