Chopin Short Biography

Frédéric Chopin 1. Date and place of birth - March 1, 1810 in Zelazowa Wola, Poland 2. Date and place of death - October 17, 1849 in Paris, France 3. Life of the composer - By the age of eight he was recognized as a child prodigy, performing in elegant salons and beginning to write his own pieces. He gave his first recital in Vienna in 1829, and over the next few years he performed at home and through much of German and Austria as well as in Paris. He settled in Paris in 1832 and established himself as an exorbitantly paid piano teacher.

In Paris he composed extensively, but limited his performances mainly to private salons. In 1838 he began an affair with French novelist George Sand. The couple, along with Sand''s children, spent a harsh winter in Majorca, where Chopin''s health plummeted and he was diagnosed with consumption (tuberculosis). Chopin then made an extended visit to the British Isles, but returned to Paris to die in 1849. 4. Musical Style - Frédéric Chopin has long been recognized as one of the most significant and ndividual composers of the Romantic age.

His works link poetically expressive melody and restless harmony to high technical demands. Even his etudes survive as highly appealing concert pieces by emphasizing musical as well as technical values. 5. Some of his major works - Preludes (24) for piano, Op. 28 - Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21 - Scherzo for piano No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 31 - Fantasy-Impromptu for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 66 - Nocturne for piano No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 9/2