Frederic Chopin Biography
Chopin - Poland's Greatest Composer
Frederic Francois Chopin, one of the greatest composers of all time, was born in Zelazowa Wola, near Warsaw on February 22, 1810. His father was a Frenchman who had lived in Poland for many years and his mother was Polish and of noble birth. He loved to play music, even as a small child. Before he even knew how to write down his ideas, he started to compose music. He took piano lessons when he was 6 years old from a Czech teacher named Wojceich Zywny, who used to base his teaching on Bach and Mozart. When he was 7, his first composition, the Pollonaise in B flat major, was written down by his father, as well as some other dances, marches and variations now lost. At the age of 8, he performed at a public charity concert. During his early years in Warsaw, he loved to hear the premier artists of the time perform. His first published work, a rondo, appeared when he was only 15 years old. He graduated from the lyceum at age 17, and he was recognized as the leading pianist of Warsaw and a very talented composer.
After Chopin gave two successful concerts in Vienna when he was 19, he began writing works designed for his original piano style. In 1822, he finishes his studies with Zywny and begins private composition lessons with Josef Elsner. He enters classes at the Warsaw Lyceum the next year to further study classical literature, singing, drawing, music theory and harmony. By the late 1820s, he had already won the reputation as a piano virtuoso and composer. He toured throughout Europe to the acclaim of audiences and critics, alike. He made his first visit to Vienna in 1829, where he played concerts and received critical acclaim. The audience's response was very favorable and Chopin was impressed with the warm acceptance of his music and pianistic abilities. The following year, he performed the Concerto in F minor with a small orchestra for family and friends, then has its premier in Warsaw's National Theater on March 17.
In Vienna in 1831, he continues to compose some Mazurkas and Etudes, and attends the local opera and becomes very involved in the local musical life. According to some, the first sketches of the 1st Scherzo and Ballade originated in Vienna. Poland then decided to revolt against its Russian rulers. As a...