People tend to think of Chopin as the ultimate romantic – a composer of music that seems to speak of languid infatuation, heartbreak, and love. Yet there is much more to his music than that. He was, in fact, a composer of piano music that was ahead of its time and still sounds avant garde today. Let’s meet this great composer and let him explain his life and his work in his own words.
Ladies and gentlemen,
My name is Frédéric François Chopin. As Classical Archives asked me to tell you a little about my life and work, I am happy to do so.
I was born in 1810, near Warsaw, in a household filled with music and language. From my earliest days, the piano became my voice — a way to say what words could not. Poland gave me melodies I carried with me all my life, inspiring my mazurkas and polonaises that still echo with the rhythms of my native soil.
But in 1830, as my country rose in the November Uprising against the Russian Empire, I left for Paris. I thought it might only be for a short time — yet exile became permanent. My body lived in France, but a large part of my heart remained with Poland. Every phrase I wrote was touched by longing for home.
Paris became my adopted city — a place alive with artists and poets. There, I found friendship, admiration, and an audience who listened not to fireworks of sound, but to whispers of poetry on the keys.
I also became a teacher. It was not the concert stage that defined me, but the countless hours guiding students at the piano. I told them that technique was never enough — each note must breathe, must carry meaning.
I drew inspiration from those who came before me: from the pure architecture of Bach, the clarity of Mozart, and the bel canto beauty of Bellini. Their voices shaped my own, just as I wished my music might guide those who followed.
Among the people who influenced me most was George Sand. Our years together – filled with love and turbulence – left a deep mark. She cared for me when illness weakened me, and her strength gave me courage when mine faltered. At her home at Nohant, surrounded by peace and countryside, I composed many of my most cherished works.
My health was fragile, but perhaps that made me value beauty more urgently. Each note, for me, was a breath, a sigh, a memory.
I never sought the grand gestures of the orchestra. My stage was the piano — intimate, delicate, sometimes fragile, yet capable of infinite expression. My nocturnes, études, and ballades were never written for mere display, but to carry emotion.
If, in my music, you hear tenderness, passion, or the echo of distant Poland — then I am still alive in your hearts. For through the piano, I continue to speak… across time.
A Selection of Works by Frédéric François Chopin Available for Listening on Classical Archives
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Works for Solo Piano
- Ballade No.1 in G-, Op.23
- Ballade No.2 in F, Op.38
- Ballade No.3 in Ab, Op.47
- Ballade No.4 in F-, Op.52
- 12 Etudes, Op.10
- 12 Etudes, Op.25
- 3 Nouvelles études, CT.38-40
- Fantaisie-impromptu in C#-, Op.posth.66
- 5 Mazurkas, Op.7
- 4 Mazurkas, Op.17
- 4 Mazurkas, Op.24
- 4 Mazurkas, Op.30
- 3 Nocturnes, Op.9 (includes the famous ‘Nocturne in Eb’)
- 3 Nocturnes, Op.15
- 2 Nocturnes, Op.27
- 2 Nocturnes, Op.32
- 2 Nocturnes, Op.37
- 2 Nocturnes, Op.48
- 2 Nocturnes, Op.55
- 2 Nocturnes, Op.62
- Nocturne No.20 in C#-, Op. posth, KKIVa/16, CT.127
- 2 Polonaises, Op.26
- 2 Polonaises, Op.40
- Polonaise in F#-, Op.44
- Polonaise No.6 in Ab, Op.53 (‘Heroic’), CT.155
- Polonaise-fantaisie No.7 in Ab, Op.61
- 24 Preludes, Op.28
- Scherzo No.1 in B-, Op.20
- Scherzo No.2 in Bb-, Op.31
- Scherzo No.3 in C#-, Op.39
- Scherzo No.4 in E, Op.54
- Sonata No.2 in Bb-, Op.35
- Sonata No.3 in B-, Op.58
- Waltz No.1 in Eb, Op.18, B.62 (‘Grande valse brillante’)
- 3 Waltzes, Op.34
- 3 Waltzes, Op.64 (includes ‘Minute Waltz’ and famous Waltz in C#-)
Chamber Works
- Cello Sonata in G-, Op.65
- Grand Duo Concertant for Cello and Piano in E (written jointly with Auguste Franchomme), B. 70, KK IIb/2
Works for Piano and Orchestra
- Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise, Op.22
- Fantasy on Polish Airs for Piano and Orchestra in A, Op.13
- Rondo à la Krakowiak in F, for piano and orchestra, Op.14
- Piano Concerto No.1 in E-, Op.11
- Piano Concerto No.2 in F-, Op.21
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