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Chopin's Family Background:

Chopin's father, Mikolaj, tutored the son of Countess Justyna Skarbek at the Countess's estate in

Zelazowa Wola. Chopin's mother, Tekla Justyna Kryzanowska, had also been employed there, but at a much younger age. She was the Countess's companion and housekeeper. In 1806,

Chopin's parents married. Frederic Chopin was only seven months old when they moved out ofthe estate to Warsaw. Mikolaj secured a post at the Lyceum and lived in the right wing of theSaxon Palace. Chopin had three siblings.

Childhood:

Given the current living circumstances, Chopin met and associated with three different classes of

 people: professors of academia, middle gentry (most of the students attending Lyceum), and the

wealthy aristocrats. In 1817, the Lyceum, along with the Chopins, moved to the KazimierzowskiPalace next to the University of Warsaw. Chopin quickly gained several lasting friendships with

the boys attending the school long before he enrolled in the university. He was home-schooled

until 4th grade.

Teenage Years:

Chopin received several years of private lessons from Józef Elsner before attending the HighSchool of Music in 1826. He also took organ lessons in 1823 from Wilhelm Würfel. However,

these lessons did not contibute to Chopin's extradordinary keyboard ability; he taught himself.

Chopin did learn rules of composition, though, while attending high school. After graduation, he

traveled and performed. Back in Warsaw at the age of 20, he performed the F minor Concerto toa crowd of 900.

Early Adult Years:

Chopin, depressed by the uncertainty of his future (should he be a public performer or not)and by

his secret love of Konstancja Gadkowska, set off to Vienna in November of 1830. During hisshort stay in Vienna, Chopin managed to compose his first nine mazurkas. Chopin departed

Vienna in 1831, and headed toward Paris. While in Paris, Chopin gave a concerts and earned the

friendships of other great pianists such as Liszt and Berlioz. He became the "premiere" pianoinstructor.

Mid Adult Years:

In 1837, Chopin met a novelist by the name of George Sand. She came from a social classChopin would consider "bohemian." He once said, "What an unattractive person La Sand is. Is

she really a woman?" Nevertheless, a year later they met again and instantly fell in love. Chopin became very ill while staying in Majorca with Sand. However, he was still able to write. He

mailed several preludes to his friend, Pleyel. Upon his recovery, Chopin moved to Sand's manor

in Nohant.

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Late Adult Years:

Many of Chopin's greatest works were composed during his summer stays in Nohant. Although

Chopin's works were blossoming, his relationship with Sand was slowly deteriorating. Manyfamily feuds broke out between Sand's children and Chopin. Tensions between Sand and Chopin

also increased; apparent in her later writings, "...a strange conclusion to nine years of exclusivefriendship." Chopin never fully recovered from the break up. Chopin died of consumption in1849.

Selected Works by Chopin:

Piano

 Mazurka 

  Op. 68/2 - a minor - 1827

  Op. 68/3 - F Major - 1830  Op. 68/1 - C Major - 1830

  Op. 67/1 - G Major - 1835

  Op. 67/3 - C Major - 1835

  Op. 41/1 - e minor - 1838

  Op. 68/4 - f minor - 1846

  Op. 67/4 - a minor - 1846

  Op. 67/2 - g minor - 1848

 Nocturne 

  Op. 72/1 - e minor - 1829  Op. 15/3 - g minor - 1832

  Op. 27/1 - c sharp minor - 1835

  Op. 27/2 - D Major - 1835

  Op. 37/1 - g minor - 1838

  Op. 37/2 - G Major - 1839

 Polonaise 

  Op. 71/1 - d minor - 1828

  Op. 71/2 - B flat Major - 1828

  Op. 71/3 - f minor - 1828  Op. 40/1 - A Major - 1838

  Op. 40/2 - C Major - 1839

  Op. 44 - f sharp minor - 1841

  Op. 53 - A flat Major - 1843