CHOPIN, THE TONE POET

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 264, 3 August 1929, Page 24

CHOPIN, THE TONE POET

A PRECOCIOUS COMPOSER HIS LIFE AND MUSIC Continuing their series of evenings with the great composers, Mrs. Albeit Russell and Mr. Trevor Fisher gave a recital of Chopin’s works to a large am enthusiastic audience. A gramophone and records were lent by Mr. E. Dawson, so that performances ol Chopin pieces played by Cortot, Pachmann, and Backhaus were heard and enjoyed. Although Chopin did not excel in any branch of composition except pianoforte writing, he left one ur two charming songs, and Mrs. Russell sang his “Lover s \V ish. Mr. Fisher played “Waltz in Ab, Tmpromm tu in Ab,” “Berceuse,” and "Scherzo in C Sharp Minor.” At the end of the Chopin programme, several other items were given. Mrs. Russell sang the Bach-Gounod “Ave Maria” and “Now’s the Time for Love,” from “Mireille” (Gounod), and Mr. E. Simpson and Mr. Trevor Fisher played the Violii and Piano Sonata in A minor of Schumann, a very littleknown but very beautiful work. Chopin’s Life.

Born of French and Polish parents at Zelagowa Wola, a village near Warsaw, in 1810, Chopin spent his first eighteen years in his native land, where his father conducted a private school to which the children of the aristocracy of the neighbourhood came for their education. Young Frederic, therefore, had the double advantage of a good cultural and social upbringing, with a finishing at the Warsaw Lyceum. He displayed at a very early age extraordinary talent both for piano playing and for composition, and lifter the age of twelve his teachers let him follow his own course, so unique and precocious. was his ability. At 18 he made his first publication—a set of variations on the air La Ci Darem—which earned the enthusiastic praise of Schumann in his musical journal. During his boyhood he spent his holidays in the country, where he absorbed the folk music and national dances of his countrymen. After some concert trips to Vienna and Berlin, where he enjoyed some measure of success, he set off for Paris, which place was to be his home for the rest of his short life. He was now 21, and his individual style was fully developed. He became ono of the most popular pianists and most fashionable teachers of the day, and soon began to publish the long list of compositions which have not only immortalised his name, but have endeared him to every music-lover and student. At 22 he published his first book of mazurkas, and from then until his death 15 years later, he wrote 122 separate works of various kinds for piano, which, with few exceptions, are masterpieces. (Chopin was very critical of his writing, seldom allowing anything to go into print which he did not consider worthy of his best effort) At an early period, it is true, when he was most under the influence of the shallow Parisian society, he produed some superficial pieces which reflect the fashionable style of the day. But his failure as a performer, before big audiences (he was only at ease in the artistic salon, where, indeed, he shone), probably made him more introspective, and led to the composition of finer work. 1 Influence of George Sand. At 27 he met the famous novelist, George Sand, whom he disliked at first, but with whom he soon formed an intimate friendship which lasted eight years. She was rather masculine, very practical, clever and intellectual, with strong character, and yet charming; she seemed to take possession of Chopin, and there is no doubt that to her powerful .influence of personality is due much of Chopin’s best work. His health, was at no time good, and when he became severely ill, she took him, with her children, off to Majorca. Here they had a short spell of glorious weather, such as was expected by visitors who fled from the Parisian winter, but soon the rain and cold came, and after some months of extreme discomfort, they escaped to Marseilles, where Chopin gradually recovered his normal health, devotedly nursed by Madame Sand. After this he used to spend four months a year at her chateau at Nahant, where the bulk of his best work was written. At 37 he quarrelled with her; her ideals were not in sympathy with his, and she, was no doubt, being an active woman, tired of constantly nursing or helping one so sickly as Chopin. He endured a winter of illness and financial embarrassment, and when the revolution of 1848 came, escaped to England, making a trip to Scotland a little later. There he continued to be extremely ill, complaining of the weather, and other conditions, and especially that Scotch women were ugly. Had it not been for the anonymous assistance of the wealthy Miss Stirling, a pupil of his, he would have been in sore traits, for he was earning little or nothing at the time. On his return to France he was nursed by his sister and two faithful friends, resigning himself to the thought of death (he had an incurable malady). Towards the very end George Sand came to the landing outside the door, but for fear of exciting the dying man, they urged her not to go in. Chopin’s funeral, with a service at the Madeliene and procession to Pere-la-chnise, was one of the important events of Parisian life in 1819. His own funeral march, arranged for orchestra, was played on the occasion. His Precocity. Chopin was a most individual virtuoso. From childhood he had shown extraordinary powers as a pianist, and after the age of twelve was allowed to go his own way entirely, and develop as he wished He quite created a new school of pianoforte technique, introducing the poetic element, and demonstrating the artistic possibilities of “piano” and “pianissimo. ' His touch was so deliate and soft that he never required to play very forte to give the necessary contrast. Until his time, pianissimo playing was. practically unknown' so that he startled musicians with the use lie made of quiet effects. One pianist of the older order who played always "forte." "fortissimo." and “forte fortissimo.” came away from a Chopin recital and started bawling in the street, declaring a little later, in explanation, that after so much soft rnns’c he must have some noise. •'/i lone-Poe.. Ueuiv, in tiecluruig CUup>U o geuius, said: “He is uot a virtuoso ouiy, he is aiso a poet; he can make us apprehend the poetry which lives iu fils heart; he is a lune-poel. and 110 enjoyment is equal to that which he'bestows 011 us when he sits tiown at the piano and improvises." Important eliatacieristics of his playmg. anti indeed essentials of the performance of his works, were the use of iiibato, which he so managed that neither time uor rhythm suffered, although obtaining at the same time a beautiful fluctuation of tempo, and his use of tone-graduation which introduced an undreamt-of subtety into playing. In teaching he laid special stress on the importance of smooth execution, beauty of tone, and intelligent phrasing, urging his pupils to study good singing, in order to develop nn expressive method of cnntabile playing. In his musical tastes I’li 'icn had strong likes and dislikes, id'lising Mnz-rt. whose exquisite anti finished style would make a special npnonl to him' admiring Bneh tremendously, but disliking Beethoven, possibly on account of what would appear crude and coarse in the latter's style to one so fastidious ns Chopin: well acquainted with Field. whose nocturnes (the term was invented by him) were the forerunners of Chopin. ’ Field a Slave to Practice. It seems appropriate to mention Field nt this point. Born in Dublin in 1782, he showed remarkable talent for music, and was made a slave to practice by his father and grandfather, both of whom were musicians. As a youth he was taken to the great Clementi, who had exercistvd an enormous influence over pianoforte play-

lug nt Britain, and who, as well as being an eminent teacher ami composer, also maniuaeeuied pianos, lie took the boy timiei- his wing, not only training him, out employing him to display bis piano, taking mm .o Paris, Vienna, and St. I'etersuury, where John Field remained and settled. Here be became very successful with the rich aristocracy, and was tiie most fashionable teacher and musician tn Russia. Among tiis pupils were many distinguished peoioe, and one in particular. named Glinka, was the founder ol tiie Russian National Opera and Russian School of Musig. Field published his Noctures when Chopin was a boy. and they achieved an enormous and widespread popularity, which in some parts of Europe still rivals that of the Nocturnes of Chopin. The delicate and graceful melodies with rippling accompaniments and arpeggios of a few widespread notes, prepart'd the way largely for Chopin’s style. His compositions were very slight compared with Chopin’s, but he originated several characteristics of style which Chopin amplified and developed to I heir fullest extent.