The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1894-11-28
The following excellent sketch of the
life of Chopin was read before the Piano
Club, in this city, at its recent public re
cital, by Mrs. S W. Cochran

| father a native FIenchman his mother,
Justine Kryzanomska, was Of apure Polish
family, and while most of his life was spent
in Paris, he yet inherited from his mother
the sad minor proclivities of the Polish
character, his intense love for his country
being shown BY his carrying handful of
its soil away with him, and, after sixteen
years, requesting it should be placed in
his coffin, that he might have his eternal
sleep on his native soil. We are told
that while mere boy he used to amuse
himself by searching on the piano for har-
monies of which the constituent notes
were widely scattered on the keyboard,
grasp them, lie devised mechanism for
stretching them, which he wore at night.
10 1918, when barely nine. he played a
concerto by Gyrowetz. he was educated
in select private school of his fathers,
where many young men Of coed family
were brought together. II is q mi cnncep-
ton that his geniu rose Pho lx-like into
sudden maturity, but, ON the contrary, it
passed through all the several stages OF
development, like that of other compos-
ers, and the apparent maturity of his first
published works is due 10 the fact that
he destroyed his earliest tForls.
Schuman said, in Chopn's G Minor
Nocturne he could see terrible declara-
ton of war against whole musical past
How true he was we now know, for
Chopin can very truly he called the ex-
pouent OF the modern style Of compost
ton for piauoforte. While retiring ard
quiet 10 disposition, he yet declared, when
but twenty two years of age, his deter
mination 10 create new ep' CHI in art.
He was a most conscientious composer,
and We are given a picture OF him as
shutting himself up in room for ehtire
days, weeping, walking about, breaking
his pen, repeating and changing bar
hundred times, and beginning again next
day with minute and desperate Persever-
anco. He would spend six weeks over
single page, only to go back and write
that which he had traced at the first. AT
nineteen he was considered finished vr-s
tuoso, equal If not superior to all contemj
porares, except List.
Armed with his two concertos and Some
minor pieces, he started by the way Of
Vienna and Munich for Paris, from there
expecting to go to England. But the ut
ter lack of appreciation and financial
straits 60 discouraged him that he never
left Paris again, except on two or three
occasions.
1t was iu this gay capital he was taken
one night to party and played before
the fashionable audience, and so fascnat-
ed them he was Immediately voted their
darling. Thus Dame Fashion in her er-
ratio flights sometimes lights quite mad
vertently on that which is good, noblest
and best, for we must not make the mis-
take in supposing these social lights dis
covered or fully appreciated his wonder,
full genius; but, rather, bis distinguished
elegance, combined with that rare sym
pathetic tone of his music, won him his
place in their CIRCLES. His teacher, Elsner,
List, Schumann and a few others OF the
musicians of his time, detected his great
power, appreciated his genius and adopt,
ed his methods.
The world suffered great loss when
band If ignorant soldiers found the bun
die of letters which Chopin had written
from Paris TO his parents and used them
to feed the fire which cooked their sup
pers; but it lost still greater treasure
when Chopin tore up the manuscript of
his pianoforte method which he began to
write in the last year of his life, but never
finished.
While his life seems to have been filled
with disappointment, we yet get glimpses
of its brighter side. Socially speaking,
he was success and used to convulse bis
hearers sometimes by playing one of his
own compositions in a regular, exact man
ner. which amused them much, but proved
also how captivating and inimiable was
his own peculiar style. AS carcaturist,
also. he excelled and used to mimic even
the mighty List, who, however, had
enough good nature to enjoy rather than
resent his actions.
While he might have delighted Paris
with his music every night, he was so
disheartened with the result of his first
Concert he did not appear in public again
for fourteen years, but undertook the
drudgery Of instruction TO limited mum
Der OF pupils.
In affairs OF the heart he was thrice dis
appointed. His first love, who wore his
engagement ring when he left Warsaw,
proved failhless to the absent lover ana
married another. His second love de-
ceived him 10 the same way, preferring
count TO genius while George Sand,
with whom he was fascinated from the
moment of his introduction, after appar-
eutly reclprocatiug his attachment, not
only discarded him, but put him In one Oh
her novels under the name OF Prince
KaroI," whom she depicts as high no"n'
consumptive and exasperating nuisance
and while List describes their life at
MsioIca, where she had taken him for bis
health, as a period of calm enjoyment,
she herself describes it as one of discom-
fort and distress.
The germs of consumption, the mclan-
choly Polish character and bis personal
disappoin,ments 10 life, may account Tor
the minor strains in his poetic illusions
and no doubt FASTENED to close life
whose brevity deprived posteriiy OF so
much rich material. His death occurred
in Paris, October IT, 1s49. His grave is