University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-12-27
Great Composers
Frederick Francois Chopin.

of Poland, one who voices all the
passion and sentiment of these peo
pie who were trOdden down by the
Russian. He was born near Warsaw
on February %, 1910. In his youth
he received good general educa.
tion in Warsaw, where he, was sup
ported by a prince who was a patron
or artistic talent This noble was
also a well-knOwn composer and in
early days was of help to Chopin
both financially and artistically
There is in the work of Chopin
little of the gradual process that was
seen in the work of Beethoven for
this mans genius was given at birth
and needed little development.
In 1881 he left Vienna for Eng
land. but this place he never reached
Paris was as far as he got. and this
later became his home However. he
did visit England the year before his
death and was cordially received. In
Paris he became known to the musi-
cal aristocracy before whom he
played: also his connection with
Madame Dudevant, better known as
George Sand, made him famous. The
| relation of these two brought forth
much literature. but whatever this
may have been it cannot be denied
that she looked after him in the
matter of health. and without a
doubt prolonged his life many years.
In 1899 his health began to fail,
SO the couple went to MapOrca,
where he improved. In later life he
declared that the severing of his re-
latiOns with this woman was the
thing that broke up his life. The
last ten years of his life We're a con-
tinual struggle against a pulmonary
disease. to which he at last sue
cumbed in Paris. October Il, 1S49.
Imagine a delicate man of extreme
refinement and mein sitting at the
piano, and playing with no sway of
the body and scarcely any movement
of the arms. depending entirely upon
his narrow feminine hand and deli
cate fingers, and you have Chopin.
He is the lyrical composer par ex-
cellence, of the modern school, and |
the intensity of his compassion finds
its companion only in the songs of i
Heine. to whom he has been COM
pared. Such high tension cannot
long be maintained, hence we find in
him the shorter forms of music-the
etude. the nOcturne, and the national
dances. He never attempted the
symphony. the opera, the oratorio
Because of his delicate health and
his sensibilities he was not a public
player, but performed before the mu-
steal aristOcracy who had been so
kind to him. His delicate style of
music was suited to small audiences.
His first appearance in public was $
at 8 years of age.
AS a pianist, with the exception of ,
Liszt, he is without peer. He used .
he thumb freely on the black keys, | t
IN innovation that had an impor- t
ant influence on modern technique. !, {
As a composer for this instrument he I
stands alone. the peculiar bias of his
genius causing him to produce works +
with those of any 9TH o
II artist. !S
1T is interesting to note that Cho- h
lin and Poe We're kindred spirits. 7
nd if they had been brought togeth- v
r they would have seen and appre- h
lated the common ground in both. i,
hat Poe developed such a spirit in
rosaic America is strange said t
'rof. w. H. POmmer of the depart T
1ent of music, talking about Chopin. O
He was a delicate man and never \
ppeared in public, his style of play W
lg, with his own personal manner, a
eing more suited to the salon. The cl
luSlcldH Hdu the sense TO see this. "
nd so remained a salon player all IL
is life. W
John Field. the famed pianist. d
he man from whom he developed Ct
le nocturne, said he had the talent m
the SickrOOm Schumann said of
i'm that his playing was like can OF
Ons embedded i'm flowers. NJ
"All musicians are musicians plus "
else. Wagner was a mu- fC
clan plus a dramatist, Beethoven it
usician plus a philosopher, Handel of
musician plus a religious man. and &C
hopin was the musician plus the er
BET
His music is one of small waves th
feeling, the great sweep being =
TT for Beethoven His talent was ed
'ontaneous, many of his first works II
ling as good as his last ones" w