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Frederic Chopin: Composers
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Frederic Francis Chopin was born at a village near Warsaw, in Poland, on the 22nd of February 1810. He was an only son, but he had three sisters, one of whom, the youngest, and Chopin’s favourite, was cut off when only fourteen. For consumption was at work in this little family. Chopin’s father was of French extraction, but he had thrown in his lot with the Poles long before he fell in love with Justina Krzyzanowska, whom he married in 1806. He was very poor, though gifted with a certain native distinction; a man of education and refinement. To him, therefore, the composer owed some of his essential characteristics, to say nothing of his delicate health.
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Chopin's music sold so well that publishers were obliged to reprint his works frequently in order to keep up with demand. Most of these reissues used the plates from the first editions; and since printed scores of this period almost never bore publication dates, later printings are often distinguished only by changes on the title pages, such as the price or the publisher's address. However, there are frequently alterations in the music as well. In Paris editions, some of these variants may be corrections or second thoughts originating with the composer, although it is rarely possible to document his responsibility for them.
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On completing his composition studies with Elsner, Chopin was a fully-formed artist. According to Jachimecki, it is difficult to compare him with any earlier composer, for the style of his works already from the first half of his life is incomparably original. At his age, Bach, Mozart and Beethoven were still epigones of earlier masters, whereas Chopin virtually from the first was no epigone but rather a precursor of the coming age.[20]
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By 1839, Chopin became unhappy with Wessel, because the publisher was often sluggish about sending Chopin his fee and because Wessel insisted on adding flowery romantic titles to Chopin's works, despite repeated complaints from the composer. In later years, Chopin avoided dealing personally with Wessel, preferring to work through a variety of intermediaries or to sell the English rights to a French publisher. For these later works, Wessel once again received corrected proofs rather than manuscripts. Nonetheless, it is now clear that Wessel was an equal partner in the international distribution of Chopin's works, and scholars are still evaluating the importance of these English editions relative to the French and German ones.
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This collection presents, for the first time, the complete Mazurkas of Frédéric Chopin arranged for solo classical guitar. Representing Chopin at his most distinctive and personal, the mazurka is the only form the composer embraced throughout his lifetime. The pieces are unimaginably varied and colorful, ranging from brief and vigorous dances to deep and complex extended works. Always achingly melodic and featuring surprising harmonies not evident in his other compositions, the Mazurkas are a true monument to Chopin's genius. These new arrangements were prepared with rigorous fidelity to the originals, while never sacrificing true playability. Careful attention to every detail of execution combined with thorough notes on each piece and the folk dance tradition that inspired them to make this unique offering truly user-friendly.
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Chopin spent the summers of 1839 until 1843 at Sand's estate in Nohant. These were quiet but productive days during which Chopin composed many works. They included his great Polonaise in A flat major, Op.53 "Heroic," one of his most famous pieces. On Chopin's return to Paris in 1839, he met the pianist and composer Ignaz Moscheles.
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