Chopin Life Story

THB . lVlA-5 T UPC *^ rj^L ^ "It- / / Ube /Raster /ftustcians Edited by FREDERICK J. CROWEST ylll rights reserved Chopin By Cuthbert J. Hadden Author of ' George Thomson : The Friend of Burns "Haydn," etc. With Illustrations and Portraits London : J. M. Dent & Co. New York : E. P. Button & Co. 1903 FACULTY UF MUSIC UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO zfisr w^. ^<%,„.iStry Of T*i T5223 9 ML '^'-••:!9. CS4H1 TO MRS BLAIR A SLIGHT RETURN FOR MANY HAPPY MEMORIES Preface The leading authority for Chopin's life is Professor Niecks' biography in two volumes. Karasowski's life, also in two volumes, is valuable, chiefly for letters and other material obtained from Chopin's relatives. It is written without literary skill, and is disfigured by many uncritical embellish- ments. Liszt's so-called biography is not a biography at all, but rather a symphonie funhbre. Mr James Huneker's " Chopin : The Man and his Music " is excellent for its analysis of Chopin's compositions. Mr Charles Willeby's " Freddric Fran9ois Chopin " is less penetrating, but is nevertheless to be counted among the important works in English deaHng with the composer.. The best of the " shorter studies is Mr W. H. Hadow's " Frederick Chopin in "Studies in Modern Music." To all these writers I am much indebted, to Mr Hadow and to Mr Huneker especially. I have purposely avoided the sentimental gush which has been so largely written about Chopin, and have rigidly confined myself to facts. For the rest, I have endeavoured to tell the story of Chopin's life simply and directly, to give a clear picture of the man, and to discuss the composer without trenching on the ground of the formalist. Edinburgh, October 1903. vii — L — Contents PREFACE CHAPTER I — Introductory—A debated birth-date—Chopin's parents—His sisters "Fragile and sickly"—Juvenile activities— Early interest in music— His first teacher—The Warsaw wonder child— Influence of the bon ton— iszt's romancing,—Neither poverty nor pessimism—Joseph Eisner—Theoretical and piano studies—Organ-playing—Talent for caricature—Holiday-making—A boyish letter—Public appearances—Over-study— Prince Radziwill — Finally decides for music ....... I CHAPTER II Chopin starts for Berlin—Letters from the capital— Musical and other experi- ences—A funny mistake—Dining with the savants— In the diligence The innkeeper's piano— Meets Hummel—Hears Paganini—Visits Vienna —Requested to play —A notable dibut—Viennese criticisms—Chopin and the Press—A second recital—A chorus of approval—Interesting acquaint- ances—Prague—Dresden—End of the Wanderjahre . .24 CHAPTER III Chopin's "emotional versatility" — A devourin^^jassion — Constautia Gladowska—The timid lover—To maSn^SSTreafatlied—Meditates flight —Was the passion genuine?—Lost his true self—Visits Prince Radziwill More public appearances—War clouds— Musical interests—Constantia again—The "dear name"—Did she love him?— Her marriage— Last concert in Warsaw—A final farewell ..... 4s CHAPTER IV A knight-errant— Breslau—Dresden—Vienna again—Vienna's forgetfulness Composer and publisher—More disillusions—A warlike impulse—A fit - qfrnelancholy Dolct far niente— Beethoven's doctor—Thalbe^g^^A concert ^asco—The " eternal pence " — Starts for Paris—A terrible agitation—Poland no more—A line of cleavage . • • 59 ix —A Contents CHAPTER V Paris in 1831—Her literary notables, artists, musicians—The romantic move- ment—Chopin and Kalkbrenner—Classic versus Romantic—First concert in Paris—An artistic triumph—A second concert—Chopin's finances- Thinks of emigrating—At the Rothschilds'—A turn in the tide—All the rage—Luxurious tastes— Piano-playing—Meets Mendelssohn— "Chopin- etto"—Distaste for platform playing— Bellini—Another amour—Meeting with Schumann—Visits London . , CHAPTER VI A controversial theme—Introduction to George Sand—George Sand's career " — Two opposites— "Is she really a woman ? —Chopin at Nohant—The Majorca visit—Short-lived delight—" 111 as a dog "—Longing to return- Novelist as nurse—A start for home—George Sand's "maternal adora- tion"—Paris once more—George Sand's Liberty Hall— The Rupture- Versions of the Story— " Lucrezia Floriani"— Is "Prince Karol" Chopin ?—Explanationi.—An inevitable quarrel—Who was to blame?— No Platonic affair—Chopin in the hands of Delilah CHAPTER VII Ten miraculous years—Changing moods—Plays with Moscheles—A fashion- able function—A contemporary estimate—Another concert—A meagre record—Last concert in Paris—The Ariel of pianists—Extremely weak— " " O damnable Revolution ! 126 CHAPTER VIII Arrives in London—Musical matinees—Chorley on Chopin—A "revived " corpse —Practically unknown as a composer—Starts for Scotland—At Calder House—Miss Stirling— In Edinburgh— In Manchester— In Glasgow— Reminiscences and recollections—"Bored to death"—Plays in Edinburgh— Impatient and ill—A parting shot .... 135 CHAPTER IX Nearing the end—A touching appeal—Financial worries—"Something of a child"—Devoted attendants—A pathetic incident—George Sand repulsed —In the sickroom—Princess Czartoryska—Facing the last enemy A dying request ignored—The end—"Improving" the occasion— personal sorrow—The funeral service—A polish custom—At P&re la Chaise ......... 152 — Contents CHAPTER X PAGE His appearance — Face and features — yoice and smile — Portraits — The dandy—An aristocratic bearing—Expensive tastes—Purity of life —His effeminacy— His moodiness—A bundle of contradictions— Money matters — Musical preferences — Literary tastes — As a letter-writer — His patriotism—His religion ....... 166 CHAPTER XI Patient with talent — Impatient with mediocrity—Points of technique- Position of hands—His " Methode des M^thodes"—A pupil's reminis- cence—Teaching pieces— Famous pupils—Chopin the player—His delicate tone—No platform pianist— Moscheles' experience—The /«;//c^"""""" ruhato—Treatment of the pecjal —As an improviser—Mimicry at the 181 keyboard— Interpreting Chopin^^ . ... CHAPTER XII Inefficacy of analysis— Beauty and finish —The Shelley and Keats of musics Chopin is pure emotion —The atmosphere of appreciation—His appeal not universal— Art and invalidism— Chopin's melancholy exaggerated— The "ladies' Chopin"— Formation of style — Influence of Polish folk- song— Points of theory—Small in grea^ things —Compensations—Great in small things ......... 200 CHAPTER XIII Early works —The La ci darem Variations—The Concertos—The Sonatas The Fantasias—The Scherzi—The Berceuse and the Barcarolle—The Bolero and the Tarantella—Polish songs—The Waltzes—The Nocturnes The Polonaises—The Mazurkas—The Preludes—The Impromptus—The Studies—The Ballades ..... 217 LIST OF CHOPIN'S PUBLISHED WORKS . 235 BIBLIOGRAPHY 244 INDEX 247 XI List of Illustrations Portrait of Chopin (Photogravure) . Frontispiece I'AGE Dantan's Caricature of Thalberg . To face 66 George Sand . „ 102 {Engraved by H. Robinson after the painting by A. Charpentier) Calder House, Mid -Lothian, where Chopin resided during his Visit to Scotland in 1848 . „ 140 Marcelline Czartoryska, nee Princess Radziwill, Pupil of Chopin . ,, 158 Portrait of Chopin „ 168 (From an anonymous lithograph after a portrait by Ary Scheffer) Carl Filtsch, Infant Prodigy, Pupil of Chopin „ 189 Chopin's Hand „ 192 {From a marble in the National Museum at Budapest) Facsimile of Prelude in E Minor . „ 229 xu — Chapter I BIRTH—ANCESTRY—EARLY YEARS Introductory—A debated birth-date—Chopin's parents—His sisters ' ' Fragile and sickly"—Juvenile activities—Early interest in music His first teacher—The Warsaw wonder child— Influence of the bon ton— Liszt's romancing—Neither poverty nor pessimism Joseph Eisner—Theoretical and piano studies—Organ-playing Talent for caricature— Holiday-making—A boyish letter—Public appearances—Over-study— Prince Radziwill—Finally decides for One of Shelley's biographers mourns the fate of "mighty poets whose dawning gave the promise of a glorious day, but who passed from earth while yet the light in them was crescent." Shelley, Keats, Byron Intro- —these were all extinguished when their powers ductory were still in the ascendant—when their " swift and fair creations" were issuing like worlds from an archangel's hand. The cant against which Carlyle ful- minated so fiercely would fain have us believe that a " wise purpose " lies behind this untimely slaying of genius. But what if Sophocles had been cut off before the composition of (Edipusl Supposing Handel had died before he had begun to think of writing oratorios A 1 Chopin — before in his fifty-sixth year he conceived the oratorio of The Messiah! What if Milton had been known only by the poems of his youth, with no Paradise Lost to serve as a treasure for countless poetical descendants? If Burns had lived as long as Goethe or Wordsworth ; if Mozart had seen Bach's sixty-five summers; if Schubert, born with Mercadante in 1797, had died with Merca- dante in 1870; if Marlowe had attained the age of Shakespeare ; if Raphael had all but touched the nineties like Michael Angelo,—if all this had been the order of a "wise purpose," what splendid achievements the world might now be rejoicing in ! No doubt there are cases in which an earlier death would have prevented disastrous mistakes ; but I am not with those who regard a man's life as necessarily complete at whatever age he dies. It is an insanity of optimism to delude ourselves with the notion that we possess the best possible works of genius con- signed to the grave before its time. When genius is shown by fate for one brief moment and withdrawn before its spring has merged into the fruitful fulness of summer, we must simply, as the biographer of Shelley says, bow in silence to the law of waste that rules inscrutably in nature. These reflections have a special application in the case of at least four of the great composers. Schubert died when he was thirty-one, Mozart died when he was thirty-five, Mendelssohn died when he was thirty-eight, and Chopin died when he was thirty-nine. Probably Mendelssohn and Mozart, alone of the quartet, with longer lives, would have equalled without surpassing the works which we possess 2 Birth —Ancestry - Early Years from their pens.

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