This year we are celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of Frédéric Chopin!
I say 'we' as I'm now living in France and he is regarded as a French even if he was born in Poland (1810) and came to live in France in 1830. On the other hand he spent his first twenty years in Poland and Austria and the last nineteen in France, whereby it's quite relevant to call him a naturalized Frenchman.
In the parts where I live - that is to say Région Centre, Berry and notably La Châtre - Chopin is present almost everywhere. This not only connected to the home of the great author George Sand in Nohant but also in names of roads, shops, restaurants etc. alluding to his name.
The bicentennial is observed in other parts of the world too and for more information you can take a look at this site: Chopin 2010.
I say 'we' as I'm now living in France and he is regarded as a French even if he was born in Poland (1810) and came to live in France in 1830. On the other hand he spent his first twenty years in Poland and Austria and the last nineteen in France, whereby it's quite relevant to call him a naturalized Frenchman.
In the parts where I live - that is to say Région Centre, Berry and notably La Châtre - Chopin is present almost everywhere. This not only connected to the home of the great author George Sand in Nohant but also in names of roads, shops, restaurants etc. alluding to his name.
The bicentennial is observed in other parts of the world too and for more information you can take a look at this site: Chopin 2010.
Chopin Concerto Nr. 2 Op 21 Arthur Rubinstein:
In Nohant however - the home of George Sand (one of them and the most important) - there have been a Chopin music festival every year since 1997, called Rencontres Internationales Frédéric Chopin.
2010 is - of course - by no mean an exception and it will surely become an extraordinary festival this very special year!
The festival takes place between 4th and 14th of June and the organizers are Association Musique au Pays de George Sand.
Chopin came to Nohant in 1839 and he there composed two-third of his œuvres and - as many would say - not least some of his very best!
George Sand was - besides a fantastic author, writer of plays and literature critic and so on - a maecenas without whom a lot of writers and musicians, notably Chopin, wouldn't have survived.
Between the 9th and 12th of July there will be a seminar arranged in Nohant and at the same time a ceremony inaugurating a memorial sign, a concert hall and a special site in Nohant bearing the name of Chopin.
For a comprehensive information concerning the events in France, take a look at Chopin2010. Manifestations en France dans le cadre de l'Année Chopin 2010 a l'occasion du bicentenaire de la naissance de Frédéric Chopin.
If you love music and the music of Frédéric Chopin you will find a lot to look at and listen to in France and not least Berry and Nohant!
2010 is - of course - by no mean an exception and it will surely become an extraordinary festival this very special year!
The festival takes place between 4th and 14th of June and the organizers are Association Musique au Pays de George Sand.
Chopin came to Nohant in 1839 and he there composed two-third of his œuvres and - as many would say - not least some of his very best!
George Sand was - besides a fantastic author, writer of plays and literature critic and so on - a maecenas without whom a lot of writers and musicians, notably Chopin, wouldn't have survived.
Between the 9th and 12th of July there will be a seminar arranged in Nohant and at the same time a ceremony inaugurating a memorial sign, a concert hall and a special site in Nohant bearing the name of Chopin.
For a comprehensive information concerning the events in France, take a look at Chopin2010. Manifestations en France dans le cadre de l'Année Chopin 2010 a l'occasion du bicentenaire de la naissance de Frédéric Chopin.
If you love music and the music of Frédéric Chopin you will find a lot to look at and listen to in France and not least Berry and Nohant!
(Photo Chopin copied from: http://www.classiquenews.com/images/articles/8oLjvcpw_M_Frederic_chopin.jpg)
(Photo copyright: http://s1.e-monsite.com/2009/06/29/02/62585098-maison-george-de-georges-sand-jpg.jpg)
3 commentaires:
Chopin is my favourite piano composer!
I visited some places where he lived in Paris, some years ago
Now, I, would like to visit Polland during the 'Chopin Year'!
So much about Chopin we could say but more important is to listen his music, specially the ballads and the concertos (nº 1 and nº2).
He prefered the March Funebre by Mozart (the most beautiful)! But his March Funebre is also very deep!
A wonderful post about Chopin! 'Un hommage' that he deserve completely!
Sonate No 2 ('Marche Funèbre') is a piece of music he wrote when staying in Nohant with George Sand.
Thank you for your commentary!
I do agree with you that he was a magnificent composer. Started early, like Mozart and was of course compared to him.
When in his teens he had composed some fifty œuvres, most of them gone today.
Hope you will be able to visit Poland. In Stockholm (Sweden) the Polish cultural institute, celebrates the bicentennial with concerts and other arrangements.
Thank you very much, for your visit to 'fragments'!
And for let me know your answer to my commentary here about Chopin.
I read that he asked for burning some 'minor oeuvres' (his words) after his death, because he wanted to be remembered as a great composer! He was a perfectionist in the right way, but what a lost!
Greetings from Portugal
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