I hope you enjoyed this little journey through Chopin's life and work! You will find each piece played in this video on Apple Music Classical - get your two month free trial here: apple.co/Classical2
@heartofthekeys Poland did not exist during Chopin's lifetime at all. It was invaded and partitioned between Russian Empire (Warsaw), Prussian Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1772. He did not return to Poland because Poland did not exist and he was on exile. This is because he refused to perform for the Russian emperor. Poland regained independence in the aftermath of the end of the First World War in 1918. Between 1772 and 1918 we had no country. One of the fathers of newly regained Polish independence in 1918 was another great Polish composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Hid friendship with US president help negotiate our freedom. Chopin helped preserve our culture and identity which was particularly important when we were technically Russian, Prussian and Austro-Hungarian colony
It was brilliant to talk about the colors in the context of Chopin’s work and matching the colors of your dress and time of the day to the story you are narrating and the music you are playing. This video clearly shows how much work and attention to detail you put into it; it is truly impressive!
I sincerely didn't think a new Chopin's Evolution video was necessary, but I was wrong ! What an outstanding work as always, top quality content.. Magnifique video Annique !
if you don't mind, I am going to share this in my facebook account, so that more people know the history behind Chopin's music :) thank you, again, for your videos
Wow! The G min ballad was fantastic! Brought back memories to me, grew up listening to Chopin. My god-brother was a classical pianist and I would lie under his baby grand and be taken to another world with this beautiful music 🎶 Thank you for these lovely pieces of Chopin. Have your CD and hope to hear more. 👏 - Michael G. in Texas, USA
I really enjoyed this lecture.Its not the same boring thing with just talking and a little bit of pictures here and there,you actually made it really interesting.I would love if you made this a series and i request your next composer to be Franz Liszt.Love from Croatia❤
I just love Chopin and he has so many underated works like his first sonata.sometimes it’s so sad to see composers with like 100op and no one remembers them but I’m so glad Chopin is still very well known I couldn’t imagine my piano journey without him
I am surprised Chopin never wrote an opera. He loved opera and the lyrical Arias that comes out through his music. His Preludes are so lyrical. I thing I like most of his preludes more than some of his Etude. Congratulations on your upcoming concerts.
He never wrote a Symphony neither. Orchestral writing was never his thing - he expressed his feelings through the piano like nobody else did at the time… He was NOT an orchestral composer, including opera. He was piano music composer. His original orchestrations for his piano concertos etc. had to be re-worked by his friends or editors, re-orchestrated, improved (as we hear them today).
Great presentation! I think if I had only one composer to listen to, it would be Chopin! You have such a wonderful feel for his music (and also for Beethoven)!
Really great stuff Annique. This is my favorite video from you all time. I must say your playing has matured and is very special. I loved how you played everything but especially the G Minor Ballade. That middle section starting at 15:40 and then again at 16:26 is such wonderful writing. I loved how you did it. Great tempo, beautiful articulation and dynamics, which were perfect for my ear. I used to play this 20 years ago except for the coda which I crashed and burned. :) You've inspired me to go back to this and "slay the dragon" once and for all. Your practice tips on the Liebestraume cadenzas were so helpful that I got them in my fingers in 3 weeks. I was thrilled. I'll do that with the G minor coda. Every Ballade is an absolute musical treasure. BTW, your Boston Piano sounds great too. Thanks and best of luck with your career.
Great job, Annique, and you have great taste! Artur Rubinstein is my absolute hero. The GOAT of the piano in my opinion. Both of Chopin's concertos are great works that touch deeply into our hearts. And BRAVA! Finally we get to hear you play at least some from Chopin's Sonatas, although the B minor Op.58 is my personal favourite (and I've just acquired it and am actually currently polishing on it).
@diom00 All of his Chopin, Brahms, Schumann, Beethoven, and Schubert. It's really hard to pick one. Rubinstein was such an all-round pianist that he played every composer with poise and conviction. Perhaps his only weaker link was the monaural recording of the Chopin Preludes Op.28. I fell in love with this pianist in the early-mid 1970s through his vinyl LP of Beethoven's Pathetique, Moonlight and Les Adieux Sonatas.
As a whole, I prefer the first concerto, but the second movement of the 2nd concerto it´s my favorite of all of them. Sometimes I cry when I listen to it.
"These pieces are telling a story without using one single word." - Oh, but the music itself speaks volumes!!! I can't listen to the G-minor Ballade without hearing its magnificent, unspoken story. Fred
One of my favorite Chopin pieces is the one you close with, unidentified. It is the Étude Op. 10/3 in E major. I think my favorite is his Heroic Polonaise in Ab. Or maybe the Ballade No. 1 in Gm, which is way beyond my ability. Thank you for a marvelous stroll through the music of the Master of the Piano. I found it captivating. Fred
This was very informative. Chopin is definitely my favorite to play and listen to, this just bolstered my interest. Thank you so much, Annique! I hope to catch one of your performances soon!
Yundi li's Chopin concerto no1 from the 14th Chopin competition is probably the best version. He was ridiculously good. I love his style and the quality of sound is out of this world. I can't believe he could do that in such a young age. just pure miracle.
We must remember that Chopin was as French as he was Polish, because his father was French and it's certain that the two spoke French at home, and that his father who taught French to Polish aristocrats made sure that his son's French was impeccable. Consequently, when Chopin arrived in France it would not feel like a foreign country to him. It was his father's country where he had relatives and later friends, and the language and culture of which he was intimately familiar with.
On the more tender side, my favorites are mazurka op 17 no 4 and op 10 no 3 etude. From the wilder side, I love the op 25 no 12 etude and the 2nd ballade (especially pogorelich's rendition)
Awesome video! I'm a new subscriber and really enjoyed your video format. It's very well put together and I loved watching you play. Thanks so much for all your hard work. I look forward to seeing you one day in concert 😊
The Polonaise-Fantasie is like a journey back in time, from Chopin's perspective: back to his childhood and away from the absence of his family and friends in Paris
That was so interesting! I really loved it, thanks Annique for that video and I hope you'll do the same with other classical pianists :) Also when you come to Paris in two days, I warmly recommand you visiting the Père Lachaise cemetary where there is Chopin's grave! Can't wait to see your concert btw, see you there!!
Complimenti sei bravissima e altrettanto bella! Amo sentire le tue interpretazioni.La tua solarità e la tua grande passione per la musica pianistica, soprattutto quella romantica del periodo chopeniano, rende i tuo video fantastici, entusiasmanti. Riuscire a trasmettere le emozioni provate, non è semplice quanto suonare i capolavori del grande Maestro. Ancora complimenti. Michele.
I love listening to Annique (despites that quirky curled forefinger!). 😊 I can't imagine a world without Chopin's piano music. I think he was weakest at the concerto format, where as he is untouchable (to me) in the any solo recital format. I'm glad you included the Kissin clip - to me, he is the epitome of Chopin interpretation. His performance at the Royal Albert Hall is perhaps the greatest concert ever.
What a good video, the effort you put into these is really appreciated. I am learning Ballade no. 1 now and I am discovering how beautiful the story it tells is, open to so much interpretation. Now I need a violinist to go with it 😅
Ich schließe mich auch der Meinung an, dass sich die biographischen Infos sehr gut mit der konkreten Musik vertragen und man dadurch Chopins Leben und Schaffen noch besser nachvollziehen kann. Ein schönes Video 👍🏼
Thank for for this documentary style video. You should do the same for Liszt, Bach, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin (my favorite composers ; ) ). Thanks in advance and great job.
Oh I love this video, I hadn't though that I'd bear to listen all the stories of this video, but your exquisite playing of the childish polonaise in G minor made me change my mind and stay on. I love the way you present it, and all the other stuff. I have read Eigedinger, Samson, and other biographies and analysis, therefore I doubted that I could bear to listen all of your video, but the title, "How he became the LEGEND", fascinated me beyond just enjoying hearing another angle on Chopin. I like the F-minor Concerto mostly because of the expressive harmonic runs of the second movement. Excuse me I also love the dress you use.
Do you answer the question? What made him a legend, as opposed to Liszt, and even to the later generations of incredible piano-virtuosos and great composers like Moskowsky, Busoni, Godowsky, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and many more is that his expressivity which you emphasize is present even in the childish G-minor polonaise. But the best explanation why he has become a LEGEND is that every piece from him is an earhanger, more or less, there are some which stand out, but others become earhangers when some film-director discovers its beauty, - like the second movement of the E-minor concerto used in its entireness in the film "The Truman Show", a caricature of modern TV series with one seriously tragic scene - the lovescene with this Larghetto from Chopin's E-minor concerto (written when he was barely 20 years old).
Love this style of video, and congratulations on the Apple Music sponsorship. Apple Music is my favorite of the music streaming services because of their classical app and better human curated playlists and writeups.
My favorite is definitely the Polonaise fantasy in A flat major because of its complexity and the 'easter eggs' of so many other Chopin pieces. I really admire this pholyphonic way of Chopin's composing wich only appeared in his latest works:)
The last mvt his sonata I think is complex but after you listen to various recordings (my favorite recording is by Rachmaninoff) then it will sound very cool and epic
This was your best video yet. I enjoy learning the history behind these composers, knowing the "human" side. It adds to the experience to watch you play these pieces (from a bird's-eye view!) at the same time as listening to them. I love Chopin but that finale looked and sounded to me like Piano Gymnastics. Not one of my favorite parts by him.
As you pay georgeous attention to so many details...just to mention that in French the "d" is pronounced in the name of George Sand ("Jorje Sonde") ;-)
I have many of Chopin's works on my Mac Music (formerly iTunes) playlists. I started out with a CD set from COSTCO then from the iTunes store I bought, "The Very Best of Chopin", "50 of the Best:Chopin", and "The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Piano." I like to rank them from one star (*) to five stars (*****) and then check the heart column of my top (4 & 5 star) favorites. That way I can enjoy the best of the best in one playlist.
By the time he was 19 he'd completed his style. Unless one knows the history, it's impossible to tell when he composed his pieces. His piano concertos which he composed when he was nineteen pretty much defined his style until his death.
Echt schönes und aufwendiges Video! 👍 Danke!🙏 Ich selbst habe heute erst op. 28 Nr. 7 wieder und wieder gespielt. Wenn man die wichtigsten Biographien über Chopin schon kennt, dann kann ich den Roman "Lucrezia Floriani" von George Sand empfehlen. Hier rechnet sie mit Chopin ab, nachdem sie keine Hoffnung mehr auf eine erfüllende Beziehung mit ihm hat. Für mich sind viele seiner Stücke und sein Leben ein Wunder, was ich nicht begreifen, nicht fassen kann.
Really enjoyed this. One of my favorites from his early works is the Op. 3 Polonaise for cello and piano - which he dismissed as frivolous, but I think it's one of his most joyous pieces (and Carl Czerny even made a solo piano version of it!). What's your take on his B minor sonata compared to the B flat minor? And are your concerts in Paris and London going to be livestreamed, or posted afterwards at some point (for those of us across the pond?) Thank you!
F minor Ballade is my favorite. Never gets boring even after tinkering with it for thirty years (it's got many technical challenges). I also love how Chopin "stole" the descending pattern of the last lines of this ballade (D flat, C, A flat, F) and put it to great use as the opening motif of his last sonata, Bminor (G, F sharp, D, B and another F sharp an octave lower). Did he do that intentionally, or was it from his unconscious? Maybe we'll never know.
Chopin’s Journey to Majorca In 1838, Chopin, already well-known for his delicate yet powerful piano compositions, found himself struggling with worsening health. With symptoms pointing to a likely case of tuberculosis, his romantic partner, George Sand, a bold and unconventional writer, proposed a change of scenery. They planned an escape from the cold, damp winters of Paris to the warmer, sunnier island of Majorca, Spain, where Chopin hoped to find the peace and warmth he so desperately needed. Arriving in Majorca, Chopin and Sand were initially thrilled. The island’s landscapes were stunning-cliffs that overlooked azure seas, olive groves that sprawled across hills, and skies that stretched endlessly above them. Sand believed that the fresh air and sunlight would help restore Chopin’s health, and for a time, it seemed to work. Chopin’s spirits lifted as he took in the beauty around him, and soon enough, he began working on his famous *Preludes*. He felt inspired, ready to pour his emotions and energy into his music. But while Majorca’s charm was undeniable, things didn’t go as smoothly as they had hoped. The couple rented a small villa in the countryside, but local villagers, suspicious of the unmarried pair and unnerved by Chopin’s incessant coughing, began to treat them as unwelcome outsiders. They whispered rumors about Chopin’s illness, believing it might be contagious and worrying it would bring harm to the community. As a result, Chopin and Sand found it increasingly difficult to buy food or secure basic supplies. The biggest setback, however, came when Chopin realized he had left behind something crucial to his work-his beloved piano. He was forced to rent a local instrument, one that was old, out of tune, and barely capable of meeting his standards. Frustrated, he arranged for his Pleyel piano to be shipped from Paris, only for it to arrive damaged and delayed due to storms on the sea. The delay felt agonizing, and his health began to worsen without the familiar solace of his piano. In the meantime, Sand encouraged him to write on the faulty instrument he had. Despite his irritation, Chopin pushed through, composing his melancholic *Raindrop Prelude* among others, using the irregular sound of raindrops on the villa roof as inspiration. The constant patter of rain was both comforting and haunting, and the piece reflected his mixed emotions-grief, frustration, and resilience. When their villa became uninhabitable due to dampness and mold, Sand managed to secure a room for them in a former monastery in Valldemossa. Although it was far from luxurious, the Carthusian monastery provided a peaceful, remote environment where Chopin could focus on his compositions. The atmosphere in the old stone monastery added a unique aura to Chopin’s work, inspiring a sense of isolation and intensity that resonated through his music. But even here, challenges continued. The local climate took a toll on Chopin’s fragile health, and the limited medical assistance available at the time meant he had to rely on Sand for most of his care. As winter progressed, Chopin’s condition deteriorated, and he became feverish and weak. Yet, he poured every ounce of remaining energy into his compositions, crafting some of his most hauntingly beautiful works. Sand later remarked that his music during this period was “full of sorrow and longing, like a man crying out in the wilderness.” After several months, it became clear that the dream of healing in Majorca was not going to be realized. The harsh winter weather had brought more challenges than relief, and Chopin’s health had worsened rather than improved. Sand decided it was time to return to Paris, where Chopin could receive better medical care. The journey back was arduous, as Chopin was weak and feverish, yet the promise of returning to familiar surroundings lifted his spirits. When they finally arrived in Paris, Chopin continued to compose and perform, though his time in Majorca had left a lasting impact on both his music and his health. Despite the hardships, his experiences on the island enriched his compositions with an emotional depth that resonated with audiences. The music he created during this time, including pieces like the *Raindrop Prelude*, captured a beautiful yet tragic portrait of his struggle, one that would endure for centuries as a testament to both his talent and his resilience. Chopin’s time in Majorca teaches us a poignant lesson about the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Despite facing social rejection, failing health, and the challenges of a foreign land, Chopin’s determination to create music never wavered. Through his struggle, he managed to channel his emotions into compositions that not only served as an outlet for his pain but also gifted the world with some of the most evocative pieces in classical music.
I hope you enjoyed this little journey through Chopin's life and work! You will find each piece played in this video on Apple Music Classical - get your two month free trial here: apple.co/Classical2
You should do this for other composers as well. I loved this video.
@heartofthekeys Poland did not exist during Chopin's lifetime at all. It was invaded and partitioned between Russian Empire (Warsaw), Prussian Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1772. He did not return to Poland because Poland did not exist and he was on exile. This is because he refused to perform for the Russian emperor. Poland regained independence in the aftermath of the end of the First World War in 1918. Between 1772 and 1918 we had no country. One of the fathers of newly regained Polish independence in 1918 was another great Polish composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Hid friendship with US president help negotiate our freedom. Chopin helped preserve our culture and identity which was particularly important when we were technically Russian, Prussian and Austro-Hungarian colony
😊
I have read a book of his life, pieces,etc
I would like to see your sister playing with you.
I like how you're performing examples of his music, instead of just basically a lecture. Makes the video a lot more dynamic.
Hear, hear!
I loved this video. I'd love to see more like these with other composers!
Powerful emotions felt through his music!! Thank you. 🇵🇱
chopins fantasie in f minor is an underrated gem, really fun to play too
I love it. I cannot play it just read it.
Chopin's Sonata Op. 35 is one of my favorites too, is absolutely gorgeous.
You’re my inspiration honestly. You talk about Chopin like the legend he is. Best wishes😁🎉
You’ve created a new form of UA-cam video that I enjoy. Thanks!!
It was brilliant to talk about the colors in the context of Chopin’s work and matching the colors of your dress and time of the day to the story you are narrating and the music you are playing. This video clearly shows how much work and attention to detail you put into it; it is truly impressive!
I sincerely didn't think a new Chopin's Evolution video was necessary, but I was wrong ! What an outstanding work as always, top quality content.. Magnifique video Annique !
if you don't mind, I am going to share this in my facebook account, so that more people know the history behind Chopin's music :) thank you, again, for your videos
Omg you're an inspiration 😮I love how you talk about chopin and your playing is so crisp and beautifully articulated!!!
Wow! The G min ballad was fantastic! Brought back memories to me, grew up listening to Chopin. My god-brother was a classical pianist and I would lie under his baby grand and be taken to another world with this beautiful music 🎶 Thank you for these lovely pieces of Chopin. Have your CD and hope to hear more. 👏 - Michael G. in Texas, USA
Very well done, Annique. Thank you.
I really enjoyed this lecture.Its not the same boring thing with just talking and a little bit of pictures here and there,you actually made it really interesting.I would love if you made this a series and i request your next composer to be Franz Liszt.Love from Croatia❤
Thanks!
I just love Chopin and he has so many underated works like his first sonata.sometimes it’s so sad to see composers with like 100op and no one remembers them but I’m so glad Chopin is still very well known I couldn’t imagine my piano journey without him
I am surprised Chopin never wrote an opera. He loved opera and the lyrical Arias that comes out through his music. His Preludes are so lyrical. I thing I like most of his preludes more than some of his Etude. Congratulations on your upcoming concerts.
He never wrote a Symphony neither.
Orchestral writing was never his thing - he expressed his feelings through the piano like nobody else did at the time…
He was NOT an orchestral composer, including opera.
He was piano music composer.
His original orchestrations for his piano concertos etc. had to be re-worked by his friends or editors, re-orchestrated, improved (as we hear them today).
Great presentation! I think if I had only one composer to listen to, it would be Chopin! You have such a wonderful feel for his music (and also for Beethoven)!
Really great stuff Annique. This is my favorite video from you all time. I must say your playing has matured and is very special. I loved how you played everything but especially the G Minor Ballade. That middle section starting at 15:40 and then again at 16:26 is such wonderful writing. I loved how you did it. Great tempo, beautiful articulation and dynamics, which were perfect for my ear. I used to play this 20 years ago except for the coda which I crashed and burned. :) You've inspired me to go back to this and "slay the dragon" once and for all. Your practice tips on the Liebestraume cadenzas were so helpful that I got them in my fingers in 3 weeks. I was thrilled. I'll do that with the G minor coda. Every Ballade is an absolute musical treasure.
BTW, your Boston Piano sounds great too. Thanks and best of luck with your career.
Great job, Annique, and you have great taste!
Artur Rubinstein is my absolute hero. The GOAT of the piano in my opinion.
Both of Chopin's concertos are great works that touch deeply into our hearts.
And BRAVA! Finally we get to hear you play at least some from Chopin's Sonatas, although the B minor Op.58 is my personal favourite (and I've just acquired it and am actually currently polishing on it).
any rubinstein recordings that you recommend?
@diom00
All of his Chopin, Brahms, Schumann, Beethoven, and Schubert.
It's really hard to pick one. Rubinstein was such an all-round pianist that he played every composer with poise and conviction. Perhaps his only weaker link was the monaural recording of the Chopin Preludes Op.28.
I fell in love with this pianist in the early-mid 1970s through his vinyl LP of Beethoven's Pathetique, Moonlight and Les Adieux Sonatas.
@@peterchan6082 thanks for the info!
As a whole, I prefer the first concerto, but the second movement of the 2nd concerto it´s my favorite of all of them. Sometimes I cry when I listen to it.
I have a better appreciation for Chopin now. Thanks Annique
You are a wonderful pianist Annique.
"These pieces are telling a story without using one single word." - Oh, but the music itself speaks volumes!!!
I can't listen to the G-minor Ballade without hearing its magnificent, unspoken story.
Fred
Chopin is the 🐐🐐🐐
nah beethoven is
@@cziffrathegreat666 beethoven too 😅😊
Its subjective
@@cziffrathegreat666 Freddie Chops would agree
Facts i'm i'm love with Chopin pieces
If anything he is the GOAT of piano
One of my favorite Chopin pieces is the one you close with, unidentified. It is the Étude Op. 10/3 in E major.
I think my favorite is his Heroic Polonaise in Ab. Or maybe the Ballade No. 1 in Gm, which is way beyond my ability.
Thank you for a marvelous stroll through the music of the Master of the Piano. I found it captivating.
Fred
Sound quality is great and the piano has a beautiful tone. Great video!!! Your charming in many ways.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Sicher einer schoensten Vlog von Ihnen Annique. Gratuliere und weiterhin frohes schaffen.
I have a soft spot for the Andante Spianato/Grande Polonaise brillante op.22. But as for favourite favourite... I love it all.
Danke!
This was very informative. Chopin is definitely my favorite to play and listen to, this just bolstered my interest. Thank you so much, Annique! I hope to catch one of your performances soon!
I needed this video as a Chopin fan 😻 tysm!!
Polonaise in F#min Op.44. picking a favorite is very difficult 😅 love the video.
One of the best videos you recorded!! G minor polonaise is awesome discovery!🤗
Congrats on your cooperation with Apple classical!
this content is soooo interesting. really enjoyed this. Thanks for the upload.
Great video. ... Really love all of your videos !!! 😘😘😘
Love your material! Thank you.
Such a beautiful video and homage to chopin 🙏🏾❤️
Great show. Love it & learn a lot. Thank you. 🎉🎉
Intelligent, pianist, great personality, and gorgeous! 👀❤️ Literally mesmerizing. Wish more women like this existed.
Thank you for bringing Chopin life story - you were amazing in the story telling and the performance
Man this is so well done! You should do more of these!
i loved this video format ! you could do it more times with other composers
Thank you very much!❤❤❤
Beautiful video... Chopin was one of the greatest poets of the piano
Really good video, I like the way you explane the tings with a charming expression ❤. I hope you can do some video about Chopin Waltzes🙏.
Great video, and hilarious: “Always the Germans!” Excellent playing in the Sonata. LOVE all your presentations.
Yundi li's Chopin concerto no1 from the 14th Chopin competition is probably the best version. He was ridiculously good. I love his style and the quality of sound is out of this world. I can't believe he could do that in such a young age. just pure miracle.
We must remember that Chopin was as French as he was Polish, because his father was French and it's certain that the two spoke French at home, and that his father who taught French to Polish aristocrats made sure that his son's French was impeccable. Consequently, when Chopin arrived in France it would not feel like a foreign country to him. It was his father's country where he had relatives and later friends, and the language and culture of which he was intimately familiar with.
On the more tender side, my favorites are mazurka op 17 no 4 and op 10 no 3 etude. From the wilder side, I love the op 25 no 12 etude and the 2nd ballade (especially pogorelich's rendition)
Antique this was very stimulating. Thank you. Do come to New Zealand for a performance with the DSO Dunedin
Awesome video! I'm a new subscriber and really enjoyed your video format. It's very well put together and I loved watching you play. Thanks so much for all your hard work. I look forward to seeing you one day in concert 😊
so excited to see you in paris ! love from france ! et merci pour votre virtuosité pianistique !
The Polonaise-Fantasie is like a journey back in time, from Chopin's perspective: back to his childhood and away from the absence of his family and friends in Paris
Mazurkas it's like an Chopin diary...
Polonaise-Fantasie it's more like a Chopin Biography...
That was so interesting! I really loved it, thanks Annique for that video and I hope you'll do the same with other classical pianists :)
Also when you come to Paris in two days, I warmly recommand you visiting the Père Lachaise cemetary where there is Chopin's grave! Can't wait to see your concert btw, see you there!!
Everyone on earth knows Chopin, probably even the aliens...
Only in western countries. Classical music is very rare in poor and developing countries
I am so excited to come to see and hear you performing Chopin's etudes in Paris ! 😊
Complimenti sei bravissima e altrettanto bella! Amo sentire le tue interpretazioni.La tua solarità e la tua grande passione per la musica pianistica, soprattutto quella romantica del periodo chopeniano, rende i tuo video fantastici, entusiasmanti.
Riuscire a trasmettere le emozioni provate, non è semplice quanto suonare i capolavori del grande Maestro.
Ancora complimenti.
Michele.
I love listening to Annique (despites that quirky curled forefinger!). 😊
I can't imagine a world without Chopin's piano music. I think he was weakest at the concerto format, where as he is untouchable (to me) in the any solo recital format.
I'm glad you included the Kissin clip - to me, he is the epitome of Chopin interpretation. His performance at the Royal Albert Hall is perhaps the greatest concert ever.
Great video, I enjoyed it a lot. I only missed a mentioning of the barcarolle, which to me is the pinnacle of his work
Love this video. Great balance of music and history
What a good video, the effort you put into these is really appreciated. I am learning Ballade no. 1 now and I am discovering how beautiful the story it tells is, open to so much interpretation. Now I need a violinist to go with it 😅
Ich schließe mich auch der Meinung an, dass sich die biographischen Infos sehr gut mit der konkreten Musik vertragen und man dadurch Chopins Leben und Schaffen noch besser nachvollziehen kann. Ein schönes Video 👍🏼
Thank for for this documentary style video. You should do the same for Liszt, Bach, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin (my favorite composers ; ) ). Thanks in advance and great job.
Amazing video and interpretations!!
The second piece - the mazurka in a minor - is not op. 17 but op. 7. But thank you for your inspiring input about chopin.
Oh I love this video, I hadn't though that I'd bear to listen all the stories of this video, but your exquisite playing of the childish polonaise in G minor made me change my mind and stay on. I love the way you present it, and all the other stuff. I have read Eigedinger, Samson, and other biographies and analysis, therefore I doubted that I could bear to listen all of your video, but the title, "How he became the LEGEND", fascinated me beyond just enjoying hearing another angle on Chopin.
I like the F-minor Concerto mostly because of the expressive harmonic runs of the second movement. Excuse me I also love the dress you use.
Do you answer the question? What made him a legend, as opposed to Liszt, and even to the later generations of incredible piano-virtuosos and great composers like Moskowsky, Busoni, Godowsky, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and many more is that his expressivity which you emphasize is present even in the childish G-minor polonaise.
But the best explanation why he has become a LEGEND is that every piece from him is an earhanger, more or less, there are some which stand out, but others become earhangers when some film-director discovers its beauty, - like the second movement of the E-minor concerto used in its entireness in the film "The Truman Show", a caricature of modern TV series with one seriously tragic scene - the lovescene with this Larghetto from Chopin's E-minor concerto (written when he was barely 20 years old).
That piano is such a masterpiece! So beautiful :)
Love this style of video, and congratulations on the Apple Music sponsorship. Apple Music is my favorite of the music streaming services because of their classical app and better human curated playlists and writeups.
My favorite is definitely the Polonaise fantasy in A flat major because of its complexity and the 'easter eggs' of so many other Chopin pieces. I really admire this pholyphonic way of Chopin's composing wich only appeared in his latest works:)
Hi! Amazing video! Cool idea, well done!
PS. 3:09 it's op. 7
PPS. "Żelazowa wola"
should be pronounced with Polish Ż.
Yeah Im polish ;)
Wonderful video! Thank you!
Imagine the masterpieces we would have if penicillin was discovered 100 years earlier.
thanks for making awesome videos
The last mvt his sonata I think is complex but after you listen to various recordings (my favorite recording is by Rachmaninoff) then it will sound very cool and epic
1:16 in and I'm already laughing seeing that HES ONLY 7
Ty for this interesting video! Fantasie-impromptu is definitely my favourite :)
This was your best video yet. I enjoy learning the history behind these composers, knowing the "human" side. It adds to the experience to watch you play these pieces (from a bird's-eye view!) at the same time as listening to them. I love Chopin but that finale looked and sounded to me like Piano Gymnastics. Not one of my favorite parts by him.
Great video! Now one on Liszt, please 😃😍
It would be great if you could do this analyzing other composers :) amazing video
I can't to start studying the Raindrop Prelude, its so beautiful and soft.
Thanks for teaching us some classical history, I don't read into it enough. 💜 I wish to see more.
It's one of my favorites, too. The middle section goes a bit dark and even more beautiful, too..
Outstanding content, Annique!
As you pay georgeous attention to so many details...just to mention that in French the "d" is pronounced in the name of George Sand ("Jorje Sonde") ;-)
Very informative👍You always create great videos🤗Thanks for your great efforts❤
Can u please also make a video about liszt’s story?
Hope you come to Singapore soon!
Love from Sri Lanka❤🤩😘😘😘😘😘😘 🇱🇰
I have many of Chopin's works on my Mac Music (formerly iTunes) playlists. I started out with a CD set from COSTCO then from the iTunes store I bought, "The Very Best of Chopin", "50 of the Best:Chopin", and "The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Piano." I like to rank them from one star (*) to five stars (*****) and then check the heart column of my top (4 & 5 star) favorites. That way I can enjoy the best of the best in one playlist.
3:09 What opus is this? It's definitely not op17, that's for sure.
You are right, it is Op. 7 Nº 6.
its op 7 no 2
3:08 correction: it's Op. 7, not Op. 17.
By the time he was 19 he'd completed his style. Unless one knows the history, it's impossible to tell when he composed his pieces. His piano concertos which he composed when he was nineteen pretty much defined his style until his death.
Echt schönes und aufwendiges Video! 👍 Danke!🙏 Ich selbst habe heute erst op. 28 Nr. 7 wieder und wieder gespielt. Wenn man die wichtigsten Biographien über Chopin schon kennt, dann kann ich den Roman "Lucrezia Floriani" von George Sand empfehlen. Hier rechnet sie mit Chopin ab, nachdem sie keine Hoffnung mehr auf eine erfüllende Beziehung mit ihm hat. Für mich sind viele seiner Stücke und sein Leben ein Wunder, was ich nicht begreifen, nicht fassen kann.
Really enjoyed this. One of my favorites from his early works is the Op. 3 Polonaise for cello and piano - which he dismissed as frivolous, but I think it's one of his most joyous pieces (and Carl Czerny even made a solo piano version of it!). What's your take on his B minor sonata compared to the B flat minor? And are your concerts in Paris and London going to be livestreamed, or posted afterwards at some point (for those of us across the pond?) Thank you!
F minor Ballade is my favorite. Never gets boring even after tinkering with it for thirty years (it's got many technical challenges). I also love how Chopin "stole" the descending pattern of the last lines of this ballade (D flat, C, A flat, F) and put it to great use as the opening motif of his last sonata, Bminor (G, F sharp, D, B and another F sharp an octave lower). Did he do that intentionally, or was it from his unconscious? Maybe we'll never know.
Great video 🙏thx
how many pieces did Chopin composed?
Chopin’s Journey to Majorca
In 1838, Chopin, already well-known for his delicate yet powerful piano compositions, found himself struggling with worsening health. With symptoms pointing to a likely case of tuberculosis, his romantic partner, George Sand, a bold and unconventional writer, proposed a change of scenery. They planned an escape from the cold, damp winters of Paris to the warmer, sunnier island of Majorca, Spain, where Chopin hoped to find the peace and warmth he so desperately needed.
Arriving in Majorca, Chopin and Sand were initially thrilled. The island’s landscapes were stunning-cliffs that overlooked azure seas, olive groves that sprawled across hills, and skies that stretched endlessly above them. Sand believed that the fresh air and sunlight would help restore Chopin’s health, and for a time, it seemed to work. Chopin’s spirits lifted as he took in the beauty around him, and soon enough, he began working on his famous *Preludes*. He felt inspired, ready to pour his emotions and energy into his music.
But while Majorca’s charm was undeniable, things didn’t go as smoothly as they had hoped. The couple rented a small villa in the countryside, but local villagers, suspicious of the unmarried pair and unnerved by Chopin’s incessant coughing, began to treat them as unwelcome outsiders. They whispered rumors about Chopin’s illness, believing it might be contagious and worrying it would bring harm to the community. As a result, Chopin and Sand found it increasingly difficult to buy food or secure basic supplies.
The biggest setback, however, came when Chopin realized he had left behind something crucial to his work-his beloved piano. He was forced to rent a local instrument, one that was old, out of tune, and barely capable of meeting his standards. Frustrated, he arranged for his Pleyel piano to be shipped from Paris, only for it to arrive damaged and delayed due to storms on the sea. The delay felt agonizing, and his health began to worsen without the familiar solace of his piano.
In the meantime, Sand encouraged him to write on the faulty instrument he had. Despite his irritation, Chopin pushed through, composing his melancholic *Raindrop Prelude* among others, using the irregular sound of raindrops on the villa roof as inspiration. The constant patter of rain was both comforting and haunting, and the piece reflected his mixed emotions-grief, frustration, and resilience.
When their villa became uninhabitable due to dampness and mold, Sand managed to secure a room for them in a former monastery in Valldemossa. Although it was far from luxurious, the Carthusian monastery provided a peaceful, remote environment where Chopin could focus on his compositions. The atmosphere in the old stone monastery added a unique aura to Chopin’s work, inspiring a sense of isolation and intensity that resonated through his music.
But even here, challenges continued. The local climate took a toll on Chopin’s fragile health, and the limited medical assistance available at the time meant he had to rely on Sand for most of his care. As winter progressed, Chopin’s condition deteriorated, and he became feverish and weak. Yet, he poured every ounce of remaining energy into his compositions, crafting some of his most hauntingly beautiful works. Sand later remarked that his music during this period was “full of sorrow and longing, like a man crying out in the wilderness.”
After several months, it became clear that the dream of healing in Majorca was not going to be realized. The harsh winter weather had brought more challenges than relief, and Chopin’s health had worsened rather than improved. Sand decided it was time to return to Paris, where Chopin could receive better medical care. The journey back was arduous, as Chopin was weak and feverish, yet the promise of returning to familiar surroundings lifted his spirits.
When they finally arrived in Paris, Chopin continued to compose and perform, though his time in Majorca had left a lasting impact on both his music and his health. Despite the hardships, his experiences on the island enriched his compositions with an emotional depth that resonated with audiences. The music he created during this time, including pieces like the *Raindrop Prelude*, captured a beautiful yet tragic portrait of his struggle, one that would endure for centuries as a testament to both his talent and his resilience.
Chopin’s time in Majorca teaches us a poignant lesson about the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Despite facing social rejection, failing health, and the challenges of a foreign land, Chopin’s determination to create music never wavered. Through his struggle, he managed to channel his emotions into compositions that not only served as an outlet for his pain but also gifted the world with some of the most evocative pieces in classical music.
Great video!