… A genius is forever lost between his imagination and his existence. Chopin shares his experiences with the world, allows the world a view of his inner self. His music continuously gains strength and has an enduring effect on his audiences. The pieces speak a soft yet profound language, transporting the perceptive individual to a poetic state of mind in which he comes to realize the sense of existence and the longing for infinity.
Prof. Irena Poniatowska
“Fryderyk Chopin – The Man and his Music”
Fryderyk Chopin – the Man and his Music, is an exceptional album-book. Each of the abundantly illustrated five essays is devoted to a different aspect of the life and work of this great composer. Each essay is the opportunity of studying the numerous perspectives of Fryderyk Chopin and the masterpieces he has left us.
The passionate texts written by Professor Irena Poniatowska, a prominent authority on Fryderyk Chopin, introduces us to the world of his life and music. Exceptional archive illustrations, contemporary photographs, numerous reproductions of the drawings and the music manuscripts of Fryderyk Chopin’s many compositions add to a better understanding of the composer and enhance the feeling of the mood of his times.
This book is published in cooperation with the Fryderyk Chopin Institute to mark Chopin Year 2010. For Polish readers and all devotees of the composer’s music this album will be an innovative summary of his life, work and talent. For readers just discovering the composer’s greatness it will be a splendid introduction to his marvellous, musical world.
Chapters
The chapter Fate is a short biography within the context of the events that influenced the life and the creative direction of the composer.
Personality brings the reader closer to Chopin as a person, his psyche, his dealings with everyday life and his “dimensions of imagination”.
The Nationality chapter emphasises one of the most important themes in Chopin’s creativity – ‘Polishness’ – his patriotism and personal anguish linked to the difficult history of Poland during this time.
In the essay entitled Sorrow, Chopin’s very expression was used to define the phrasal character of his music as well as the emotional content of his work.
The last chapter, Striving for Perfection – as the title states – shows Fryderyk Chopin as a creator constantly refining his work to perfection, to the ideal realisation of original and equalled creative musical genius.
