Chopin in Paris: The Life and Times of the Romantic Composer

Chopin In Paris is an amazing biography of the great Romantic composer, Frederic Chopin. It starts off with a little background on Chopin's family, then moves into the time when he left his homeland of Poland for Paris, France, never to return. Szulc makes Chopin's tumultuous relationship with George Sand fun to read about, and is very informative with excerpts from Chopin's letters and many other sources. A little time is devoted to each year of his life (approximately 2 chapters-ish) discussing the music Chopin composed in that year. A very fun book to read if you are interested in knowing a little bit more about one of the greatest composers in history!

Hesitated to get this book for a long time because of the negative feedback from previous one, two, and three star reviewers.After finally getting my hands on it, those negative comments turned out to be either untrue, or so trivial compared to the enormous amount of information provided about our great composer.It is very readable. Lots of details. Lots of quotes directly from Chopin, his friends, Sand, AND most importantly, the circumstances for their remarks. Controversial evidences and author's own opinions were usually pointed out clearly. I felt this is very necessary. If writers inject too many their imaginations, opinions, and guidance into their biography books, then 1520 years from now, nobody will know what truly happened. I hope not only Chopin's music will last for thousands of years, his life story will also be carefully preserved. In case I'm biased, you probably want to know that I'm1. A big Chopin fan.2. Haven't read other Chopin biographies yet (otherwise will claim to be the "biggest fan") so don't know how this one compared to others.3. Did read "Chopin's Letter". I'll go back to read that again because this book helped me a lot understanding all the names and their roles, and the context when a letter was written.4. English is my second language. Since this book is very readable and easy to follow for me, you might find it too plainly written but I really doubt that'll be the case.You'll appreciate this book if you are close to my situation.Submitted on a special day -- October 17.

This is an extraordinarily vivid and detailed portrait. Mr. Szulc has woven together intimate details about Chopin with the broader history of politics and society of Paris and Poland in the 1800's. That may sound rather dry, but it actually makes for incredibly engaging reading - even if you are already quite familiar with the life of Chopin. I do have strong objections to Szulc's "diagnosis" of Chopin as manic-depressive however. With all the information he provides, he fails to set forth any concrete evidence that Chopin suffered from that illness. It's a completely inaccurate label for Chopin. And, the author does seem rather adamant in his assurances that Chopin had no bisexual predilections. While there is "no evidence to suggest" that he had homosexual liaisons (with the Marquis de Custine for example), there is also no evidence to indicate that he did not. But those are minor points in a biography that will otherwise not fail please. This book truly transports the reader into Chopin's world and, ultimately, provides a framework for a greater appreciation of the genius of his music.

Szulc's biography of Chopin is the first biography I have read about a musician. My purpose in reading the book was to become acquainted with the man Chopin. I am a history major and a pianist and very impressed with Szulc's work. Using a multitude of primary sources, Szulc accurately describes who Chopin was. Szulc's greatest success is in portraying Chopin's personality. As a result of reading this book, I have become enthralled with Chopin's music and now delight to play it much more than I did before I read the book. This book has the ability to attach the reader to Chopin and even let him feel some of Chopin's emotion, which made him the finest Romantic pianist and composer. This book is a marvelous achievement, historically sound and musically inspirational.

After reading most of the Chopin biographies, I wasn't sure that there was more I could learn. Tad Szulc offers a more personal and intimate view of this enigmatic master than any others. This is because he brings into play a great deal of material from Chopin's contempories. So much more of the relationship between George Sand is available with a much more sympathetic portrayal of Chopin's third and last great paramour. We also learn about Chopin's personal views on Beethoven, other musicians and artists, on piano pedagogy, based on discussions with his friend and the artist, Delacroix. Chopin's relationship with the Marquis de Custine, who above all others seemed able to understand the inner soul of Chopin and his music. The fact that the marquis was homosexual and perhaps adds to the empathy of one man for the expression of another does not go unnoticed though the author cautions against any inferences that Chopin may have had an intimate affair with another man. Chopin, the sensitive thinker amidst the rich turbulence of the times is portrayed through letters, correspondences and recalled conversations. Chopin is probably the most personal of all the great masters, yet he was aloof from the artistic excesses of his times, played Bach's well Tempered daily, meticulous in his composing habits and yet, a little appreciated fact emphasized by Tad Szulc that Chopin was an innovator and creator of new and important musical forms. Certainly all popular music and jazz harmonies of the 20th century are direcly derived and based on Chopin. If you love Chopin the musician, his music and fascinated with the rich artistic and political times of the early 19th century, you will treasure this book. Michael Tierra