October 1, 2026 Reflections on Musicians and Their Works: "Chopin"

Chapter 19: Frederic Chopin

(1810～1849・Died at 39)

Chopin's father was a Frenchman from Lorraine, and his mother was Polish. Although his father emigrated to Poland and made it his second homeland, the country was, at that time, partitioned among Prussia, Austria, and Russia. Chopin studied under Józef Elsner at the Warsaw Conservatory and achieved success as both a pianist and composer; in 1830, he embarked on a concert tour to Vienna. Shortly thereafter, an independence movement erupted in Warsaw, so he did not return home but instead went to Paris, where he spent the rest of his career primarily active in France. He is known as the “Poet of the Piano” for pioneering a new realm of salon-style piano compositions within the Romantic tradition. His relationship with the writer George Sand is also well known. Most of his works featuring orchestral accompaniment—including two piano concertos—and his chamber music date from his time in Poland; after moving to Paris, he composed predominantly for solo piano, producing many of his greatest masterpieces in that genre. He also left behind a body of vocal works composed throughout his life.

Based on the performances I recently listened to, I have briefly summarized my impressions of Chopin’s music below.

I listened to various recordings—including LPs, CDs, and video footage—and found that the works most frequently performed in concerts include (in no particular order) Ballade No. 1, Barcarolle, the “Raindrop” Prelude, Polonaise No. 6 (“Heroic”), Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante, and Piano Concerto No. 1. While the “Heroic” Polonaise is often the piece most immediately associated with Chopin, the works listed above struck me as those that every pianist seems compelled to perform.

Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 35: Listening to Chopin at a leisurely pace indoors—from the sweltering heat of summer into early autumn—was a poetic experience that brought a sense of calm. The third movement is the famous “Funeral March.”

Ballades No. 1 (Op. 23) and No. 4 (Op. 52): Horowitz’s 1968 Carnegie Hall performance left a deep impression on me.

Scherzos Nos. 1–4: I enjoyed brilliant performances by Evgeny Kissin, Hayato Sumino, and Niu Niu.

Impromptus Nos. 1–3 and Fantaisie-Impromptu (Op. 66): Stanislav Bunin’s prime-era performance of the Fantaisie-Impromptu was especially enjoyable.

Seven Nocturnes: No. 20 (Posthumous) is a masterpiece beloved by many performers; I particularly enjoyed the interpretations by Horowitz, Hiroko Nakamura, Ikuyo Nakamichi, and Yundi Li.

Mazurkas: From the roughly sixty Mazurkas, I enjoyed selections performed by Horowitz, Michelangeli, Argerich, Pollini, Kyohei Sorita, and others.

Preludes: I listened to the complete set of 24 Preludes performed by Halina Czerny-Stefańska (a recording I received as a memento in Warsaw) and Aimi Kobayashi (2021); both were excellent. The former is a cherished record with special memories, and the sound quality remains quite good.

Études (Op. 10, Op. 25, and Trois nouvelles études): I was particularly fond of Bolesław Woytowicz’s performances on the commemorative record I received in Warsaw.

Polonaises No. 3 “Military,” No. 5, No. 6 “Heroic,” and No. 7 “Polonaise-Fantaisie”: I have listened to ten different pianists perform the No. 6 “Heroic” Polonaise, but the interpretations by Argerich, Horowitz, Rubinstein, and Kyohei Sorita left the strongest impression.

Waltzes Nos. 1–13 and No. 17: I grew fond of the light, spirited playing of Regina Smendzianka, whose recording I received as a memento from Warsaw.

Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante, Op. 22: A brilliant and magnificent work; the performances by Argerich, Kissin, and Kyohei Sorita convey a masterful sense of effortless command.

Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11: The performances by Pollini, Bunin, Kyohei Sorita, and Aimi Kobayashi achieve a beautiful balance between brilliance and tranquility.