Catherine Weill

Fryderyk Chopin was ushered into the world with his mother singing a sweet lullaby and introducing him to the piano at just five years old. His father who taught him many foreign languages was proud of his son playing for the Russian Tsar when he was eight. Chopin loved the rhythm of country dances and loved the opera at twelve. Moving to Paris from Poland, he was a success, a genius at improvisation and well praised during the Romantic period. Chopin composed 24 studies that were extremely difficult to play and enjoyed giving piano lessons to so many. He wrote polonaises, elegant waltzes and mazurkas recalling his native country. Chopin also wrote ballades (a poem that tells a story) and nocturnes. The beautiful book is a plus for music education, as well as hearing the beautiful music of Chopin. My favorite quote, "If you want to play the piano, you have to make it sing."… (mehr)