Frederic Chopin
1810-1849 · Polish (Zelazowa Wola/Paris) · Romanticism
Known for: The poet of the piano who composed nocturnes, etudes, and ballades of extraordinary beauty
Chopin composed almost exclusively for solo piano and expanded its expressive range beyond anyone before. His nocturnes, etudes, polonaises, and ballades are the pinnacle of Romantic piano music. He hated performing in public, preferring aristocratic salons.
He left Poland at 20, carrying a vial of Polish soil, and never returned. His nine-year relationship with novelist George Sand was his most significant. He died of tuberculosis at 39, requesting Mozart's Requiem at his funeral and that his heart be returned to Poland.
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