Frédéric Chopin (1810 –1849)
Chopin was born in Poland but spent his twenty or so creative years based in Paris. Of the Romantic era, he was a master of the keyboard and a composer of genius. Afflicted early on by consumption, he worked with a tireless intensity to produce piano compositions both intricate and perfect, of every style and mood. Pears Cyclopaedia makes this discerning tribute: ‘A Chopin melody, limpid, transparent, singing, can be recognised easily by anyone, but his style gradually developed into something more subtle, more satisfying than pure melody.’
The Waltz Op. 64 No 1, popularly known in English as the “Minute Waltz”, is a famous example of the melodic flourish and harmonic capability intimated above. It's not meant to be played in a minute, and works nicely at a sedate pace.
