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That's one of the great mysteries. Justyna didn't specify why she needed it, just that she didn't want to worry Mikolaj about it. She was dodging possible censorship at the time. No one knows how Chopin responded. I imagine he found some way to send it. I also imagine he did quite a bit of probbing "through the grapevine" (the Polish network in Paris) to try and find out what the problem was.
Slow down and do it right.
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Very interesting, thank you. A rather covert operation going on, perhaps? Perhaps bribing an official or buying some friend his freedom.
Kathleen
Chopin’s music is all I need to look into my soul.
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I personally think it was some sort of trouble one of Chopin's sisters' husbands had gotten into, a fine that had to be paid or something. Of course it might've had to do with one of Justyna's numerous mysteriously absent and unmentioned siblings.
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Have any of you read "Lives of the Great Composers"? I'm listening to it on tape, and I am now at Schumann. I'm wondering where Chopin will enter this book. It's unabridged, and I'm on tape 7 out of 11. I hope we're not going to skim through all the composers I've really been wanting to know about!
Nancy
Estonia 168
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Hi, I was hoping some of you may have come across the term "leggieriss" and know how this indicates to play a section. I've come across it in Chopins nocturne op 27-2 - and CAN'T find the answer on Google !!
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"Leggiere" is French and means something like "lightly". (Try a French - English dictionary) Are you practicing Nocturne 27 no 2, Stephenc ? (It's giving me a hard time because it can't be broken into segments...) Ragnhild
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Stephenc - Ragnhild is right in essence. The word is "leggierissimo" but it is abbreviated, and is Italian for "very lightly". A useful link for Italian terms and suchlike can be found here: http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/
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Originally posted by NancyM333: Have any of you read "Lives of the Great Composers"?
Nancy Hello there. I am also reading the book, nice big book, lots of info, I am not yet done reading about Chopin. Not to interfer with the timeline here...................but I am so curious, I've read one other book (Chopins Funeral), and I am wondering..........there has been so muck talk about his illnesses, that here was very sickly(how sad!) does anybody know what was his sickness? I haard he had a bad case of asthma. Its amazing to me he composed as well as he did with all his different illnesses. Sorry, again about interfering with the timeline. Thank you.
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He had asthma and various other respiratory problems from childhood. He and his little sister developed tuberculosis when they were 15 and 13 respectively. Chopin recovered (essentially went into remission) for several years. His little sister Emilia died as 15. His health was always fragile and he was frequently ill with bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma etc. He tired quickly, was usually short of breath and had trouble sleeping. The tuberculosis had definitely returned by the time he was in his mid-twenties (probably earlier) and reached a crisis state during the unfortunate stay on Majorca with George Sand. He recovered to an extent but was never truly well after that. His health percipitously declined after his break up with George Sand. He died at the age of 39 of tuberculosis and cor pulmonale, a heart condition which is often a complication of chronic pulmonary disease. He also suffered from migraines and sometimes facial neuralgia.
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Hi All: I LOVE that book...The Lives of the Great Composers by Schoenberg. Nancy, I didn't know it was on tape. I'll have to see if I can find it at our library and listen to it while I am on my treadmill. One of my New Year's resolutions that I have yet to start. Back to the book...it's great and the information within is so informative. Just how true it is, is anyone's guess, but the author is well-respected in the academic community, so that should be of some assurance. The chapter on Chopin is called "The Apotheosis of the Piano (right afer Schumann). I looked up the word apotheosis and it means "elevation to divine status" or "the perfect example." Chopin died of complications from (what we now call TB). At that time, there wasn't any medication or a cure for it. His youngest sister died of the same disease at the age of 14. He was told by his doctors to rest and quit his nightly activities (going out to see friends, having a few drinks with them, going to someone's home and playing until the wee small hours.) But Chopin wanted to live his life to the fullest. Perhaps, if he would have taken the doctors' advice, he would have live longer. Who knows? But he did have fun!! And I'm so happy that he did. Chopin managed to live to the ripe old age of 39, but he had several life-threatening bouts, especially during the last 10 years of his life. I know Frycek can add more detail to this. Chopin, ever the wit, once said something like: I have see three doctors. "One said I am going to die, the other said I was dying, and the other said I was already dead." This was a terrible disease and near the end of his life, he did suffer greatly, but almost never complained. On his deathbed, he was asked if he were in pain. He answered: "No more." Those were his last words. To and for those who are utterly devoted to him, reading the details of his final days can bring tears to our eyes. Nancy, if you don't have the book, see if you can buy it on e-bay. That's where I got mine and it wasn't expensive. Kathleen
Chopin’s music is all I need to look into my soul.
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Originally posted by Frycek: He had asthma and various other respiratory problems from childhood. He and his little sister developed tuberculosis when they were 15 and 13 respectively. Chopin recovered (essentially went into remission) for several years. His little sister Emilia died as 15. His health was always fragile and he was frequently ill with bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma etc. He tired quickly, was usually short of breath and had trouble sleeping. The tuberculosis had definitely returned by the time he was in his mid-twenties (probably earlier) and reached a crisis state during the unfortunate stay on Majorca with George Sand. He recovered to an extent but was never truly well after that. His health percipitously declined after his break up with George Sand. He died at the age of 39 of tuberculosis and cor pulmonale, a heart condition which is often a complication of chronic pulmonary disease. He also suffered from migraines and sometimes facial neuralgia. I am amazed that he was able to play the piano so well with all his health problems and all, let alone compose as well as he did. Migraines too? I have those and they are extremely painful. He must of had amazing determination and strength!
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Originally posted by pianomia: [He must of had amazing determination and strength! [/QB] He did. He had a lion's heart in that frail little body. (He was 5'7" and only weighed 97 pounds.) That's one of the many reasons so many of us admire him so much.
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Unbelievable! 5'7 and 97 lbs! It almost sounds like he was aneroxic! George Sand should have fed him more ! It still amazes me the awesome music he was able to compose despite his health problems. It's amazing he had the strength to play. What an inspiration he was!
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Thanks, Frycek, for the more detailed description of Chopin's illness.
And you are so correct in saying that so many of us admire and are devoted to him because of his profound determination to continue to create the world's most magnificent music, despite all his sufferring...both mental and physical.
I'm quoting from Schonberg's book: "Certainly the informed men of the day--Liszt, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Berlioz --knew that Chopin was an immortal; that within his self-imposed limitation he was perfection itself."
Kathleen
Chopin’s music is all I need to look into my soul.
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Originally posted by pianomia: Unbelievable! 5'7 and 97 lbs! It almost sounds like he was aneroxic! George Sand should have fed him more ! It still amazes me the awesome music he was able to compose despite his health problems. It's amazing he had the strength to play. What an inspiration he was! He wasn't anorexic. When he was acutely ill weight apparently just fell off him. He was small boned and had never really filled out. According to George Sand as a mature man he still he had the body of a slender teenaged boy.
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Although we think of Chopin as one who wrote sad music (and he wrote plenty of that), it amazes me how he also wrote some extremely sunny compositions even when his suffering was severe.
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Now here's the question. Frycek: you said he was 5'7", and I am not disputing that. But Hersh (who told us he was 5'10) said he was 6 inches taller than Chopin. So that would make Chopin 5'4", which I seem to recall reading somewhere.
What's the real answer?
Kathleen
Chopin’s music is all I need to look into my soul.
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There is a lot of misinformation about Chopin's height. I seem to remember Jim Samson writing that our diminutive hero was 5 feet ONE inch!! But his passport said 5'7" and that seems likely to have been accurate.
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Passeport: F Chopin
Eyes- blue Hair-blond Beard-blond (must've meant his sidewhiskers) Height- 5'7" (in cm's) Weight -97 lbs (in kilos) Face - normal (whatever that means- no scars?) Nose - can you believe I forgot how they described his nose?
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He he, do you think that sometimes they put "Face - ugly" on passports in those days?
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