NO NON-SENSE CHOPIN

BY PETE HOLLY

BOTH FREDRIC CHOPIN THE PERSON,AND FREDRIC CHOPINS MUSIC ARE
NEARLY INSTANTLY EQUATED WITH ROMANTIC IDEA'S.YET BY ALL ACCOUNTS
HE WAS VERY MUCH A NO NON-SENSE TYPE OF MAN.NONE OF HIS COMPOSITIONS
HAVE ROMANTIC TITLE'S-JUST NUMBERS AND STYLES-ETUDES-NOCTURNES-
POLINAISE'S AND 2 CONCERTO'S-ALL STRICTLY IDENTIFIED SIMPLY BY A NUMBER
AND A KEY.THAT'S PRETTY STARK FOR SOMEONE-WHO-BY SIMPLY MENTIONING
HIS NAME BRINGS UP IDEA'S OF A ROMANTIC NATURE.
MANY OF THESE COMPOSITIONS WERE WRITTEN BY CHOPIN ONLY AS PRACTICE
EXERCISES FOR HIS MANY STUDENTS.HE MADE HIS LIVING MOSTLY FROM GIVING SUCH LESSONS.IT'S A DREARY NARRATIVE COMPARED TO THE MYTHIC CHOPIN WE
THINK OF TODAY.IS ALL THIS ROMANTIC THINKING SIMPLY A FORM OF NOSTALGIA
WE HAVE ATTACHED TO CHOPIN'S MUSIC? NOT TRULY HIS LIFE,HIS CLAIM OR GOAL.
MAYBE AND MAYBE NOT.PERHAPS CHOPINS STRICT ADHERANCE TO NUMBERS IS
A BUFFER HE USED TO PROTECT HIMSELF FROM PEOPLE READING TO MUCH INTO
HIS AMAZING DEXTERITY AND THE DELICATE PASSAGE'S PLACED INSIDE HIS
COMPOSITIONS AND FROM THE DARKEST NOTES OF HIS,AT TIMES, DARKLY
MOODED MUSIC.MEN DON'T ALLWAY'S WANT TO DISPLAY THIER INNER WORKINGS TO THE PUBLIC-SO PERHAP'S CHOPIN'S NUMBERS ARE JUST ROMANCE IN DISGUISE.
WHATEVER THE TRUE CASE MAY BE.HIS MUSIC IS BOTH ROMANTIC AND
CLASSIC AND NOT JUST ONE OR THE OTHER.

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-2009-COPYRIGHT-ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.