Frederick Chopin in Paris (1831-1849)
In the fall of 1831, Chopin arrived in Paris. He immediately makes musical connections with Rossini, Cherubini, Herz, Liszt, and Schumann. In 1831, Chopin makes a close friend with August Franchomme, a cellist, and together they wrie the Grand duo concertant. Chopin also begins giving piano lessons in Paris and publishes Mazurkas opp. 6 and 7 and Nocturnes op. 9.
Early in 1833 Chopin becomes a member of the emigre Literary Society. By the end of the year Chopin composes a set of Variations, op. 12, Etudes, op. 10, Valse, op. 18, and Bolero, op. 19. In 1834, Chopin meets Felix Mendelssohn who immediatley recognizes him as a "foremost pianist." Chopin also begins to take interest in Neopolitan folk music.
In 1835 Chopin leaves Paris and travels to several different places including Karlsbad, Decin, Dresden, and Leipzig. During his travels the first signs of his illness begin to show. In the winter of 1835 Chopin becomes very ill. Chopin travels back to Dresden in 1836 where he writes down the first two Etudes op. 25. Here he meets Maria Wodzinska whom he proposes to. She accepts his proposal. Later that year, Chopin meets another woman, George Sand. His first impression of her is that she is an "unpleasant woman." In 1837, after returning to Paris Chopin receives a packet of letters from the Wodzinska family saying that the engagement has been broken off. Shortly after hearing this, Chopin publishes the Etudes, op. 25. The night before the anniversary of the November uprising, Chopin writes out the March funebre of the Sonata in B flat minor.
In the end of 1838, Chopin leaves paris for Majorca. There he meets George Sand and her children. He then travels to Barcelona, Palma, where he becomes very ill, and then Valdemosa. While in Valdemosa he completes the Preludes, and cotinutes work on the Ballade in F major, Polonaises, op. 40, and the Scherzo in C sharp minor. He again became seriously ill and left Valdemosa and returned to Barcelona. Shortly after arriving he again leaves for Marseilles. Here he stays with George Sand who believes that his health is improving. That summer, George Sand and Chopin travel to Nohant where Sand has a house. There Chopin completes the Ballade in F major, the Scherzo in C sharp major, the Sonata in B flat minor and the Nocturne in G major.
After Chopin begins spending summer in Nohant, he dedicates most of his time in Paris to teaching piano. In the spring of 1844, Chopin's father Mikolaj Chopin dies. This sends Chopin into a deep depression. By 1847, Chopin completes the Mazurkas, op. 63, and the Sonata op. 65. In 1848, a revolutionary outbreak occurs in Paris. For the rest of the year Chopin Chopin travels to London, Edinburgh and Manchester, where he gives small performances. In the winter of 1848, Chopin returns to Paris where he writes some of his final works: the Valse in A minor and the Mazurka in G minor. For most of 1849, Chopin is extremely ill. He travels to Chaillot, just outside Paris, for the summer where he may have started the sketches to his last unfinished composition, the Mazurka in F minor. Chopin returns to Paris and orders that all his unfinished works be destroyed. Frederic Chopin died on October 17, 1849.
Adapted from the Official Chopin Website