Introduction The Warsaw Years (1810-1830) The First Contemporaries: Chopin's Family in His Formative Years The First Intimate Friends: Jan Bialoblocki, Jan Matuszy'nski, Julian Fontana, and Tytus Woyciechowski Music Teacher and Mentor: Józef Elsner The First "Love": Konstancja Gladkowska The Paris Years (1831-1849) The Most Intimate Non-Polish Friend: Auguste Franchomme Moja bieda: Maria Wodzi'nska A Most Trusted Confidant: Wojciech Grzymala Fellow Pianist and Composer: Franz Liszt An Artistic Devotee: Pauline Viardot A Tender Attachment: Solange Sand Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index
A critical portrayal of Chopin's personality as revealed through his relationships with select contemporaries and based on documents and correspondence, including five letters previously unpublished in English.
PIERRE AZOURY is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the American University of Beirut. He is also an amateur pianist and is a composer at Societe des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique in Paris. His first CD will include his Beirut Suite and Themes from Gibran.
"[Chopin Through His Contemporaries] is skillfully documented,
well-organized, up-to-date in its material, and extensively
annotated. The critical portrayal of Chopin's personality includes
a discerning assessment of the composer's developmental problems in
his youth and an in-depth examination of his complex liaison with
George Sand, her household, and some of her closest friends. The
summing-up in the light of Carl Jung's reflections on creative
beings placed at the beginning of the text is well-balanced and
thought-provoking. All in all, the book is a worthwhile scholarly
contribution to the Chopin literature."-Krystyna Kobylanska Former
Curator Fryderyk Chopin Society Museum, Warsaw
"The reader emerges with a sense of personal acquaintance with the
composer. Azoury should be applauded for the tenacity with which he
has chased up every last detail in his quest for the real
Chopin."-Jim Samson Professor of Music University of Bristol
?Azourny has creatively combined correspondence and informational
background to provide and interesting many-sided view of
Chopin.?-Polish American Journal
"Azourny has creatively combined correspondence and informational
background to provide and interesting many-sided view of
Chopin."-Polish American Journal
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