Chopin: Prince of the Romantics by Adam Zamoyski

 This biography of Fryderyk Chopin reveals a man of many layers who above all stayed authentic to his style and didn’t follow the crowd.

Chopin’s life (1810-1849) was shaped by wars, and with his native country being partitioned. In order not to lose the Polish identity, some people became very patriotic and that influenced Chopin and what he composed. His music reflected the love for his country, despite spending almost half of his life in France, his father’s country.

This biography reveals many interesting things about Chopin, some even surprising. Chopin was of weak health and delicate stature. Despite that whatever he did in his life he did it with gusto, full of energy. He wasn’t someone who wanted to lie in bed unless he wasn’t able to walk. Otherwise, he was a very social person, who enjoyed his evenings out. But those were meaningful evenings. They were filled with music and conversations on different topics involving literature, politics, philosophy, and more.

This most enjoyable biography is written with details, but not overwhelming the beautiful flow of Chopin’s story. This book is a very pleasant journey in which we get to know a man who was allowed to develop his own style in his early age, and followed his natural instinct. To the end, he stayed true to his own style. The style of delicate key touching, and not key pounding. Even when he tried to disguise himself with a different name, once he started playing, people knew right away what his real name was. It is a remarkable story of an extraordinary man who was forced into exile, but continued to introduce his genius to the world. Truly impressive and inspiring story.

Published in 2011 by HarperPress

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Be Inspired by Nature

Traits:

·         Be authentic

·         Create your own style

·         Create from the heart

·         Follow your instincts

·         Connect with nature which inspired many including Chopin. He was most creative in nature, then rushed home to write down the composition that came to him.

·         Whatever you do, do it with energy, passion, gusto

·         Socialize with meaningful purpose

"We become what we give our attention to." - Epictetus