Who Was Chopin?
Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin (pronounced show-pan) was a Polish composer and piano virtuoso, who lived a short but rather eventful life. He was born in Poland in 1810, and died before his 40th birthday in 1849 after a long battle with tuberculosis. Chopin’s music technically belongs to the Romantic period, yet his work was primarily more indicative of work produced in the Classical and Baroque periods. His favorite composers were Bach, Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart. However, he is most identified as a Romantic composer despite his own objections to be so called. Chopin was a child prodigy; some called him a second Mozart. By the age of seven, he had already composed two polonaises, and had begun to give concerts. It is significant that a child this young could be so gifted at the piano. He did not start formal lessons until he was six, which suggests incredible talent. After a concert given when he was seven, he was asked by a reporter what he thought the audience liked best about his perf
