Fryderyk Chopin

Portrait by Maria Wodzińska, 1836.

Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin (also known by the French version of his name, Frédéric François Chopin—his father was French) was a Polish composer from the Romantic Era of Classical Music. Born in 1810 in Poland, he wrote almost exclusively for the piano, and his works are well-known for both their lyrical content and technical demands. When Russia invaded Poland, he left his home country, never to see it again, but nevertheless kept his national spirit through his writing of some of the best-known mazurkas and polonaises. He had an affair with writer George Sand at some point, before dying unfortunately young in 1849 of tuberculosis.

A fictional (with lots of artistic liberties) depiction of him serves as the main character of Eternal Sonata (because Japanese Love Frederic Chopin).

Works composed by Fryderyk Chopin include:

• the Fantasie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Op. 66
• the Funeral March that serves as the slow movement of his second piano sonata (B-flat minor, Op. 35)
• the "Revolutionary Etude", the Étude in C minor, Op. 10 #12
• the Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 #2
• the Waltz in D flat major, Op. 64, No. 1, popularly known as the Minute Waltz (Petit Chien)
• the Polonaise in A flat Major, Op. 53. Also known as the "Heroic Polonaise".
• the Ballade in G minor, Op. 23, No. 1