Chopin Through His Contemporaries: Friends, Lovers, and Rivals

(Hardback)

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Dual natures comprised Chopin's personality. One one hand, he was a highly creative romantic idealist and on the other, a realist trying to cope with the world at large. Documentary evidence illustrates the disparities in his personality as a reflection of these two diverse aspects of his psyche. Of special interest are five previously unpublished letters in English and the unfolding of Chopin's controversial relationships with Tytus Woyciechowski, Julian Fontana, George Sand and Solange Sand. This critical portrayal of Chopin's personality traces his journeys and experiences from Warsaw to Paris and reveals, among other characteristics and traits, Chopin's developmental problems during his adolescence, his unattractive behaviour in his relationship with Julian Fontana, and George Sand's unrequited love for Chopin. The culture of the time and the atmosphere surrounding Chopin's relationships emerge in the detailed evidence presented. The book is divided into two parts. The first is relevant to Chopin's youth in Warsaw. His relationship with Tytus Woyciechowski during the formative years in Warsaw significantly impacted Chopin's emotional development. The second part of the book focuses on Chopin's adult years in Paris including his liaison with George Sand, which is considered through her daughter, Solange, and four friends and acquaintances common to both Sand and Chopin. The text is extensively annotated and this research of Chopin's life and personality should appeal to both the Chopin scholar and enthusiast. It should also be of interest to students of French Romantic literature, Romantic music and Polish music of the 19th century.

Reviews

"[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

Author Bio

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.