Frédéric Chopin

The Profile

Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era (1810–1849), famed for poetic, technically refined works for solo piano and two piano concertos. Lived much of his career in Paris and was closely associated with George Sand.

Composed the 24 Preludes, Op. 28 largely during 1838–1839 in Valldemossa (Mallorca). Revered interpreters include Alfred Cortot and Artur Rubinstein, with modern classics by Maurizio Pollini. Schumann famously described the Preludes as “ruins and eagle feathers.”

Three impassioned reviews explore Chopin’s piano universe through Cortot’s mercurial Preludes, Rubinstein’s searing Nocturnes, and the life-spanning Polonaises. The writers emphasize Romantic intensity, interpretive nuance, and biographical echoes (Mallorca, George Sand). Strong admiration for Cortot and Rubinstein runs throughout.