Chopin's Pursuit

Author's name: Lafarge

This book has many aspects that the reader will discover between its covers - from the genius of the great musician Frédéric Chopin, who produced wonderful musical pieces immortalized in history. It focuses on the funeral march for which Chopin was famous, in which his unique genius in the field of musical composition was revealed. It also touches on Chopin's relationship with the novelist George Saed.
The book, which supported him in his career and had a profound influence on his musical output, points to the tensions and turmoil that marred that relationship. However, the story of Chopin's genius love for his homeland, Poland, and his attachment to it remains one of the most distinctive features of his biography. The story is told in a wonderful style, noting that, on his deathbed, Chopin requested that his heart be removed and buried in Poland, his homeland, after his sister had smuggled it out, hiding it under her skirt. After a long journey during which he moved to several places, he finally settled in the Church of the Holy Cross in Warsaw. The book tells Chopin's story with the piano, during which he produced some 230 musical works—most of them solos—and invented a new way of fingering the piano, rebelling against traditional methods. Chopin's piano compositions have enjoyed great popularity and continue to this day, and are perhaps his most famous compositions. Chopin was a Polish patriot who was enthusiastic about the popular music of his homeland, but his heart was in love with Paris, where he spent most of his life.