Frederic Chopin in Warsaw
The series about historical places of opera art & culture. Get to know exciting excursion and travel ideas for opera lovers. This time: Frederic Chopin in Warsaw.
All Destinations on google maps with links to detailed Blogposts:
Frederic Chopin in Warsaw
The Chopin family settled in Warsaw with their firstborn Fréderic seven months after his birth in 1810. Chopin’s father made a satisfactory living at the Lyceum, where he, a native of France, served as a French teacher. They lived in the middle of Warsaw and Fréderic, whose talent was quickly recognized, received a good musical education. He began composing at a tender age, at seven he created his first polonaise, and at eight he was already performing at the Palais Radziwill with a piano concerto by a Polish composer and was “passed around” in the salons as “the Polish Mozart.” After a stay of several months in Vienna, at the age of 19, he played the two piano concertos he had just composed, in E minor and F minor, at the old National Theater (which had been torn down in the meantime) with great success.
On November 2, 1830, Chopin left Warsaw together with Titus Woyciechowski. His father urged him to leave before the threatening revolt in the direction of Vienna and finally reached Paris. On the last evening, friends presented him with a jar of Polish soil and sang him a farewell song. Chopin never returned to Warsaw.
TO THE COMPLETE BIOGRAPHY OF CHOPIN
Destination Chopin Museum
The Chopin Museum is an elaborately designed multimedia museum. In a beautiful palace, the visitor is introduced to Chopin’s life on 5 floors in thematic rooms. On display are treasures such as his precious Pleyel grand piano from his last years or his death mask. One room is dedicated to the women in his life.
Music is also played regularly in the museum. Students from the nearby university perform regularly, you can see the program on the website.
Chopin museum:
A look inside the museum:
Destination Chopin Monument and open air concert
In 1926 the Chopin monument was unveiled in Łazienki Park.
Chopin concerts are held at this monument. The piano stands next to the monument and entrance is free of charge. The concerts take place on Sundays from May – September.
Concert at the Chopin monument:
Destination Holy Cross Church
Chopin’s heart is immured in the columns of this church. The journey there was adventurous, his sister had rushed to his deathbed and learned from her brother his wish that his body should return to Poland. This was not possible due to the political situation and the friends decided that she should smuggle the heart to Warsaw, preserved in cognac, where it was first stored in her apartment. Her baptismal church then accepted the heart, but stored it in the church basement because church officials did not believe Chopin was living a pious life in Paris. It was not until 40 years later that it found its way into the church, in a place of honor with a marble monument on the columned wall. The heart was to be taken out two more times, the first time when it was brought to safety with the help of a German priest during World War II, before the church was blown up by the german troops. And the second time after the church was rebuilt, it was medically examined and the cause of death was recorded as pericarditis, which had its reason in his tuberculosis.
Holy Cross Church:
Chopin Epitaph:
Destination Chopin appartment (Kaszimierz Palais)
At Krakowskie Przedmieście Street 26/28 the Chopin family lived in the side wing of Kazimierz Palace, where Chopin’s father worked as a French teacher. Today, the rooms serve as a workplace for the University, and a memorial plaque in front of the entrance to the side wing commemorates the famous resident.
Kaszimierz Palais:
Destination Czapski Palais
Here Chopin lived the last years in Poland with his family. In this place he had his own room and composed his two famous piano concertos. The rooms serve as a workplace for the university.
Czapski Palais:
Destination Visitationist Church
Hier spielte Frederic Chopin die Orgel für den Kirchenchor, wo auch Konstancja Gładkowska gesungen haben soll, in die Chopin sich 19-jährig verliebte. Sie sang für ihn bei seinem Abschied von Warschau, und sie schrieben sich noch während eines Jahres.
Visitationist Church:
Visitationist Church by Canaletto:
Destination Trinity Church
At the age of 15, Chopin played in this church for the Russian Tsar Alexander and received a diamond ring as a gift. Chopin also sang in the church choir here. This building had excellent acoustics, but burned out completely in the 2nd World War caused by an aerial bomb. It was rebuilt true to the original and still serves as a concert venue with excellent acoustics.
Trinity Church:
https://www.trojca.waw.pl/kultura/koncerty/
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