Line #16 Music/FryderykChopin


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chopin.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:Daguerrotype, c. 1849]]
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4	Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin [[note]]pronounced as "show-pan" or "show-pun" (or, if you want to get really technical, "show-PAH~(n)") and no, it doesn't rhyme with "choppin'" or "shoppin'"[[/note]], also known by the French version of his name, Frédéric François Chopin (his father was French-born) (1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849) was a Polish composer from the Romantic Era of ClassicalMusic.
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6	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, [[YouCantGoHomeAgain never to see it again]]. He nevertheless kept his national spirit through his writing of some of the best-known mazurkas and polonaises.
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8	He had an affair with French writer Amantine de Francueil (better known by her ''nom de plume'' George Sand) at some point, before [[ShortLivedBigImpact dying unfortunately young]] in 1849 of [[IncurableCoughOfDeath tuberculosis]].
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10	----
11	!!Some of his more famous works include:
12	* the Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Op. 66.
13	* the "Marche funèbre" that serves as the slow movement of his Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35, colloquially known in modern times as "The Funeral March", an adaptation of which was Wrestling/TheUndertaker's entrance music for much of his career.
14	* the "Revolutionary Etude," the Étude in C minor, Op. 10 No. 12
15	* the Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2
16	* the Waltz in D flat major, Op. 64, No. 1, popularly known as the Minute Waltz (Valse du Petit Chien)
17	* the Polonaise in A flat Major, Op. 53. Also known as the "Heroic Polonaise".
18	* the Ballade in G minor, Op. 23, No. 1
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20	!!Chopin's music and life provide examples of:
21	* BuriedAlive: He was terrified of the idea, like many people of his era. He even asked to be ''dissected'' to ensure he was actually dead before they buried him.
22	* DownerEnding: The last two movements of Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor consist of a slow movement "Marche funèbre" and a bleak, enigmatic "perpetual motion" finale that is mostly hushed in feel and definitively ends in a minor [[{{Scales}} key]].
23	* LonelyPianoPiece: So many of Chopin's piano pieces are soft, lyrical, and melancholy, or at least have quiet melancholy moments amidst the other performance fireworks. In particular the Preludes, Nocturnes, and Waltzes are often used to underscore quiet moments.
24	* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Chopin's relationship with author George Sand exemplifies this trope. Sand (real name Amantine de Francueil) was an openly bisexual woman who wore male attire and smoked cigars, all three of which were at least frowned on by Parisian society, while Chopin was the frail, sensitive, retiring type.
25	* NeverTrustATitle: The so-called "Minute Waltz" has nothing to do with its performance duration, instead using the work "minute" to mean "small." In fact, Chopin gave the work the title ''Valse du petit chien (Waltz of the Little Dog)'' because he got the idea for the piece after watching a small dog chasing its tail.
26	* OlderIsBetter: Chopin's Preludes are essentially modeled after Music/JohannSebastianBach's ''The Well-Tempered Clavier'' minus the fugues.
27	* PatrioticFervor: Chopin was born in Poland, but spent most of his life in Paris. Nevertheless, several of his compositions display a strong affinity for his country of birth. He wrote several examples of works derived from Polish dances such as the polonaise and mazurka, and his Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20 quotes the Polish Christmas carol "Lulajze, Jezuniu." Chopin was one of the first overtly nationalist Romantic period composers.
28	* {{Romanticism}}: One of the major exponents of this ethos in nineteenth century piano music. Much of his music can be described using terms such as dreamy, haunting, lush, lyric, heroic, or emotional. His keyboard writing is often showy, sometimes containing passages of florid right-hand figuration in an improvisatory manner called "fioritura."
29	* StandardSnippet: The "Marche funèbre" third movement of Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor is often used to underscore scenes involving death, funerals, and similar subjects.
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31	!!Chopin in fiction:
32	* The film ''Film/{{Impromptu}}'' (1991) is a fictionalized account of his relationship with George Sand.
33	* A fictional (with ''lots'' of artistic liberties) depiction of him serves as the main character of ''VideoGame/EternalSonata'' (because [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the Japanese love Frederic Chopin]]).
34	* He is mentioned as being dead in the song "Decomposing Composers" by Creator/MichaelPalin on Creator/MontyPython's ''Audioplay/MontyPythonsContractualObligationAlbum''.
35	* He and seven other Classical composers appear in ''Anime/{{Classicaloid}}'' as having been reborn into the modern day Japan. Chopin in particular is now a {{Hikikomori}} who is best friends with Music/FranzLiszt.
36	* The ''Webcomic/HarkAVagrant'' comic ''[[http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=302 Chopin and Liszt]]'' focuses on his {{friendly rivalry}} with Music/FranzLiszt.
37	-->'''Chopin:''' Unrelated, we are both on the cover of ''Enormous Ego'' this week.\
38	'''Liszt:''' Only this week?
39	* ''VideoGame/FredericResurrectionOfMusic'' stars an undead Chopin fighting against the greed and soullessness of the modern music industry.
40	* The composer himself is a playable character in the mobile RPG ''VideoGame/GrimmsNotes''.
41	* Chopin's music and even two of his [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleyel_et_Cie Pleyel pianos]] play an important role in the plot of the 2019 ''Franchise/LupinIII'' [[Anime/LupinIIIYearlySpecials feature]] ''[[Anime/LupinIIIGoodbyePartner Goodbye Partner]]'', [[ItMakesSenseInContext being crucial components to the activation of an American quantum supercomputer]]. Said supercomputer also has an A.I. named Emilka in honor of Chopin's younger sister [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emilia_Chopin Emilia]] (an ill ChildProdigy who died at 14), which even [[spoiler:[[DigitalAvatar takes on a "physical" form]] based in part on her namesake's likeness and has a DuetBonding moment during a rendition of "Revolutionary Etude"]]. The man himself briefly appears via flashback.

Context Music / FryderykChopin