hello my name's Ian [Music] Gillan I'd like to invite you to watch a documentary about the Life of Frederick chopan w [Music] Warsaw Poland 1863 another polish Uprising was firmly crushed by the Russian Empire which made it quite clear that it wasn't going to tolerate any Independence movements on their recently acquired [Music] territory CX threw Chan's grand piano through this very window it had been kept as a souvenir for over 30 years after his departure from Poland and they threw the bloody thing out of the [Music] window Chan's friend renowned polish poet CK norwid wrote
The Master hit the ground it was his way of describing Chan's music in which art corresponded with reality these people did something barbaric and stupid only a fool can assume that music would be killed like that from that moment on in what can only be described as a perfect example of poetic justice Chan's music became the symbol of Polish culture [Music] chopan was born in this manor house and so the story goes it was under this very window that a folk group was playing during the moment of his birth what a way to enter the
world to the beauty of mazovian landscape and culture [Music] young Frederick embraced the atmosphere visiting palaces churches and Villages the future genius was shaped in Warsaw [Music] could [Music] you know fans gather here from all over the world to pay their respects to chopan at this statue perhaps only Elvis Presley or the Beatles had this kind of devotion 200 years ago this street was the Center of Warsaw bustling with life it still is opposite the biggest polish University where chopan studed which today is the Academy of Fine Arts inside is the famous living room of
Chan's family Warsaw was generous to chopan with all that this city could offer a young man friends fascinating art and many places to cherish [Music] music here he performed his first live shows went to the theater and Opera met top polish artists all the movers and shakers of Warsaw Frederick was a prodigy the local press declared him to be the new Mozart just imagine a horsedrawn carriage pulls up a small boy walks through the doors with his mother hops in and off they go 10-year-old Frederick is on the way to the badier where Grand Prince
Constantine Russian ruler of Poland resides he is to perform for the Zar brother to win over the so-called Beast Constantine warmed to chopan and invited him over on several occasions on top of that he requested Chan's music to be played during his beloved military parades chopan was well favored by wealthy citizens the Opera diva Angelica catalani gave the clever boy an engraved watch Zar Alexander the first offered him a diamond ring as a token of appreciation for his fluency on an instrument called an eoli melodic whatever that might have been here in the vitki church
16-year-old Frederick often played the organ during mass but he wasn't the only one to do so one day an organist was playing so badly that a livid chopan took over he got completely carried away with the music and became oblivious to the proceedings and the priest at the altar [Music] piano dates back to the end of the 18th century the electric guitar is probably the only other instrument in the history of music that has such significance each instrument has its own Wizards who discovered the elusive powers and hidden Beauty young Chan's contribution to popular music
of the 19th century was of the same magnitude as that which Jimmy Hendrick gave us a century and a half later [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] chopan claimed the grand piano was the main piece of furniture in their house and he was right this is an original balts grand piano it was owned by France list who was Chan's close friend chopan favored the sound and depth of this particular piano yes he was Shakespeare's Prospero of the grand piano he cast a spell and suddenly things were different famous pianist Arthur Rubenstein said the
keys touched by shop produced a pure Magic first and foremost he knew how to make the piano sing he instinctively knew that in order for a Melody not to feel mechanical it needs to breathe like a human voice and thus he made the piano breathe [Music] nowadays chopan is admired and revered all over the world but at school he was very much such a happy go-lucky kid he thrived on jokes loved good times and enjoyed showing off to his college friends needless to say he was very much sought after on the Warsaw party scene in
The Age of Enlightenment science art and literary institutions were popping up all over Europe Frederick was the founder of one such organization called the literary and entertainment Society he was its chairman of course and every session was full of his impers ination of teachers and Friends a gift for which he was well [Music] known when on holiday in the rural estate of Zania he edited his own paper it contained news and a gossip column as well as amusing observations about livestock and domestic creatures for example a cartoon of a cat and dog fighting over a
piece of meat [Music] many of shaan's classmates were the children of Rich Nobles and Aristocrats shopan moved easily into to this exclusive social level and received invitations into grand houses throughout the [Music] country picture his world white painted residences surrounded by ancient trees oldfashioned cavic cords in every living room thoroughbred horses in the stables and wheat filled [Music] barns looks as if something interesting might be [Music] happening next to the rich man's world was the other one the simple world populated by ordinary people with their emotions and spontaneity this delicate boy would spend hours watching
and absorbing fol music [Music] it stuck with him for life and would be his constant source of inspiration when years later he was composing maerkas and nocturns in Paris very essence of the Polish Countryside and folklore was portrayed in every note he played you know how much I wanted to feel and I came to feel to feel on National Music wrote chopan to his [Music] friend any chance of a lift may I yes sir thank you very much this this [Music] [Music] [Music] no no Chan's parents recognize the importance of being well traveled rural Poland
very much like England comprised of different Estates owned by Aristocrats and noblemen his Newfound friends were part of that upscale society and he quickly became a fixture on this heady social circuit traveling in the 19th century wasn't fun especially in Eastern [Music] Europe even so chopan covered thousands of kilometers in a couple of years his curiosity led him to a diversity of palaces roadside ends simple shacks and Baroque churches in fact it's hard to find a part of Poland not visited by chopan [Music] travel was Frederick's passion in tun for example he was thrilled to
visit the home of Europe's greatest astronomer Nicholas kernus he later wrote about this experience to all of his [Music] friends this beautiful place called putz had great significance in medieval Poland chopan specifically veered off track to stop and see the city on the proud and picturesque Hill overlooking the Vistula river is the former Benedictine Abbey as well as the ruins of a castle and medieval Church the remains of the First Kings of Poland can be found here vladislav Herman and boleslav the Ry mouth of the piest dynasty Frederick chopan bowed his head before the founding
fathers of his country he was not only an artist but a patriot as well [Music] it is in putk where chopan first showed off his feistiness he made a scene at the post office when a letter from his father did not contain the usual cash allowance you know what it's like when your credit card doesn't work while you're on holiday uh mine's working all right so let's eat so Maria this is a reggae record or what is that is that who's that on the front cover this is shopen even looks very strange shopen yes or
Frederick Marley I mean Bob chopan this is shopen on five continents why it looks so ethnic fantastic it's a great design [Music] during his visits to the Palaces of the Polish aristocracy chopan got a taste for the good life here he started to be a sharp dresser [Music] later in Paris shopen was a dedicated follower of fashion and became a victim of his love of luxury he was a big-time artist frequenting expensive restaurants and preferring Cabos to cheaper carriages he loved everything to be of the best quality he preferred to dress in tuxed particularly a
deep blue one with golden buttons complimented by pearly trousers a fancy scarf pinned with a diamond brooch wrapped around his neck accompanied by his mandatory snowy white gloves he was dressed by the best tailor shoemakers and hat makers observed his friend and rival the Hungarian pianist and composer France list his love of gloves became his true Obsession without gloves you have no class wrote sh P to a friend funny how I keep losing my [Music] gloves in 1830 at the age of 20 shopan left Poland never to [Music] return he was a focused artist sure
of his talent and very aware that in order to hit the big time he must move to Paris which was then the cultural capital of the world he was blessed with inspiration from his formative years and knew very well how to distinguish himself from other European musicians Arthur Rubenstein said the way Chan's music wins over every audience is something I have no words for chopan rules everywhere no matter where I go chopan is the essence of Polish national music and at the same time the most Cosmopolitan one shopen died far away from his home he
was both successful and famous according to His Wish Frederick Chan's heart was returned to Poland many years later [Music]
