Program: Frédéric Chopin: Poet of the Piano

Hitting a High Note

Our thanks to The Fortnightly of Chicago for inviting Illinois Dames to a virtual program.  Eighty-one attendees participated in a splendid presentation that focused on Polish patriot, shy virtuoso, and master of the keyboard Frédéric Chopin, French in full Frédéric François Chopin, Polish Fryderyk Franciszek Szopen (1810-1849).

Perfect Harmony

Steven Alltop surveyed the life and music of Polish pianist and composer, Chopin, who has often been regarded as the quintessential poet of the piano, essentially a lyric rather than a dramatic poet, but one for whom actual words were hardly necessary.  He has become the archetype of the Romantic composer – weak, sickly, world-weary, neurotic, and yet the scale of his prolific achievements is artistically heroic.  He was not only one of the greatest pianists the world has ever known, he also left the finest catalog of music for his instrument.

Alltop showcased Chopin’s oeuvres against the rich backdrop of his musical world—from Warsaw, capital of a once-sovereign Poland chafing beneath Russian domination—to the culturally scintillating Paris of the “citizen king,” Louis Philippe.    No one had understood the piano’s special resources and enchantments more completely than Chopin. His intensity and genius are amply reflected in his music. As such, it became the starting point for an enormous number of interpretations and transcriptions.

Join Us

The next virtual event in our summer program series with The Fortnightly of Chicago, Portrayal of Race and Racism in American Film with Lee Shoquist, member – Chicago Film Critics Association, Journalist, Lecturer on Film, will take place on Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 1 p.m. on Zoom. Please join us!