Frédéric Chopin – poet at the piano

 Born in Warsaw in 1810 and recognised early on as a child prodigy, Frédéric Chopin is not only one of the most famous representatives of the Romantic period in music, he is among the world’s most loved and most performed piano composers. He was far ahead of his time, employing original ideas of harmony and tonality that were novel for the 19th century. This, combined with his immense melodic ingenuity and his broad reach across moods and emotions, made him one of the most important composers in musical history. Before Chopin, it was unusual for a composer to focus so exclusively on one instrument. Chopin dedicated himself single-mindedly to the piano, raising its expressive qualities to a new level. Deeply rooted in the folk music of his Polish homeland, yet classically trained and inspired by the songs of Italian bel canto, Chopin composed a great collection of nocturnes in his life of just under 40 years. Montblanc dedicates the Montblanc Donation Pen Homage to Frédéric Chopin Special Edition, crafted from deep black precious resin with platinum-coated fittings, to the pioneering piano genius.

An artist who lived for the piano

Frédéric Chopin did what only a few composers do: he left behind an extensive and significant body of compositions all written for a single instrument. He referred to the piano as a ‘second self’, revealing his deep personal and musical bond with the 88 keys he mastered with almost unparalleled poetry and virtuosity. The piano forms the central point around which his entire musical oeuvre revolves. He made do without violin or cello in most of his compositions, preferring to transfer their sounds to the piano instead. With his almost unconditional concentration on one instrument, Chopin directed all the attention to the sound of the notes, tapping into new and unexpectedly rich expressive possibilities that caress the senses. In reference to Chopin’s preferred instrument and the technically challenging pieces he composed for it, the platinum-coated clip is shaped like a piano hammer.

George Sand and the preludes

Less suited to performing in great concert halls, Frédéric Chopin was at his best playing for small, intimate circles. The Paris salon was his ideal world. This is where he met the novelist George Sand, who conquered his heart. Over several years, this unlikely couple – one of the most scintillating women of the time and the sensitive, often melancholy composer – were central figures in Paris society. During the time they spent together on Majorca and at Sand’s country estate in Nohant, Chopin wrote the 24 Preludes, Op. 28, a piano cycle including the famous ‘Raindrop’ Prelude in D-flat major, as well as the wild, impetuous ‘Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor’, Op. 35 arguably one of the most famous funeral marches in musical history. When Chopin died in 1849 at only 39 years old, this piece was played at the funeral service honouring his short but remarkable life. In memory of the great piano virtuoso of the Romantic era, Chopin’s portrait is engraved on the handcrafted, partially rhodium-coated Au 585 solid yellow gold nib.