How did Chopin play – vol. 12

When seeking information about how Fryderyk Chopin himself played his works, it is worth delving into the descriptions of his performances left by contemporary composers and musicians. In two letters – to his mother and sister – Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy spoke of Chopin’s playing: ‘The next morning, the three of us [Mendelssohn, Ferdinand Hiller, and Chopin] met at the piano, what delighted me greatly. They are constantly developing their skills, and Chopin as a pianist is currently one of the foremost – he creates new things, much like Paganini on the violin, and reveals wonders that seem simply impossible’; ‘his piano playing has something so uniquely his, and at the same time so masterful, that one can boldly call him a truly perfect virtuoso; and since all perfection is pleasing to me and fills me with joy, that day was for me supremely pleasant.’

Ferdinand Hiller, mentioned by Mendelssohn, was one of Chopin’s most faithful friends and admirers. Years later, he wrote down many beautiful, emotional memories of the composer, and although their romantic style may seem a bit exaggerated today, contemporary performers of Chopin’s works have a chance to find inspiration in Hiller: ‘I must, however, describe his wonderful playing, which will remain in my soul until my last breath. I would say that he was rarely effusive, yet at the piano he did it more fully than any other artist I have heard. He expressed himself in a state of such concentration that it banished all extraneous thought. No one else moved the piano keys like that; no one else could extract from them similar, infinitely nuanced sounds. Rhythmic constancy was combined with a freedom in the declamation of his melodies, so that they seemed the fruit of the moment. What in others was exquisite ornamentation, in him seemed like multi-coloured flowers; what in others was technical skill, in him resembled the flight of a swallow. Every attempt to capture individual elements – novelty, grace, perfection, feeling – disappeared: it was Chopin in a single word. Even the absence of that powerful sound characteristic of Liszt, Thalberg, and others, which captivated listeners, felt like another charm. The feeling of nostalgia flowed from the futile struggle undertaken by the energy of thought against matter. Even the deepest understanding of his works, the closest assimilation of them, would not be able to convey the spirit of the poetry of his language. All thought associated with the physical evaporated; his playing resembled the light of a miraculous meteor, which doubly enchants us with its impenetrable secret.’

Kamila Stępień-Kutera