That is quite a nice rendition of the A flat waltz, indeed.

For those who might be new to this piece, a note: The version found in most older books is one heavily edited/altered by Fontana, not the original version, which can also be found. Some people, including me, like some aspects of both and combine elements of each version when playing the waltz. Maybe not quite authentic but I like it that way.

As you probably know, today is His Birthday.




(Wrong kind of violets but they're what I've got.)

And as of this month, it's been 20 years since I first made his acquaintance. So nearly that long being piano-obsessed. Boże moj! I've been thinking a lot about what I have and have not accomplished during that time.

Elene

Love the capital H!


Huh.....what's the violets thing, and why isn't that the right kind?

Anyway.... how about if I offer these TUBEROSES, in honor of the B major Nocturne from Op. 62 which (as James Huneker wrote; I've never seen it said anywhere else but I don't care) ....which is nicknamed the Tuberose Nocturne.

Mark, violets were famously Chopin's favorite flower, with roses coming in second. Those would have been European sweet violets, which I have never encountered myself. I was always puzzled by references to the scent of violets, since the viola species we have around here have no scent at all, but Mary-Rose has assured me that they have quite a strong fragrance. The violets in the picture are African violets in my dining room, not related at all, but still lovely and in shades of his favorite color.

And I'm sure he'd enjoy the tuberoses too. I suppose some British or American publisher stuck that name on the nocturne-- hard to imagine why.

If you visit Chopin's grave, you will find not only violets laid as offerings, but mounds of red and white roses. I suppose one could find white violets and add a red ribbon.

Elene

Old-fashioned violets are not flashy, nor in-your-face; they hide in the shade under trees and larger plants. But their modest appearance is belied by their beautiful strong fragrance. We have some at the bottom of our garden.

You can see a photo here:

http://extraloudpurrs.blogspot.co.uk/

Happy Birthday dear Chopin - you are forever young and fresh.

These must be the ones, violettes de Toulouse in the backyard. My daughter is named after them.

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They do have a lovely parfume. Musk but in fact very subtle, you have to close your eyes and let yourself be seduced ...

Curiously ( and this will be right up the alley of some of the Chopin devoted ) when we bought this house we found a cabinet filled with old Chopin scores ... and solfège notebooks ...

I CAN'T believe that I let Chopin's 213'th birthday slip by without a notice. I blame it all on so many senior moments that it's laughable.

But last night I was reminded of it as I watched an interview with Garrick Ohlsson on Youtube on my new TV that allows me to get on Youtube and watch/listen in bright color and beautiful sound.

Please, please do watch it. This interview was so excellent it defies words. Mr. Ohlsson, a very repected authority on Chopin, gave a detailed insight into just what makes Chopin's music so sublime. He played the nocturne in D flat that (nothing new here) brought tears to my eyes.

The site is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI1XWrPNaAM.

In closing, I can only say that Chopin's music has made my life bearable so many times. His genius has touched me as nothing else has. So Happy Birthday, dearest and treasured of friends. Thank you from the bottom of my being.

Kathleen

Thanks for the Ohlsson link, Kathleen!

Fryderyk is "only" 203, though. (I can't believe it's been 2 1/2 years since I went to Europe to celebrate his 200th!)

And thanks for the lovely violet photos, MR and landorrano. Best to both and to landorrano's attractively-named daughter.

Enjoy the Chopaholic's "High Holy Days" (March 1-5), all!

Elene

My husband just called out, "STOP THE VIOLETS!"

I hope you don't mind, landorrano-- I copied two of your violet photos and put one on my Facebook profile. If you do mind, I will take it down immediately.

Elene

Or these, Parma violets, which were the popular ones grown for the Paris flower markets. I planted some once but our wild violets, which look much like landorrano's, crowded them out. Just as well, I suppose.

Now those are snazzy violets, but I bet they don't have any parfume.



Avec plaisir!

Our Friend was also very fond of this stuff:


Tokaji, Hungarian wine very popular in the Poland of his time. This is a bottle from 1840 labelled for the English market.

Supposedly they do, but I've never smelled one or even seen more than a few puny plants in person. The wild ones are better.

Hi folks, long time no post. Anybody know what was wrong with the first Pianino sent to Majorca?

Actually, no-- I thought there was only one. So I'll bite. What was wrong with it?

(And isn't it a little odd that there wasn't a local instrument around to be rented or bought?)

I'm thinking of a scene in the '70s Masterpiece Theater production "Notorious Woman." Chopin is horrified to hear that the piano he ordered has been left out exposed on the dock. "But what if it rains?" he asks. The man in charge shrugs and says, "Piano get wet."

Elene

Speaking of pianos...how many of you use your piano as a piece of furniture, aside from a musical instrument, that is?

Come on, be honest. What do you put on it? If it's just music or a lamp or metronome, then fine. But it's been known that some people use it to display photographs, knick-knacks and various other "stuff" that has nothing to do with music.

I'm proud to admit that mine allows nothing but a fine layer of dust.

Kathleen

Sorry, maybe I'm mistaken about Majorca. I'm sure there was an occasion when Chopin sent a Pleyel back cause he didn't like it and got another one sent to him. Anybody know?

My Piano has had his spring polish today and has a nice embroidered cloth on his top. I have a nice lamp there too with framed portraits of The Master, Liszt and Chopin ( of course) candles in holders ( not lit only the tea light one) and my Grandad's old Victorian and Edwardian photos in a display box there. Also some of my music files and books (hidden behind the portraits- I haven't anywhere else to put them really).

The photos of the violets are lovely- will have to get some for my garden!

I don't think that actually happened. When Chopin was on Majorca he (or more probably George) managed to rent a very bad local piano, sticking keys, wouldn't hold a tuning, the works. Your basic land fill piano but it was the best they could do. Chopin wasn't best pleased. He held his breath (so to speak) until he got (after some Byzantine difficulty with customs) the Pleyel he'd leased and had had shipped from Paris. This is the little Pleyel upright that's still displayed in the Chopin "cell" on Majorca. When he finally got his Pleyel the landfill special went back where it came from (or Chopin burned it and gleefully stomped on the cinders) and he was happy (at least as happy as he could be when gravely ill and feeling stranded.) When Chopin and George left Majorca, George arranged the sale of the leased Pleyel to a Majorcan family. It was their descendants who donated (or sold) it to the museum.

This one. I've seen it though the dragon guarding it wouldn't let me take my own picture (which would've been better than this.)

My old square grand, Samantha, an 1887 Mathushek, is a bit of a piece of furniture, since I can't afford to keep two pianos in good tune all the time. (I also have a nimble little 1937 Kurtzmann grand that I play most.) I've gradually made a little Chopin/Keats shrine on the Mathushek square. It's got a very small Persian runner across the back holding Chopin's death mask, a framed copper music printing plate (18th century and not Chopin), my copy of the second (circa 1840 and not so valuable) edition of the etudes, Keats' life mask and a few Victorian piano method books with quaint pretty covers. I've got very little on the Kurtzmann, just a small clock, sometimes a metronome, and a box of tissues. (And just occasionally a choice hibiscus bloom in a shot glass.)

Hibiscus Black Dragon on the corner of the Kurtzmann

Frycek you have very good artistic taste! I too am an admirer of John Keats as well as Frederic Chopin and have a Keats section on the bookcase next to my Piano. Piano is Edwardian- circa 1910, hence my sign in name. I've a late c.19th edition of Keats poems and some old books on my bookcase too.
The flower is a beauty by the way!

I've often felt Keats and Chopin would've had a lot to say to each other as they had similiar ideas about the role of the artist/composer.

The hibiscus bloom is only the second bloom from a foot tall baby plant I have on my glassed in front porch/greenhouse. Tropical hibiscus blossoms only last a day so I usually pick them and put them where they can be best enjoyed.

I think they would. I feel certain John Keats would have loved Frederic's nocturnes. I know he liked Mozart but he never mentioned Beethoven in his letters funnily enough.

What a shame the hibiiscus bloom lasts for such a short time...ah beauty is precious....

Oh and thanks for the photo of the Pleyel piano. I always assumed it was a grand!

I've got a CD of a British pianist playing one of Chopin's Pleyels- playing his music too- it's wonderful!

Violets were also Keats' favorite flower.

Frycek,
I envy you your vast knowledge of Chopin and his time.
Also like your taste in flowers.

So they were!

I celebrated his Birthday intimately because I was sick and I also had to finish some important projects and couldn't go on the net. We had a wonderful day together! He is still the Best and will always be.

Ah, CA, now I get it! He wasn't with me because he was busy visiting YOU while you were ill! I can totally support that.

Thanks for the clarifications on the Pleyel and the local piano in Majorca.

Things kept on top of pianos: I'm afraid that in my case it's a Frank Lloyd Wright- patterned throw, in addition to plastic folders covering the areas next to the music desk. Nowhere near as nice as a fresh hibiscus blossom. All that is to protect it from two of our cats, who are older and have bad kidneys and tend to throw up a lot. One of them hit the spot to the right of the desk and destroyed the finish (such as it was, in a well-used 64-year-old instrument). I also have to keep a cover over the very pretty harpsichord I'm still borrowing, for the same reason, so that I don't get to enjoy looking at it. The cats like to sit on the instruments and look out the window. Understandable but not OK!

Elene

It was at Nohant June 1841. Zamoyski says the tone was so poor he 'kept bashing it furiously'. He insisted Pleyel send another. Anybody got more info on this unsuitable instrument?

It's kind of hard to imagine Chopin bashing any piano furiously, no matter how bad it was....

Here's a little something in honor of today being his name-day:



I bought the scarf from a street vendor in Warsaw, while shivering in the cold wind and wanting to wrap up in as many layers as possible.

Elene