Chopin: The Man and His Music Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book (originally published in 1900) is split in two sections. In the first 100 pages, the life of Chopin is discussed by Huneker in a very colorful and poetic style, although unfortunately very few biographical facts are revealed. When I finished this section I felt I had hardly learned anything new about Chopin.

The next 150 pages deal with Chopin's music, in which Huneker comments briefly on every one of Chopin's compositions (with the exception of several pieces unknown to Huneker), categorized by type (Ballades, Preludes, etc.). This section, like the first, is amusing but not very helpful. The author never really goes into great depth about any single piece. Instead he simply says a word or two on mood or style, often quoting authorities such as Kullak and Niecks, and compares several major editions of the work. I would recommend this to someone very interested in editorial details... anyone else could probably do without most of this section.

People familiar with Chopin should find Huneker's writing somewhat enlightening, though far from substantial. Those looking for an introduction to Chopin may find the first section very helpful, if they can tolerate the author's verbosity.

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Product Description:
This classic in music biography and criticism reflects the intimate, thorough knowledge of Chopin's music Huneker acquired while studying to be a concert pianist and his unusually keen insight into the character of the composer. Part One deals with Chopin's life; the second offers brilliant piece-by-piece analysis of the entire body of his music. Introduction and notes.

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