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INTRODUCTION
TheconceptofFryderykChopinasafigureandculturalsubjectneedsrevision.This
verythoughttriggeredtheideaofwritingthisbookandjustifiesthequestionsitposes
tothespiritsofthepast.Mymainaimhasbeentogobeyondtheschemewhichhas
alwaysbeenusedwithregardstothefamousRomanticcomposer.Ithasbeenmy
desiretofollowthewaysChopinmadeaperformativepresenceinthenineteenth
centuryrealityandreadhimasaculturalphenomenon,oramatrixofimagination
intherealmofmythicthought.
Iwouldliketohopethattheimmediateavailabilityofmyworkintheinterna-
tionallinguafranca,aswellasitsnovelapproachtothetheme(theiconicpersonaof
FryderykChopinclashedwiththepostmodernmethodologyofperformancestudies),
willopenupapossibilityforawiderdebate.Someaspectsofthechallengesposed
bythemeta-narrationandconventionswhichhavebeenusedtotalkaboutChopin
inparticular-butwhichcreateadiscourseoftalkingaboutgrandpersonasinhis-
toryingeneral-mightbediscoveredanew.PublicationsaboutChopinhaveeither
beenscientificallyhermetic,meantfornarrowaudiences(mostlymusicologistsor
musicians),orultra-popularandover-simplisticwhenaddressedtothewidepublic.
Itismyopinionthatanewqualityisneededwhendiscussinggreatpeopleinthe
humanities-wherethehistorian’scriticalapparatuscanintertwinewithapsycho-
logicalandperformativeinterpretation.
MyprojectaimstobeaninterdisciplinarycasestudyofFryderykChopin-an
outstandingandexceptionalindividualinsociety-incorporatingthewaysthismu-
sicalgeniusmadehisappearance(bothonthemusicalstageandhorslesmurs)in
nineteenthcenturysocietyingeneral.Theperformativeaspect(uthemaking”)ofthe
statusofanartistassuch-theanalysisoftheconstructofanartistinsociety-isof
greatinteresttome.HencetheprincipalquestionofthepedagogiesofRomanticism,
whichcancomedowntouanartistoraperformativephilistine”-bearinginmind
thatperhapsugenius”incorporatesboththesenotions,andmore.
