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24
PARTI.PERFORMANCEOFROMANTICISM
Hedepartedfromusonthe17thofthismonthattwoA.M.[sic],inthearmsofone
ofhispupilsandfriends.Sincethebeginningofhiscareer,thisoutstandingartisthas
rankedamongthemosteminentofhisfamouscontemporariesandhasdistinguished
himselfbyhisuniquetalent[ś]
Duringhisapprenticeship,theyoungChopinpreferredtolearnbylisteningtoothers
ratherthanperforminginpublichimself.Exiledfromhisnativelandbythemisfortunes
andsufferingthatfollowedtherevolutions,hedecidedtomakealivingthroughhis
talent.In1831,heplayedinpublicconcertsinViennaandMunich.Precededbythe
reputationhegainedthroughthesesuccesses,hearrivedinParistowardtheendofthat
yearandcreatedagreatsensationthere[ś]
Probablytherehasneverbeenanyartistwhosephysicalappearancewassosimilarto
histalent.Hewasasfrailinbodyashismusicwasdelicateinstyle,almostmerginginto
theimpalpableandimperceptible.Atthepianohedisplayedatouchthatwasunique;
inalargeconcerthallitwasallbutinaudible;inanintimatesettingitwasdelicious.
PeoplecametocallhimtheAerialofthepiano.IfQueenMabeverwantedapianistfor
hercourt,shewouldsurelyhavechosenChopin.Onlythedivinepenthatdescribed
thefantasticequipageofthisFairyQueencouldanalyzetheinfinitelycomplexwebof
thosemusicalphrases,thickwithnotesandyetlightaslace,intowhichthecomposer
haswovenhisidea.
Chopinwasaristocraticbothasamanandasanartist.Hisgeniuswasnotsubjectto
anylaw.Livingapartinhisownintimateandmysteriousworld,he[ś]seldomplayed
inpublic.Aconcertbyhimwithahigh-pricedadmissionandlimitedtoascrupulously
screenedaudiencewasregardedasanextraordinaryfavor.Itwaslikebeingalone-or
atthemost,havinganintimatetête-à-têtewiththecomposerandvirtuoso-inhis
solitarydreamworld.[ś]
Chopin’spersonalityremindsoneofthosepeopledescribedbyPopewhowereso
superhumanlysensitivethateverythinginthisworldbecameatormenttothem;the
leastcontactwaslikeawound,theleastnoiselikeaclapofthunder,andtheslightest
whiffofaroselikeafatalpoison.Foralongtime,histhin,pale,sicklyappearancemade
himseemneardeathuntilpeoplebegantothinkhecouldgoonlivingthatwayforever.
Asitwas,hedepartedthislifeaheadofhistime,beingonlythirty-nineyearsoldwhen
thehourofdeathstruck.HissisterhadhurriedfromthefarreachesofPolandtoease
hislastmomentswithherpresenceandherprayers.
Themortalremainsofthegreatartistwillbeembalmed.Hehadalwaysexpressed
thewishthatMozart’sRequiembeperformedathisfuneral,whichisexpectedtotake
placeatthechurchoftheMadelaine.10
Thesewordsopendifferentspacesintheintellectualbiographyofourprotagonist
-ideaswhichwillbeinvestigatedinthisbook,suchasthephenomenonofChopin’s
identity:ClassicalversusRomantic,hispublicappearances,genderissueswithin
thefabricofhisworkaswellashislife,andtheRomanticideaofbeingplacedin
betweentherealandtheidealworlds,enhancedbyhisillness.
Atthebeginningletusfocusontheperformanceofthebody,followedinthenext
chaptersbytheperformanceofthespiritand,finally,performanceofaction.Each
10Quotedin:WilliamG.Atwood,TheParisianWorldsofFrédéricChopin,YaleUniversityPress,New
Haven,London,1999,p.408-409.
