Misadventures in Love

Donald Macleod enters the Parisian world of Frederic Chopin. Today, he follows a period of crisis in Chopin’s career and romantic life.

He was the poet of the piano, the master of the exquisite miniature, one of the greatest virtuoso pianists of the Romantic era, a magician at the keyboard... This week, Donald Macleod follows Frederic Chopin’s years in Paris, the epicentre of culture at the time and the stage where most of his all-too-short life was acted out. In the years that Chopin lived there, the 1830s and ’40s, Paris suffered political turmoil and deadly epidemics, whilst drawing artists, writers and musicians from all over the world. Following Chopin’s many house moves, we hear how the young composer made his name among the city’s most prestigious salons, established himself as the go-to teacher in town, and rubbed shoulders with fellow creatives, including a long and stormy relationship with the novelist George Sand.

Today, Chopin has a career crisis which leads him to hang up his concert tails. We hear about the failure of his engagement and the dramatic beginning of his relationship with an extraordinary woman who couldn’t be more his opposite.

The Ring, Op 74 No 14
Urszula Kryger, mezzo
Charles Spencer, piano

Etude in A flat major, Op 25 No 1 “The Harp”
Beatrice Rana, piano

Andante Spianato & Grand Polonaise Brillante
Jan Lisiecki, piano
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester
Krzysztof Urbański, conductor

Nocturne in E flat, Op 9 No 2
Nocturne in F sharp major, Op 15 No 3
Arthur Rubinstein, piano

Funeral March (from Piano Sonata No 2) orch. Elgar
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Adrian Boult, conductor

Etudes Op 25, Nos 5 “Wrong Note” and 7 “Cello” 11 “Winter Wind”
Yunchan Lim, piano

A major Polonaise, Op 40 No 1 “Military”
Rafal Blechacz, piano

Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Wales and West