Piano of Chopin Valldermossa Mallorca Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PianoOfChopinValldemossaMallorca.JPG
In November 1838, Frédéric Chopin, George Sand and her two children sailed to Majorca to escape the Parisian winter. They settled in an abandoned monastery at Valldemossa in the mountains above Palma, where Chopin finished what would eventually be recognised as one of the great and revolutionary works of musical Romanticism - his 24 Preludes. There was scarcely a decent piano on the island (these were still early days in the evolution of the modern instrument), so Chopin worked on a small pianino made by a local craftsman, which remained in their monastic cell for seventy years after he and Sand had left.
Chopin's PIano by Paul Kildea Photo: Chopin's PIano by Paul Kildea
In Chopin's Piano, musician and conductor Paul Kildea traces the history of Chopin's 24 Preludes through the instruments on which they were played, the pianists who interpreted them and the traditions they came to represent. The result is a journey through Romanticism and a reflection on the changing meaning of music over time.
To enter the draw to win a copy of Chopin's Piano by Paul Kildea answer the following question:
Name the woman with whom Chopin was closely involved when he traveled to Majorca.
Email your answer to: daybreak@rnz.co.nz and tune into Daybreak weekday mornings from 6:00 on RNZ Concert.
