[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17409]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING FREDERIC CHOPIN'S 200TH BIRTHDAY

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                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 200th 
anniverary of the birth of the composer and pianist, Frederic Chopin, 
and recognize the influence his music has had on the world.
  Frederic Chopin was born in 1810 in the Napoleonic Duchy of Warsaw to 
a French father and Polish mother. He was a child prodigy in both 
playing and composing on the piano. In the following years Chopin moved 
to Paris after the Polish Uprising of 1830. There, he supported himself 
by teaching piano and an occasional public performance. In 1837 he 
became involved with the French novelist Amantine Dupin, better known 
under her pseudonym, George Sand. Unfortunately, for most of his life 
the artist suffered from a variety of maladies and died at the young 
age of 39.
  Because of the strong Polish influence of his parents, Chopin never 
learned to fluently speak French. As such, much of his music retains 
influences of Polish culture; his Revolutionary Etude is interpreted as 
the story of the Polish Revolution--because of which he fled his 
homeland. While France and Poland both influenced the artist, he 
credits Bach and Mozart as the main forces that shaped his music.
  While Chopin saw many of his contemporaries as lacking, he associated 
himself with many romantic artists, including many writers and 
painters. Under the direction of Bach and Mozart, Chopin's music is 
regarded as the epitome of the Romantic Style. Chopin preferred his 
music to remain unnamed except for the genre and number, as he wanted 
the listener to create their own associations. He is for these reasons 
regarded as one of the greatest composers and pianists who has ever 
lived.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Frederic 
Chopin for his vast contributions and lasting effect on the world of 
classical music. We would be joining much of the world in celebrating, 
as festivals in honor of Chopin have occurred in places such as Warsaw, 
Paris, and my hometown Chicago. For 200 years, he has been renowned as 
a talented composer and will continue to be regarded as such for future 
generations.

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