ABSTRACT
Biographies of Chopin have proliferated since the composer’s death, each generation reinterpreting the known facts of his life and activities. An important source in all biographies is the correspondence. Misinformation and conjecture included in early biographies were adopted uncritically by later writers, and it is only in the more recent volumes that Polish sources have been widely consulted to illuminate Chopin’s early period. Chopin’s introspective music, his reserved nature, and relations with many artists of his time have all contributed to a life story that has stimulated the imagination. Not surprisingly, interpretation of the narrative has changed over the years in a manner not unlike variations among pianists in the interpretation of his music.
