How many times did composer Frédéric Chopin get married?

Frédéric François Chopin (1810 – 1849) was a composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era who wrote primarily for solo piano. He grew up in Warsaw, Poland to a French father and Polish mother.

Chopin has maintained worldwide renown as a leading musician of his era, one whose 'poetic genius' was based on a professional technique that was without equal in his generation. A child prodigy, he completed his musical education and composed his earlier works in Warsaw at the age of 20.

By age 21, he settled in Paris. By age 25, Chopin obtained French citizenship (1835). After a failed engagement to Maria Wodzińska from 1836 to 1837, he maintained an often troubled relationship with the French writer, Amantine Dupin.

Chopin's art reached a new plateau in the late 1830s as a result of his romantic involvement with another writer, Aurore Dudevant, six years his senior. In his final years, he was supported financially by his admirer, Jane Stirling in 1848. Though Chopin had several romantic affairs, none of his serious relationships lasted more than a year.

For most of his life, Chopin was in poor health. He died in Paris in 1849 at the age of 39, as a result of illness. Chopin's music, his status as one of music's earliest superstars, his high-profile love-life, and his early death have made him a leading symbol of the Romantic era. His works remain popular, and he has been the subject of numerous films & biographies of varying historical fidelity.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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64 Comments

Ian Swindale

He composed his Preludes whilst with George Sands in Mallorca. I have been lucky enough to have the ability to play most of the Preludes including what I believe is the best of all the "Raindrop" Prelude. My Mother and Grandmother were Associates of the Royal Academy of Music although I never aspired to those heights.

Diane Box

According to my research, he married in 1838 and fathered 4 children.

mgrambau

Joseph A. Robitaille, The answer above is severely flawed, but here is a REAL answer: Zero times was he married.

mgrambau

Martha McDowell, Fryderyk Chopin was never married; he was engaged to be married to Maria Wodzińska, but then her parents sent him a letter, ending their relationship.

mgrambau

Pat Paszkiet, Mrs Justyna Chopin was wife of Nicolas/Mikołaj Chopin, and the mother of Fryderyk/Frédéric Chopin.

mgrambau

Chris Brown, Actually, historical evidence shows that Chopin's fifteenth prélude from that set was likely already finished before he set foot on Majorca. George Sand later made up the "Raindrop" story, which she claims Chopin refused as complete nonsense.

mgrambau

Ian Swindale, Chopin did not compose the majority of his préludes while in Majorca, but he did finalize them there.

mgrambau

Glynis Rix, Although Madame Sand was mentioned several times in the above paragraphs, they are highly flawed: those statements above (among other errors) imply that she was two different people: "Amantine Dupin" and "Aurore Dudevant", when in reality, her full name was "Aurore Lucille Amantine Dudevant née Dupin", and her false name (or pseudonym) was: George Sand. Now, for the answer: Zero times was Fryderyk Chopin married. Chopin was not married even once, though he once almost got married (to Miss Maria Wodzińska). Chopin said of Sand, however: "What a repulsive woman le Sand is! Is she even a woman? I am highly inclined to doubt it!"

mgrambau

Conrado De Leon, There does not exist enough historical evidence to claim that the deeply Christian Chopin was a homosexual. Additionally, Chopin said of Sand (who had already adopted her false name before they met): "What a repulsive woman le Sand is! Is she even a woman? I am highly inclined to doubt it!"

mgrambau

iqbalseth, Mr Frédéric/Fryderyk Chopin was never married, only once engaged to be married.

mgrambau

adam, Fryderyk Chopin AKA Frédéric Chopin was never married, though he was once engaged to be married, to fellow Polish pianist Maria Wodzińska.

mgrambau

gbluemoon, Fryderyk Chopin AKA Frédéric Chopin was never married, but he almost got married to a young pianist named Maria Wodzińska; unfortunately, he received a "Dear John" letter from her family, and, heartbroken, kept the letters from her and her family in an envelope on which he wrote "my tragedy" in Polish ("moja bieda"), and then placed in his desk drawer for the rest of his life.

mgrambau

Wayne arrington, Op. 25 is his second set of Études; Op. 26, however, is a set of two polonaises.

mgrambau

Diane Box, I am so sorry, but this information is not correct. Fryderyk/Frédéric Chopin never got married (though he did want to), and had no children (though he did imagine his future self as being married and having children).

mgrambau

REAL ANSWER: ZERO times, but he was almost married once, to a young woman named Maria Wodzińska, whose family later broke his heart with a "Dear John" letter; he kept the letter from her and her family in an envelope, on which he wrote "moja bieda" (or "my tragedy/poorness" in Polish) and then it was in his desk drawer for the rest of his life.