Frederic Chopin

the long version

Chopin remembered Vienna as the city where he had made an instant success with his music, so when, after years at home in Warsaw, he returned to Vienna he was heartsick to find only a cool welcome awaiting him. Vienna wanted to dance and sing and forget war...and Poland was on the brink of war. In Paris, however, Chopin found himself warmly welcomed; his concerts became the vogue; his days were crowded with both gayety and the work he loved. Years passed and the world hailed his greatest compositions. Then ill health began making inroads on his time, and he went to Majorca, England, Scotland, seeking relief. However, time was running out, and, at the peak of his career, the great composer and pianist died in Paris, the city he loved.