CHOPIN

A rather prejudiced study of Chopin's life written in florid style. When compared with the other musical biographies reported in this issue (Brahms and Gershwin, on Page 45) this seems static, lacking in vitality -- and inadequately documented. Chopin's life, his love of Poland and hope for its freedom, his handicap of ill-health, his romance, all form part of the story -- and yet he does not come alive, he is simply a glorified figure, lavishly praised by his advocate. The content is good; there are sidelights that are particularly well handled, and the spirit of the 19th century is convincingly and realistically caught. The musical aspects are handled in such a way that readers with little or no musical background can enjoy reading about the man and his times. Gronowicz feels that the keynote to Chopin's work lies in his following his tutor's advice:- ""Remember, Fryderyk, music comes from the songs of simple people"". George Avison's pen and ink drawings are well done.