Chopin's Funeral (Hardcover)

I've read a few books on Chopin and this one is generally very good, covering his life in suitable detail within the bounds of the book's 222 pages. It is more of a "populist" book than an in depth analysis of his music, giving good coverage to the historical and political background, the social circles he moved in, and his relationship over many years with George Sand and her children. My main adverse comments are that at times I felt the narrative was rather muddled, discussing future events out of step with the general chronology of the book, with no warning to the unwary that this was the case. I also often had cause to cringe at Ms Eisler's attempts to convey Chopin's piano music in words. Better to let the reader acquire a good CD and hear for themselves than try to come up with overworked phraseology such as "...the modulations are as subtly varied, yet as dramatic in texture and shape as those formed by the barest turns of a kaleidoscope whose bits of coloured glass, shivering into patterns, defy us to explain their magic." Still, this aside, the book is a good introduction to the composer and tells a fascinating tale that deserves to be more widely known.

Confining herself to those details which can be historically verified, author Eisler documents her vivid account of their life together primarily through references to the letters of the participants and eyewitness accounts. Unlike writers of fictionalized biography, she presents the facts and avoids drawing conclusions, even when they seem obvious to the lay reader. The one arena in which she allows herself some imaginative leeway is in analyzing some of the creative works of Chopin and Sand, relating them to events in their lives. For Chopin she suggests that the mood or form of a work might be related to particular events or circumstances, while for Sand she suggests that it might be the subject matter itself.

Straightforward and scholarly, the biography presents facts, rather then bringing events to life, and while some insight can be gained into the participants from their letters, there are some gaps in the historical record which sometimes leave the reader wishing for more transitions, especially as the Chopin/Sand relationship deteriorates and eventually ends. While music history scholars may be familiar with much of this material, Eisler's story is, for the novice, a fascinating glimpse into the life and times of these romantic artists, their friends, and patrons in Paris near the mid-point of the 19th century.

The book is fairly brief and whether or not it will be a favorite read of a given person will largely depend on what knowledge you are hoping to gain. Mine was limited on Chopin prior to this book, so for me too much time was spent on reviews of specific pieces. If this is one of many Chopin biographies you have read you will likely be well rewarded. I found the author's comments on his compositions to be too lengthy in a comparatively short book, and they are clearly written by a lover of Chopin. I found them florid in their style, "proto-impressionist, light-filled buoyancy, chromatic tag, a sensuous pleasure", that go on for paragraph after paragraph and occupy a good deal of this short work. These are not expositions of what he created as opposed to rave reviews.

The book is very good. Just how well it will be for a given person will depend on what you already bring with you prior to this read.