Frederic Chopin--the man, his music and his illness

Abstract

Frédéric Chopin's unique position in the history of music relies on a surprisingly limited and special production. However, the artistic level is invariably high and the musical language is both universal and unmistakably personal. A nearly life-long suffering from illness marked his life and influenced his artistry, as composer and pianist. Chopin's struggle with a fateful disease, and his instinctive understanding that he would loose, made imprints on some of his works that carry a sombre intensity, bordering on desperation. The emotional tension of these compositions, that appear already from youth and henceforward, goes far beyond the musical conventions of the time. The nature of Chopin's disease has been subject to numerous speculations. This is not surprising, considering the wide spectrum of symptoms and the dynamics of his illness--or illnesses. Taking into account all reported symptoms and signs since childhood and henceforth, it is postulated that Chopin suffered from cystic fibrosis by heriditariness, possibly superimposed by tuberculosis or atypical mycobacteria. This would explain all his symptoms, and to some extent also the ambivalence of contemporary physicians. By available gene technology it would be possible to investigate, for proof or dismissal, if this hypothesis is true.