Chopin, the piano teacher
While living in Paris from 1831 until his death in 1849, Chopin's major income came from his private lessons. Since the renowned professor Kalkbrenner (from whom he refused to take lessons) charged 25 francs an hour, Chopin opted for more modest fees, and until before becoming intimate with George Sand in 1838 (who suggested 30), the Polish master charged only 20. Even so, his annual income during his early years in Paris was around twelve thousand francs on average, to which he would later add a pittance from the sale of his music to his publishers (17,000 francs in all for his lifetime's work) plus a couple of concerts that occasionally left a profit.
The pupils
His students were mostly ladies, a good number of them amateurs, although he also had more talented pupils. Countesses, baronesses, and aristocratic girls would come to the house where the master was living (he lived in nine homes in Paris). Chopin's house had to be furnished in such a way that it did not clash with the ancestry of his pupils. All the more reason why he himself had to dress like a dandy to match the occasion. A few brief words to a friend give us an account of his relative well-being and his need for personal grooming:
"Today I have five lessons to give, do you think I am making a fortune? Don't be fooled, the cabriolet and the white gloves cost more than what I earn... but it wouldn't be in good taste to lack them".
The Nocturnes from Opus 27
It seems that the Countess of Appony, the wife of the Austrian ambassador, was not among his pupils, but Chopin was a frequent guest in her salons. In retribution for so much hospitality, we suppose, the two nocturnes of Opus 27, written in 1836 and published in Paris in 1837, are dedicated to her.
They belong to the third published series of a total of twenty-one nocturnes, after the first three of opus 9 and the three of opus 15. From opus 27 onwards, Chopin will send the nocturnes for publication in groups of only two.
Nocturne Opus 27 No 1, in C sharp minor
The first nocturne of the series is considered by scholars to be the pearl of the collection, "the most fervent dream Chopin ever entrusted to the piano" (although the second, Opus 27 No. 2 is second to none). Structured in ABA form with a coda, the singing rests on an arpeggiated left hand, common to most nocturnes, and which is one of the most remarkable innovations Chopin's piano ever gave to the world. The overtly passionate middle section adds the necessary contrast.
The outstanding performance is by the brilliant Ukrainian pianist Valentina Lisitsa.
