"Fryderyk Chopin represents the sound of our freedom, the spiritual voice of the Polish nation. These words greet visitors to Zelazowa Wola, about 31 miles (50 km) from Warsaw, the manor where the famous composer was born in 1810. The first monument in his honor was erected there in 1894, when the country was still under Russian rule. After Poland's independence in 1918, the site was converted into a museum surrounded by a beautiful park."
"Another emblematic site linked to Chopinthis time to his deathis the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw, where his heart rests, brought from Paris in a brandy flask by his older sister in 1849. Between the commemorations of his birth and his death, one of the most prestigious classical music competitions in the world is held every five years in Warsaw: the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition."
"The event began in 1927 as a Polish nationalist demand: a way to purify the interpretation of Chopin's piano music from foreign influences considered hypersensitive and morbid. It was promoted by pianist Jerzy Zurawlew, a pupil of one of the composer's students, who gave it a new format inspired by high-level sports competition in order to motivate young pianists. However, the successive victories of Russian performers in the first editions made it clear that Chopin's Polishness had an international dimension to it."
Fryderyk Chopin is presented as the sound of Polish freedom and the spiritual voice of the nation. Zelazowa Wola, the composer's 1810 birthplace located about 31 miles from Warsaw, hosts an 1894 monument and, after 1918, a museum set in a park. His heart is interred in the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw, brought from Paris in 1849 by his sister. The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition occurs every five years in Warsaw; founded in 1927 with nationalist aims, it adopted a sports-like format and ultimately demonstrated Chopin's international reach through winners from many countries.
Read at english.elpais.com
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