30 Mowery ⦁ Chopin Polish Sympathies He was able to “place himself above the narrow limits of nationality”65 and compose what he wished. Chopin would not be forced by the public to conform to their categories. Chopin’s nationalism was not as dramatic as his teacher Elsner, his fellow Polish emigrants or the public may have wanted, but he did use simple Polish dances to fight for his people. Chopin redefined what a mazurka could be, creating a space in the genre for emotional expression along with technical demands, and he connected “his own inner emotional world to the spirit of the nation.”66 It is fitting that he chose to make this known through a “simple, ‘salon’ dance piece” as opposed to the “more usual channels of opera or programmatic reference.”67 Chopin’s music and his legacy still endure today, from young children playing his pieces to the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. His music also continues to be important for modern-day Poland. Since 2015, the Law and Justice Party assumed power in Poland, and before a concert in Warsaw on February 24th, 2018, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, claimed that without Chopin, Poland would probably have continued under subjection.68 This statement, regardless of whether it is true or false, speaks to the honor that Poland has for him. In fact, during World War II, Chopin was censored in Poland, even to the extent of attempting to remove his name from music that was published, not talking about him in radio programs and destroying monuments built to honor him.69 It certainly seems as if Schumann’s assessment of Chopin’s music as “cannons under flowers” was accurate. Chopin was a complicated man who lived in a complicated time. The dire circumstances of the Polish people during the early 19th century and the unique situation of Chopin as a musician away from his people resulted in Chopin’s nostalgic nationalistic music, works that reflected his support of his people and for a country that was not independent. Even though he did not become a political activist, his words, deeds, and most importantly his music allowed him to be a symbol for his people, even up to today. Whether through his stirring melodies of Fantasy on Polish Airs or the wistful notes of his Mazurka in C-Sharp Minor, this 65 Pekacz, “Deconstructing a ‘National Composer,’” 172. 66 Samson, Chopin, 99. 67 Samson, Chopin, 99. 68 LaFarge, Chasing Chopin, 22–23. 69 LaFarge, Chasing Chopin, 23.
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