Chopin, der Antistar

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Frédéric Chopin, the piano poet, sought "quiet sympathy rather than loud applause," a characteristic noted by his rival Franz Liszt, who attributed it to Chopin's "artistic excitability" and "inner vulnerability." Chopin's delicate physique, refined demeanor, depressive tendencies, and the onset of a fatal lung disease heightened public perceptions of his "quaintness, sickly eccentricity, even of hatred and wildness," as Robert Schumann remarked. This inclination towards internalization and depressive withdrawal significantly influenced Chopin's approach to life, interpretation, and composition. The examination of these themes is presented through a range of contributions, including analytical, time-critical, aesthetic, pathological, and psychographical perspectives.