Uploaded October 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
How did Frédéric Chopin play the piano? We can't know for sure, but fortunately we have a lot of information. Some of the elements in Chopin's piano playing are: Rubato, phrasing and legato highly influenced by 19th century Bel Canto (especially from opera singers singing Bellini); playing the right hand as like a vocalist and the left hand as accompaniment (basis of rubato in a nutshell is like this); full legato embedded on keyboard; dynamics were multi-scale, unique feathery pianissimo were most common but he also rarely used very very powerful fortissimo touches (depending on the concept of "zal", the feeling of rebellion was also included in some of his works); natural and colorful timbre; very lively sense of spontaneous (he always played his works differently); infrequent but very effective pedal use; touch control giving polyphonic line (one of his favorite composers was Bach); controlled but also rhythmically free and sophisticated (Polish rhythms are particularly effective); a very nuanced, refined and fluid approach, complexity and simplicity combined; ornament that does not disturb the structure of the work (may be called "Mozartian ornament"); he was an aristocrat so he did not like very exaggerated attitudes, of course by romantic era standards.
The emotion and passionate was intense but not identical (He said that his playing changes depending on his mood). Today, "sad" Chopin is common, but in reality Chopin's emotion was all kinds: Sometimes it sounded volcanic, sometimes joyful, sometimes sickly.
It contained many elements that seemed to contradict each other. That's why Chopin's piano playing is highly controversial. It was very difficult to imitate or imagine.
We can hear these in pianists indirectly related to Chopin. I think, these recordings can give an idea of how Chopin played.
00:00 Moriz Rosenthal - Sonata No. 3, Largo (incomplete take, 1939?)
Pupil of Karol Mikuli (Who had been Chopin's pupil and assistant) and Franz Liszt (Chopin's close friend)
04:00 Alexander Michalowski - Etude Op. 10, No 11 (R. 1912)
Pupil of Karol Mikuli and Princess Marcelina Czartoryska (Who had been Chopin's pupil). He also met with Liszt and some other Chopin students.
06:48 Vladimir de Pachmann - Barcarolle (abridged, R. 1907)
Pupil of Mme. Vera Kologrivoff Rubio (Who had been Chopin’s pupil and last assistant) and close friend of Liszt.
11:28 Alfred Cortot - Prelude Op. 28, No. 17, A-flat major (R. 1933)
Pupil of Émile Decombes (He was one of the last pupils of Frédéric Chopin) and he listened to George Mathias (one of Chopin's best pupils), he is one of Cortot's Chopin inspiration.
14:07 Raoul Koczalski - Fantaise-Impromptu in C-Sharp Major, Op. 66 (On Chopin's Pleyel, R. 1948)
Pupil of Karol Mikuli.
18:46 Raoul Pugno - Nocturne in F-Sharp Major, Op. 15 No. 2 (R. 1903)
Pupil of Georges Mathias.
22:13 Édouard Risler - Waltz No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 (R. 1917)
Pupil of Émile Decombes.
How did Frédéric Chopin play the piano? We can't know for sure, but fortunately we have a lot of information. Some of the elements in Chopin's piano playing are: Rubato, phrasing and legato highly influenced by 19th century Bel Canto (especially from opera singers singing Bellini); playing the right hand as like a vocalist and the left hand as accompaniment (basis of rubato in a nutshell is like this); full legato embedded on keyboard; dynamics were multi-scale, unique feathery pianissimo were most common but he also rarely used very very powerful fortissimo touches (depending on the concept of "zal", the feeling of rebellion was also included in some of his works); natural and colorful timbre; very lively sense of spontaneous (he always played his works differently); infrequent but very effective pedal use; touch control giving polyphonic line (one of his favorite composers was Bach); controlled but also rhythmically free and sophisticated (Polish rhythms are particularly effective); a very nuanced, refined and fluid approach, complexity and simplicity combined; ornament that does not disturb the structure of the work (may be called "Mozartian ornament"); he was an aristocrat so he did not like very exaggerated attitudes, of course by romantic era standards.
The emotion and passionate was intense but not identical (He said that his playing changes depending on his mood). Today, "sad" Chopin is common, but in reality Chopin's emotion was all kinds: Sometimes it sounded volcanic, sometimes joyful, sometimes sickly.
It contained many elements that seemed to contradict each other. That's why Chopin's piano playing is highly controversial. It was very difficult to imitate or imagine.
We can hear these in pianists indirectly related to Chopin. I think, these recordings can give an idea of how Chopin played.
00:00 Moriz Rosenthal - Sonata No. 3, Largo (incomplete take, 1939?)
Pupil of Karol Mikuli (Who had been Chopin's pupil and assistant) and Franz Liszt (Chopin's close friend)
04:00 Alexander Michalowski - Etude Op. 10, No 11 (R. 1912)
Pupil of Karol Mikuli and Princess Marcelina Czartoryska (Who had been Chopin's pupil). He also met with Liszt and some other Chopin students.
06:48 Vladimir de Pachmann - Barcarolle (abridged, R. 1907)
Pupil of Mme. Vera Kologrivoff Rubio (Who had been Chopin’s pupil and last assistant) and close friend of Liszt.
11:28 Alfred Cortot - Prelude Op. 28, No. 17, A-flat major (R. 1933)
Pupil of Émile Decombes (He was one of the last pupils of Frédéric Chopin) and he listened to George Mathias (one of Chopin's best pupils), he is one of Cortot's Chopin inspiration.
14:07 Raoul Koczalski - Fantaise-Impromptu in C-Sharp Major, Op. 66 (On Chopin's Pleyel, R. 1948)
Pupil of Karol Mikuli.
18:46 Raoul Pugno - Nocturne in F-Sharp Major, Op. 15 No. 2 (R. 1903)
Pupil of Georges Mathias.
22:13 Édouard Risler - Waltz No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 (R. 1917)
Pupil of Émile Decombes.
