"Welcome to Fryderyk Chopin Airport, Warsaw,” intones the flight attendant. And sure enough, there on the outside of the terminal building, looming through the darkness of a wintry evening, giant letters proclaim the name of the composer who wrote some of the best-loved piano music in the world. Here at Poland’s very gateway, Chopin is the national symbol chosen to introduce the country to its visitors.
But wait. Chopin is not a Polish surname, and his first one is often spelled Frédéric. Wasn’t he French? No. Chopin was Polish. To suggest otherwise is akin to blasphemy in Poland, and ought to be high on the list in any guidebook of things not to say in polite society.
Read more:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalmusic/7244031/Chopin-belongs-to-us-says-Poland.html
Posts
