Fortepian Szopena (Chopin’s Piano). Poetry and history (transl. by Tadeusz Karłowicz)

Abstract

The author tries to interpret in a new light a few motifs from Norwid's masterpiece. It turns out that talking about Chopin changes into remarks on his art, which causes a certain difficulty in differentiating these two planes (biography and music). The motif of the dropped lyre (l. 9) playing spontaneously after Orpheus' death allows stating that one of the basic themes of Chopin's Piano is the problem of the life of art after the death of the artist. The poem makes one ask about this particular mystery that decides about the value and immortality of a work of art

Next the historical background is characterized of the origin of the poem and the circumstances and consequences are described of the attempt on the life of Governor Berg, that is, of the events that are thought to be connected with the genesis of the poem.

In the last part a new interpretation is presented of the famous ending of the poem (l. 114-117), in which the significance of irony is lessened and the possibility is proposed of an almost literal understanding of the text. It is suggested that the ideal reaching the cobbles should be understood as an analogy to Christ's Incarnation.