Happy birthday, Vladimir Horowitz

It is the birthday of pianist Vladimir Horowitz (1903), who is regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. Horowitz began performing in 1925. His career spanned 50 years. His repertorie included works of the greatest composers, among them Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Mozart, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Schumann, and Tchaikovsky. Here is Chopin's Black Key Étude, so called because the right hand plays exclusively on the black keys.

Chopin died young, left beautiful music

It is the birthday of Polish composer and pianist Frederic Chopin (1810), who was a well known child prodigy in Warsaw. He went to Paris at age 20 to escape Russian oppression and never returned. He gave only 30 public performances in his 19 years in Paris but wrote extensively. He also played in intimate salon settings. He died in Paris at age 39, probably of tuberculosis, though the cause of death has been the subject of debate among academics in recent years. He was a prolific composer and wrote 59 mazurkas, 27 études, 20 waltzes, 18 polonaises, plus rondos ballades, impromptus, scherzos, écossaises, piano sonatas, concertos, and other pieces. He also wrote 21 nocturnes, including the one in this video. Enjoy!