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The Life and Works of Chopin
- Narrated by: Jeremy Siepmann
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Entertainment & Celebrities
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Editorial Reviews
This biography of Frederick Chopin, with commentary on his works, including beautifully played samples of the pieces under discussion, is a near perfect use of the audio format. Siepmann writes with acumen and sympathy about both the man and the music, and reads the narration with equal skill. When dialogue is taken verbatim from letters or journals, four skillful actors are used to bring long dead personalities to life and add texture to the narrative.
Publisher's Summary
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
Critic Reviews
- Audie Award Winner, Original Work, 2002
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What listeners say about The Life and Works of Chopin
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall

- Stephen
- 16-07-2003
Excellent Through and Through
Narrator's voice 5/5
Additional Voices 5/5
Dialog or story 5/5
This was my first audiobook purchase and it certainly raised my expectations. The narrator and author has done an excellent job. The pace is natural and Chopin's music enters in a timely manner. Just as important as the main narrator's voice is that of the additional voices (heard as letters). They are superb and beyond what you would expect from an audiobook in terms of quality. A very good listen.
9 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Leigh A
- 05-04-2004
The short of it.
A little better than Cliff notes. If you love the music and want to get into what moved the man to create, you will only get a glance. A chronological review of his life with readings of his and other?s letters. Music is included, but I would have preferred much more depth in how the pieces were inspired. The presentation is more a history book than a passionate tale of a great artist. The book could have, and should have been twice as long.
Authors just shouldn?t narrate their own work, although Siepmann does better than most. The music was noticeably poorer in sound quality than the spoken word.
7 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Aaron Elliott
- 19-04-2007
Wanting More of the Piano Genius
I very much enjoyed this audiobook. It glides effortlessly from snippets of stories to short musical exerpts. The readers are very adept. The only minor drawback is this book only scratches the surface of this genius of the piano. I wanted more.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall

- Alexander
- 22-09-2004
Staggering experience of Chopin?s world of music
An eloquent and powerful story of personal struggle and courage to live a life of an artist. This extraordinary work extends human sympathy to the composer personality beyond the point where it normally comes to his music alone. A moving , eccentric and unforgettable experience of Chopin's world supported by numerous well-selected examples of his musical genius.
Jeremy Siepmann has a rare feeling for music, language and an understanding of character which few can rival.
4 people found this helpful
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- Sandra
- 23-07-2012
Beautiful and Inspiring...
What a delightful book. It was so pleasant hearing Chopin's music along with his life story and seeing how events in his life inspired certain pieces.
This is such an interesting way to learn about the masters.
The narrators voice was pleasant.
A+++++++
2 people found this helpful
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- Jay Quintana
- 01-07-2003
4+ Hours of Enjoyment
Entertaining, informative, excellent narration... a great introduction to Chopin. Listened to it twice in 1 week.
5 people found this helpful
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- willow33
- 29-05-2014
Puts the Audio in Audiobook
Any additional comments?
Beyond being an excellent primer on Chopin, this audiobook is an model for taking audiobooks beyond recitations of words on a page. Besides the addition of music samples, I so enjoyed having other voices added to that of the narrator's, something I would love to see done in fiction audiobooks, at least a male and a female narrator.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall

- Hal
- 01-04-2009
Best music biography I have heard
When I first downloaded this I has a player that only supported a format 2 download, which is entirely inadequate for playing music. With format 4, the sound is excellent.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall

- Rob
- 22-08-2004
Chopin - excellent
Could have been twice as long - but wasn't. Nevertheless absorbing, entertaining and informative.
1 person found this helpful
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- Dr
- 10-01-2015
A good introduction to Chopin
This is a good introduction to Chopin in both narrative and musical examples. One hears from Chopin's writings and from those who admired him along with some who didn't
There is a good balance between narrative and long musical instruments samples.
I cannot read music and found this a very informative guide to Chopin and his work.
I will listen to his music with more insight as a result of this work
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- rarely review
- 05-08-2021
loved it
loved the music included . very well spoken. I know a lot more now about it
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- C. Bamford
- 14-01-2019
A splendid presentation.
Having read a number of biographical accounts of Chopin's life, I enjoyed this immensely. Chopin's own words were read so well and all the examples of his music were complete, not extracts, and very well performed.
The whole account was flawlessly read by the author and seamlessly recorded. I recommend this audio to anyone who already has a love of Chopin's music for it will only enhance it.
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