Performing Arts - Chopin: The Women Behind the Music

Documentary about the life of the great pianist and composer Chopin and the story of the women whose voices inspired his music. It is undeniable that Chopin revolutionized the nature of music composed for the piano both technically and emotionally. What is less well known is that the actual musical instrument that provided his greatest source of inspiration was the female voice. To mark the 200th anniversary of Chopins birth, this film follows young pianist James Rhodes on a journey to Warsaw, Paris and London to discover the real women who had such a powerful influence on the composer. Exploring the events of Chopins life, Rhodes encounters the singers who enchanted the composer with their voices: Konstancja, a young soprano and the object of his teenage affections Delfina, the sexually notorious Polish Parisian emigre countess fellow composer and opera singer Pauline Viardot and, during the final few months of his life, the Swedish operatic superstar Jenny Lind. Threaded through the narrative of the film is a selection of Chopins piano music performed by Rhodes, while rising young opera singer Natalya Romaniw performs some of the signature arias that thrilled Chopin.