Hallucinations and Rainstorms

Donald Macleod explores Chopin and Sand’s trip to Majorca on holiday, which didn’t turn out to be as idyllic as they had both hoped.

Early in 1837, Franz Liszt introduced Chopin to a woman who would have a profound influence on his life. Her name was George Sand and Chopin’s relationship with the novelist would go on to stretch for almost a decade and prove to be the longest romantic bond of the composer’s life, and a defining creative relationship for both of them. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod explores the intertwined lives of these two key figures in French romantic-era life.

At the end of 1838, Chopin and Sand spent three months in Majorca, as a kind of honeymoon, to celebrate the start of their relationship. In Tuesday’s programme, Donald explores this trip, which bore musical dividends, but eventually proved to be a disaster, and not the idyllic paradise that they had both hoped for.

Mazurka in E minor, Op.41 no 2 ‘Palman’
Pavel Kolesnikov, piano

Nocturne, op 37 no 2
Maurizio Pollini, piano

Preludes, op.28 – nos. 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 ‘Raindrop’
Seong-Jin Cho, piano

Ballade no 2 in F major, op. 38
Krystian Zimerman, piano

Polonaise in C minor, op.40 no 2
Arthur Rubinstein, piano

Cantabile in B flat, B.84
Arthur Schoonderwoerd, piano

Producer: Sam Phillips