on, Chopin became a Pleyel artist, even more exclusive in his choice of pianos than Liszt
was with Erard.
Chopin’s first concert, in 1832 in the rue Cadet on a Pleyel concert piano, was the
beginning of a long and fruitful collabnoration between Pleyel and Chopin, who from
then on ‘would play on no other piano’ (von Lenz). This is not quite true, as Chopin is
known to have played Erard, Broadwood and Boisselot pianos, but it is only a slight
exaggeration. During his lessons, Chopin would sit at a Pleyel pianino while his pupils
played a Pleyel grand. As he was the most appreciated piano teacher in Paris, this
exclusive promotion of Pleyel pianos must have played an important part in the
expansion of the firm in the 1830s and 1840s. This preference was certainly genuine, but
it wasn’t totally disinterested. Chopin took a 10% commission from Pleyel on certain
pianos sold thanks to him. Although a friendship did exist between Pleyel and Chopin,
money played a major part in their relationship, as Pleyel not only supplied pianos but
also published a lot of Chopin’s music. The two men didn’t always see eye to eye on
money matters, leading to the unpleasant remark by Chopin, ‘Pleyel is a cretin. So the
idiot doesn’t trust either of us.’
A number of contemporary accounts testify to the symbiosis between the Pleyel sound
and Chopin’s compositions and style of playing. Chopin loved Pleyel grand pianos and
played on them in his 1841, 1842 and 1848 concerts. He had a particular fondness for
Pleyel’s pianinos whose delicate sound and light touch suited the refinement of his
almost feminine style, with the hammers ‘merely brushing the strings’ (Berlioz). This is
so different from the way many young athletes play his works nowadays, although
Chopin did appreciate Franz Liszt’s virile interpretation of Chopin’s études and preludes.
Chopin expressed his reasons for preferring Pleyel pianos, explaining that he had more
control over the sound than on an Erard, whose beautiful tone required less effort, making
things too easy.
Rubato
Chopin’s pupil and teaching assistant Karol Mikuli wrote:
‘Chopin widely employed rubato in his playing, and he was far from rigorous metrically,
accelerating and slowing down this or that motive. But for each rubato Chopin had an
unshakeable emotional logic. It interpreted itself by the intensification and slowing down
of the melody, by the details of the harmony, by the construction of the figuration. It was
fluent, natural, and never fell into exaggeration or affectation.’
‘In the right hand, and in the melody, and in the arabesques, [Chopin] allowed for great
liberty; but in the left hand, held to the exact tempo.’ Mozart had said: “Let your left
hand be your leader and let it always hold to the tempo.” Chopin added: “The left hand
is the director of the orchestra’ and ‘The left hand is the choirmaster, it mustn’t relent or
bend. It’s a clock. Do with the right hand what you want and can.”