Koczalski, Raoul. Frédéric Chopin: Four Analytical Lectures Preceded by Biographical Notes as well as Essays on Chopin (Frédéric Chopin : quatre conférences analytiques...), 1913. In French.

Raoul Koczalski.
Frédéric Chopin: quatre conférences analytiques précédées de notes biographiques ainsi que des essais sur Chopin, considéré comme compositeur et comme pianiste.
Paris: Édité par l'auteur, [1913].
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Raoul Koczalski.
Frédéric Chopin: Four Analytical Lectures Preceded by Biographical Notes as well as Essays on Chopin, Considered as a Composer and as a Pianist.
Paris: Published by the author, [1913].
198 pp. : illus. ; 19 cm. Paperback.

This 1913 work, self-published by the author in Paris, constitutes an exceptional testimony to the interpretation of Chopin by one of his most illustrious exponents, Raoul Koczalski. The text offers a deep dive into the internal logic of Frédéric Chopin's work, including the arrangement of four detailed analytical lectures that dissect the style and structure of the Polish master's compositions. Koczalski, a virtuoso pianist himself and considered one of the direct heirs to the tradition of Karol Mikuli (Chopin's own pupil), precedes his analyses with essential biographical notes and in-depth essays on Chopin, viewed both as a revolutionary composer and a visionary pianist.  As a vital primary source, this volume documents the aesthetic transmission of Chopin's "pure playing" at the beginning of the 20th century, steering away from the sentimental excesses of the era. Illustrated with several plates and musical examples, the book provides insight into the technical and spiritual nuances indispensable for the performance of this repertoire. Published in a manageable 19 cm format, this paperback copy is a significant bibliographical rarity for musicologists, professional pianists, and collectors of musical literature dedicated to Romanticism.