Frédéric Chopin's Pleyel Pianos

Chopin's Pleyel piano (serial #14810; 1848) at Warsaw's Frédéric Chopin Museum
(Picture by the Museum of Frédéric Chopin)

Chopin's Pleyel piano (serial #13716; 1847) at the Jagiellonian University Museum

Portrait of Chopin by Eugène Delacroix

Chopin's Pleyel upright (serial #6668; 1838) at Valldemossa Monastery, Majorca
(Picture by W. Michael)

Chopin's Pleyel piano (serial #7267; 1839) at La cité de la Musique, Paris
(Picture by J. M. Anglès, La cité de la Musique)

Chopin's Pleyel piano (serial #13819; 1846) at the Cobbe Collection
(Picture by John Challis)



Chopin's Waltz Op. 64 No. 2, played by Artur Rubinstein

It seems Chopin, my favorite and beloved composer, had a lot of pianos, all made by Pleyel.

The last Pleyel grand piano that was in Chopin's possession is the one in Warsaw, pictured above. It was used by Chopin from 1848 until his death in 1849.

Chopin preferred Pleyel pianos, and he shared a friendship with the maker, Camille Pleyel. Camille Pleyel provided his Pleyel pianos at no charge to Chopin in exchange of Chopin's support and promotion of his instrument to others.

The Pleyel piano at the Jagiellonian University Museum in Krakow was played by Chopin during his tours in England and Scotland. This piano still bears a signature by him.

Another Pleyel piano, recently discovered to be in fact Chopin's own piano and is in the possession of the Cobbe Collection, was personally used by Chopin from 1846 to 1848. He brought this piano from Paris to England during his visit, and sold it to Lady Trotter (her daughter, Margaret Trotter, seems to be Chopin's pupil) when he returned again to Paris on November, 1848.

The Pleyel upright (pianino) in Valldemossa Monastery was brought from Paris during Chopin, George Sand, and her two children's stay in Majorca from November 8th, 1838 to February 13, 1839.

They intentionally wanted to stay in Majorca to improve Chopin's failing health, but this same piano was stuck in customs until it was delivered on January 5th. Chopin wrote on December 28th to Fontana, his friend:

"Customs want a mountain of gold for this mess... People [here] are thieves because they never see foreigners and do not know what to ask for things. Oranges are gratis, but a button for my pants costs a fortune. Yet, all this is a grain of sand compared to this sky, this poetry, this color of the most marvelous of places"


Majorca's bitter winter actually worsened Chopin's illness. Because of this, they had to quickly leave and sell this beloved Pleyel to a french couple. However, his stay at Valldemossa monastery was one of the most productive periods of Chopin's life.

Chopin once is said to have remarked, "Pleyel pianos are the last word in perfection."


Beautiful pianos and so many memories.