Chopin "outed"

[Oliver2]

Lovers of serious music will know that many of our favourite composers were gay and that just as many probably were. In the former category are, for example, Tchaikovsky, Britten Tippet, Bernstein and Copland, while, among "probables" are Ravel, Ireland and Saint-Saens.

Now we have evidence that Chopin was at least a probable. It was news to me.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/nov/25/chopins-interest-in-men-airbrushed-from-history-programme-claims

However, in view of the homophobia encouraged by the Polish Government ,it is worth remembering that another of Poland's greatest composers, Szymanowski, was a "definite". His "King Roger" has a sub-text revealing the journey of a man towards the acceptance of his sexuality. All of his work from that period (post First World War) shares this homoeroticism, particularly his 3rd Symphony which sets Persian texts extolling male love.

So I welcome Frederick Chopin as a Friend of Dorothy and enjoy the embarrassment the revelation will cause Poland's nasty government.

[StevieWonders]

Why have you left that great Frenchman Poulenc off your list?

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/great-classical-composers-who-were-gay/

[dinagam]

Chopin was French and a resident of Warsaw.

[Oliver2]

Unforgiveable! One of my favourites too! I sense a distinct gay sensibility in much of his work.
I'll check out that link.

[StevieWonders]

Unforgiveable! One of my favourites too! I sense a distinct gay sensibility in much of his work.
I'll check out that link.
That other old queen Simon Russell Beale did a series on, I think, composers of religious music and joined Poulenc and Faure in (maybe) the last of the series. Beale himself was magnificent as Beria in that great documentary The Death Of Stalin.

[Oliver2]

The French connection is interesting. Anyone who has been to Tangiers (the 1950s/60s equivalent of Pattaya's Boyztown) will know the Rue Saint-Saens right in the middle of the former male brothel area. Ravel's sexuality was kept secret though there are no records of women in his life. However, his song cycle Sheherazade uses poems by an "out" gay poet, Tristan Klingsor, two of which are clearly homoerotic in content. Ravel originally wanted a tenor soloist but was persuaded to change this requirement to a soprano because tongues would wag.
Perhaps this reflects the tolerant ambiance of early 20th century Paris where Oscar Wilde went often to indulge his proclivities more (even more ) openly than in the UK. Even the notoriously shy and ferociously closeted AE Housman was said to do the same.

[siscu58]

Chopin was French and a resident of Warsaw.

Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin was Polish, not French. He was born in Zelazowa Wola, a small village in Mazovia, about 50km away from Warsaw. His father was French, from Polish origins, and he emigrated to Poland in 1787. The mother of Chopin was Polish from a noble family.
Chopin emigrated to France when he was 20 yo and changed his name to Frédéric-Francçois.

[Oliver2]

Of course he was. There were strong cultural links between France and Poland but his music is defiantly Polish, often employing Polish dance forms like the mazurka and the polonaise. Furthermore, apposite to my predictable comment about Poland's homophobic government, he is a national hero in his country with numerous statues, awards in his name and much else.
France has enough musical heroes of its own to celebrate!.