Frédéric Chopin

Chopin did not become the leading figure of nineteenth century Romanticism by chance, for few virtuosos deserved the title as much as he does. He pushed the boundaries of what was playable on a piano by writing compositions that were meant to improve his technique, and these are still extremely challenging to advanced players nowadays. But first and foremost he managed to use that tremendous ability in a deeply musical context which accounts for the longevity of his work.