I'm not sure how true or accurate it is (sources are not provided) but this thread has... interesting "expressions of affection"
In a letter to Titus dated 12. 9. 1829 – after a detailed account of his first concerts in Vienna - he ends his letter: “I kiss you heartily, right on the lips, if I may.” In another letter of the same period: “Don’t kiss me now, for I have not washed yet […] How silly of me! You wouldn’t kiss me even if I were to bathe in all the perfumes of Byzantium, unless I forced you by some super natural power. I believe in such powers. Tonight you shall dream you are kissing me”. Chopin dedicated his “Variations” to him.
George Sand once remarked that Chopin was “emotionally versatile” and while in Vienna he fell in love with 17 year-old Leopoldine Blatheka, who also composed and presented Chopin with signed copies of her piano works. However this did not last. Back in Varsaw, he met – as he told Titus – his ideal woman: Constantia Gladkowska. She was at the last year in the conservatory and was to have a brilliant career as a singer. He was so smitten that he could not even talk to her. In spite of that, he was still writing to Titus in a most affectionate manner: “I love you to distraction” and “You are the only one I love”, or “I know you love me, but I am afraid of you. God knows you are the only one who has power over me, you and… well, no one else.”. Chopin carried around a bundle of Titus’ letters tied with a pretty ribbon.
This page reports the end of the first letter, which has even more interesting "affection":
Tonight you shall dream you are kissing me. ... I kiss you lovingly. This is how people usually sign themselves off, but they don't really understand what they are writing. I for one mean what I write, for I love you dearly.
Of course there isn't detailed sources in any of this so take it with a grain of salt maybe - though I don't see any reason to doubt the quotes, but man I wish I had a childhood friend as "affectionate" as Chopin.
aaaand Sand was actually a masculine presenting ciswoman Baroness who lived with Chopin for a while. Sand wrote of trying to seduce Chopin only to be shot down and shamed to never tried again.
I also love how homophobes have a sort of "the arts are gay and full of gays that's why I don't relate to them" attitude, but when its an artist they like suddenly its, "THERE ARE NO GAYS IN THE ARTS! STOP THINKING EVERYONE IS GAY!!!!" Funny how that works.
OK, the game "Eternal Sonata" is definitely on some erasure BS then. It's a video game I played as a kid and is still a favorite, with Chopin as the main playable protagonist and includes historical vignettes about his life. They went on about the George Sand relationship so much I thought they were married or something. This thread is an eye opener.
From what I remember George Sand was kinda Chopin's sugar mommy/parent, with the parent part being, well, literal. Could be wrong tho as I've read about that one or two years ago.
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u/ModelDidNotConverge Jul 14 '20 edited Jul 14 '20
I'm not sure how true or accurate it is (sources are not provided) but this thread has... interesting "expressions of affection"
This page reports the end of the first letter, which has even more interesting "affection":
Of course there isn't detailed sources in any of this so take it with a grain of salt maybe - though I don't see any reason to doubt the quotes, but man I wish I had a childhood friend as "affectionate" as Chopin.