Frederick Niecks

Frederick Niecks
Frederick Niecks (1845–1924) was a German-born British music historian, critic, and pianist best known for his biography of composer Frédéric Chopin. His most notable work, "Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician," published in 1888, remains a comprehensive and authoritative source on Chopin's life and music. Niecks also authored "A Concise Dictionary of Musical Terms" and other significant writings on classical music history. He contributed greatly to 19th-century musicology and taught at the University of Edinburgh for many years.

Author's Books:


VOLUME I. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION While the novelist has absolute freedom to follow his artistic instinct and intelligence, the biographer is fettered by the subject-matter with which he proposes to deal. The former may hopefully pursue an ideal, the latter must rest satisfied with a compromise between the desirable and the necessary. No doubt, it is possible to thoroughly digest all the requisite... more...

THE loves of famous men and women, especially of those connected with literature and the fine arts, have always excited much curiosity. In the majority of cases the poet's and artist's choice of a partner falls on a person who is incapable of comprehending his aims and sometimes even of sympathising with his striving. The question "why poets are so apt to choose their mates, not for any... more...