Chopin's "Revolution" Was a Small Revolution for Me — August 10, Monday, 2026, Reiwa8

This week, Chopin's music has been playing in the dining hall.

Until now, my image of Chopin has been shaped by pieces such as "Waltz of the Little Dog," "Farewell Waltz," and "Raindrop"—quiet, beautiful pieces with a touch of sadness.

But today, as I listened, I suddenly realized, "Chopin could write music this intense, too." I looked at the title, and there it was: "Revolution."

It was Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude," Etude Op. 10, No. 12.

The name "Revolution" was not given to the piece by Chopin himself. It was a name that came later. However, Chopin was deeply affected by the political upheaval in Poland and by the suppression of the Polish independence movement while he was living away from his homeland.

When I actually listened to the piece, I was struck by its intensity. The left hand races like a storm from beginning to end, while the right hand carries a powerful melody above it.

I found myself wondering:

Did Chopin already have this kind of intensity within him? Or did the circumstances of his time and the situation of his homeland bring out a side of him that was already there?

Perhaps it was both.

Human beings do not live with only one emotion. We have calmness, but we also have anger. We have joy, but we also have sadness. Depending on the time in which we live, the events we experience, and the circumstances we find ourselves in, different emotions come to the surface.

Thinking about this made me wonder what kind of music Chopin would have composed if he were living in our time.

AI is advancing rapidly, and we are beginning to see systems that sometimes seem more intelligent than human beings. At the same time, we still cannot completely predict earthquakes or tsunamis, and human lives remain vulnerable. Wars continue in many parts of the world, and uncertainty surrounding nuclear weapons has not disappeared.

If Chopin were looking at our world today, what kind of music would he write?

Would it be another intense piece? Or perhaps, instead, something very quiet?

I want to live as peacefully and quietly as possible during the years that remain to me.

But when I listen to "Revolution," I realize that even if I choose a peaceful life, anger and sadness do not completely disappear from a human heart.

I am sure that some of those feelings still remain within me.

Perhaps I do not need to force them away. Perhaps I simply need to live peacefully without allowing them to control me.

Chopin turned his intensity into music, just as it was.

I want to live the rest of my life as peacefully as I can.

And yet, from time to time, when I listen to Chopin's "Revolution," I notice that there are still such feelings inside me.

In that sense, perhaps Chopin's "Revolution" was also a small "revolution" for me.

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