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Since information on the life of Fryderyk (Frédéric) Chopin is very easy to find elsewhere, we restrict ourselves here to some background concerning his songs, perhaps the least-known of his compositions. There are nineteen songs by Chopin that we know of. It is quite possible that he composed more of them, but the manuscripts have been lost or they were never actually written down in the first place. Even among those that remain, not all are complete, existing only in sketches made by the composer for his friends. These songs, for solo voice, were composed during social occasions and written down in souvenir albums belonging to the women in his close circle of friends. Some songs were composed in Poland, some after he emigrated to France.

None of his songs was ever published in his lifetime. Nevertheless they rapidly became popular, especially his melodies to Stefan Witwicki's poems Idyllic Songs, which were known to all and soon spread to the farthest reaches of the country. The first edition appeared in January 1859, ten years after the composer's death. It contained sixteen songs of Opus 74 (no. 17 was added later).

A number of these songs have now been arranged for a cappella SATB choir by the Polish musicologist, conductor and vocalist, Wlodzimierz Soltysik. Published first in Poland in 1983, they are easily learnt by high school or college choirs as well as professional ensembles. Seven of these songs are now available (or in preparation) in our edition with English text by Wilbur Skeels. The original Polish text is included.

The portrait of Chopin is by Eugène Delacroix (1838).