Chateaux Of The Loire - A Musical Journey

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The Places The great châteaux & country houses of the Loire arose largely from the decision of Francois I, who came to the throne in 1515, to move his court for part of the year to the Loire valley. This coincided with a period of French architecture in which the Italian Renaissance style was notably influential, often combined with the existing Gothic. An extraordinarily large number of imposing châteaux resulted, from Chambord & Blois to Azay-le-Rideau. The Music The music accompanying this tour of the Loire is all by Fryderyk Chopin. Born in Poland of a Polish mother & émigré French father, Chopin settled in Paris & his liaison with the writer George Sand allowed him generally to spend summer months with her at her Château de Nohant in the upper valley of the Indre, the so-called Black Valley. The music chosen here is taken from his many Waltzes, a popular dance that he elevated from the ball-room to the concert salon.