Frederic Chopin monument, Vienna

A bronze statue stands in the Schweizergarten, a green park in Vienna. The work is called ‘La Note Bleue’ and was made by the Polish-Italian sculptor Krzysztof M. Bednarski. It was unveiled in November 2010 during events marking the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth. The title refers to a phrase used by George Sand, Chopin’s partner, to describe the ‘blue note’ she heard in his music. The monument honours the two times Chopin visited Vienna between 1829 and 1831. These visits brought his first foreign successes and, in 1831, he left for Paris where he later became world famous. The sculpture shows Chopin seated, his hands resting on an open grand piano. Visitors find it beside wide paths lined with horse chestnut trees in the park’s quiet centre. Benches nearby let people sit and listen to the faint sound of the city blending with the rustle of leaves.