 | Polish Music Newsletter |
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January 2004, Vol. 10, No. 1. ISSN 1098-9188. Published monthly. Los Angeles: Polish Music Center, University of Southern California
2003 Polish Music Highlights |
Anniversaries |
Awards: Wilk Essay Prize |
The first Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors was held in 1979 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Grzegorz Fitelberg, an exceptional Polish composer and conductor and a representative of the Mloda Polska [Young Poland] movement in literature and the arts. For many years, Fitelberg lead some of the country's top orchestras, including the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw, and the Great Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice.
The Grzegorz Fitelberg Competition is open to conductors who have not yet turned 35 on the first day of competition. The contest repertoire encompasses works of Viennese Classicism, Romanticism, and music of the twentieth century, including the works of Polish composers. The competition is held once every four years. The winner of the first edition (1979) was Claus Peter Flor (Germany), who was followed in the second edition (1983) by Chiraka Imamura (Japan). Michael Zilm (Germany) walked away with top honors during the competition's third edition in 1987. His triumph was followed by those of Makoto Suehiro (Japan) during the fourth edition (1991) and Victoria Zhadko (Ukraine) during the fifth (1995). The sixth and most recent contest was held in 1999 and saw Massimiliano Caldi (Italy) emerge as the victor. This contest for young conductors held in Katowice is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions in Geneva.
107 candidates applied for this year's edition of the contest, held in Katowice from December 5 to December 14, 2003. An international jury chaired by Tadeusz Strugała (with Stanisław Skrowaczewski, the competition's honorary director, as its honorary chairperson) selected forty young conductors from twenty-seven countries for the final audition stage. This group included six Poles: Aleksander Gref, Anna Jaroszynska, Przemysław Neumann, Wojciech Rodek, Tomasz Tokarczyk, and Maciej Zoltowski.
Two winners, Aleksandar Markovic of Serbia and Modestas
Pitrenas of Lithuania (ex aequo) shared the gold medals and two first prizes of 47,000 zl
(about $15,000 U.S.). No second prize was given. The third prize of 26,000 zl was awarded to Marko Ivanovic of the Czech republic.
There were also 3 honorary mentions:
Chol-Ung Ri of North Korea (21,000 zl), Wsiewolod Polonski of Russia (16,000 zl) and Harutiun Arzumanian of Armenia (10,500 zl).
 | POLISH MUSIC JOURNAL Vol. 6 No. 2, Winter 2003 HENRYK MIKOŁAJ GORECKI |
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The winter 2003 issue of the Polish Music Journal celebrates Górecki's 70th birthday by bringing together selected papers from the 1997 conference
organized at USC, his interviews and speeches, and documentary material pertaining to the "Górecki Autumn at USC" - edited by Maja Trochimczyk.
 Gorecki in 1997. Photo by Vladek Juszkiewicz. The volume is available from www.usc.edu/polish_music/PMJ/index.html, with the contents described below:  Editorial by
Maja Trochimczyk: Henryk Mikolaj Górecki at 70
Articles:
Documentation:
Source Readings: Górecki in Los Angeles (1997):
 Poster design Bozenna and Łukasz Bogucki, from a photo by Jorg Tittel, 2003. 2003 PADEREWSKI LECTURE Introductory Remarks by Maja Trochimczyk 7 December 2003, USC Bing Theater
Dzień Dobry Państwu! Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen!
The 2003 Paderewski Lecture began with Ignacy Jan Paderewski's Cracovienne Fantastique performed by USC graduate Dr. Lorenzo Sanchez. Beautiful strains of Paderewski's music provided the most appropriate welcome to the Second Annual Paderewski Lecture given this year by our guest of honor, Polish composer Joanna Bruzdowicz. My name is Maja Trochimczyk and I serve at USC as the Stefan and Wanda Wilk Director of the Polish Music Center.
The purpose of annual Paderewski Lectures is to celebrate the memory of Paderewski, a pianist, composer, statesman, orator and humanitarian by presenting the most distinguished and talented Polish composers of our times, who discuss their own music.
Paderewski, the original "long-haired musician" with flaming hair and mystic eyes — to cite one of his 19th century fans — was also referred to as the "New Chopin," the "Archangel," the "Master of Harmonies," the "Lion of Poland," Mister President, the Modern Immortal, and last but not least, the "Red Pollack," more brave than the Trojans, a patriot of such indomitable spirit that his mere presence would have saved Troy from falling to the Greeks. This reference appeared in a 1914 poem by John Houston Finley, Editor-in-Chief of the New York Times. Like Paderewski, USC Trojans are usually victorious. I thought of mentioning that Trojan connection because Paderewski is also a member of the Trojan Family, thanks to his honorary doctoral degree of 1923. Paradoxically, he is a recipient of a Doctor of Law degree for his political activities. Now, of course, he is better known as a musician. For more information about Paderewski I would like to refer you to the web site created at the PMC by two Paderewski fans: my mentor, founder and honorary director of the Polish Music Center, Wanda Wilk, and myself. The address is in the program book, also featuring a brief outline of Paderewski's career.
So we will not talk about Paderewski today. The subject will be our guest of honor, Joanna Bruzdowicz, who comes to us from France, her country of residence and citizenship for over 20 years. She also lived in Belgium and ran a festival in Catalonia, Spain. Like Paderewski, she has become the citizen of the world; like Paderewski, she remained greatly attached to her home country; like Paderewski, she dedicated her life to music and humanitarian ideals of making the world a better place through music.
Joanna Bruzdowicz studied in Poland and France, with Nadia Boulanger, Pierre Schaeffer, and Olivier Messiaen among her teachers. I will summarize her career with a bit of statistics: She composed 6 operas, 12 works for orchestra, over 40 chamber pieces, scored 24 feature films and documentaries, produced numerous music programs, organized several associations and societies, dedicated to the music of Poland, Chopin, Szymanowski, and Music for Youth. She received numerous awards from Poland and France, and worked with some of the greatest musicians and filmmakers of our times.
Next, I would like to thank the Helena Modjeska Polish Art and Culture Club of Los Angeles, represented here by its board and numerous members, with special thanks to Jola Zych, President, and board member Helena Kolodziej, who generously provided our guest with warm hospitality of her wonderful home in Beverly Hills. Ms. Bogna Szupinska, architect and a long-time president of the Board of the Polish Folk Dance Ensemble Krakusy, now also president of the Paderewski Lecture Committee, organized the decorations and reception for our guests. She also encouraged some of young Krakusy dancers to beautify our event with Polish national costumes. These dancers assisted us as ushers. Designers Lukasz and Bozenna Bogucki created our beautiful poster and postcards. Ms. Lynn Crandall, the director of IGM Gallery and her USC Cultural Events Guild of Health Science Campus, organized a lovely, intimate film screening and reception for Joanna Bruzdowicz in the context of the "Quiet Times" exhibition of contemporary Korean art. Jorg Tittel, actor and the composer's son, provided for us copies of films by Agnès Varda with the music by Joanna Bruzdowicz, fragments of which will be screened today. He also will appear in person in the String Quartet, reciting poetry in several languages, including Polish, French, and German that he may call his own.
I am grateful to professors of the Thornton School of Music, especially Prof. Peter Marsh, John Perry, and Eleanor Schoenfeld who worked with their students on the repertoire presented today. I thank the musicians, pianists Lorenzo Sanchez and, Radoslaw Materka, cellist, Marek Szpakiewicz, and violinist Daphne Wang, with her string quartet. Radek and Marek, USC doctoral students and prize-winning musicians with established careers, will repeat some of the repertoire presented today during the "Polish Birthdays" Cello and Piano Recital on Monday evening that will close Joanna Bruzdowicz's residency at USC.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Panie i Panowie, Szanowni Goscie, I present to you Ms. Joanna Bruzdowicz.
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The prize consists of $500 cash and the publication of the article in online scholarly journal of the Polish Music Center, Polish Music Journal. The 2003 Jury consisted of: Prof. Paul Cadrin, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Dr. Stephen Downes, University of Surrey, UK; Dr. Barbara Milewski, US; Dr. Maja Trochimczyk,
PMC Director, US; and Dr. Alistair Wightman, UK.
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INTERNET NEWS | 
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This composition is the second work in the set of Deux Orientales Op. 10, No.2 "Caprice." According to the authoritative catalog of Stojowski's works published in the Polish Music Journal by Joseph A. Herter (vol. 5, no. 2, 2002), the "Caprice" was composed in 1894 and dedicated to "A mon ami Joseph C. Hofmann." The piece appeared in several editions by Hatzfeld, London & Leipzig, 1894, Geberthner and Wolff in Warsaw, and was reprinted by Musica Obscura, Johnson City, in the 1980s.
The "Caprice" was one of the most favorite works of Jozef Hofman, who played it during 40 years of his musical career.
Hofman's Veritas Records recording of this piece includes liner notes by Rafael Kammerer stating: "For sheer virtuosic bravura and unleashed power, Hofmann's performance of Sigismond Stojowski's little known Oriental is about as exciting as anyone could wish for. The piece itself is quite remarkable and wonderfully idiomatic. It is a worthy substitute for, and welcome relief from, Balakirew's Islamey."
I am a staff writer for The New Yorker, the author of a best-selling book on the music industry, and an amateur pianist. I grew up on Long Island, and studied piano with the noted concert pianist Morton Estrin. The Orientale Caprice was my first encounter with the music of Stojowski. Many years ago, I acquired a recording of Josef Hofmann's Casimir Hall recital on LP, and I was immediately taken with the Orientale. I have long wanted to add the piece to my repertoire, and I am grateful to the Polish Music Center for making that possible. Many pianists play Balakirev's more famous "Islamey," but to my ears the Stojowski is a worthy, if not superior, substitute. I used Sibelius 3 software to transcribe the work from a photocopy of the composer's original handwritten score. Since the piece was dedicated to Hofmann, I felt it appropriate to include the two majestic A minor chords that Hofmann added as an introduction in his performance.The completed file, prepared by Fredric Dannen in PDF format, is available at: www.usc.edu/go/polish_music/composer/Stojowski - Orientale.pdf In addition you may listen to the sound file: www.usc.edu/go/polish_music/composer/Stojowski - Orientale.mid
In addition you may find information about numerous compositions, prepared by the staff of the Polish Music Information Centre at the Polish Composers' Union in Warsaw.
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OTHER NEWS |
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Polish singer Ewa Podleś's San Diego debut on November 15th was received ecstatically by the audience there. She appeared not only to have recovered from the broken arm sustained in the car accident that postponed the originally scheduled performance in May, but to be in complete control of her beautiful and unusual voice. Ms. Podleś stands apart in the world of vocal music. She is self-proclaimed as the world's only true contralto: a singer with coloratura agility as well as the range of three voice parts (soprano, mezzo and alto). She sings with profound emotional commitment and a lieder singer's sensitivity to text. She can change the quality of her voice in a moment, and is equally at home with the intensity of Mahler and Prokofiev as the breathtakingly florid music of Gluck, Handel, Vivaldi and Rossini.
Ms. Podleś was "spectacular" during her local premiere in November, according to classical music critic Valerie Scher of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Here was a diva in full possession of her powers, a singer whose voice was as delightful as it was distinctive. Her face was expressive, whether communicating the music's joy or sorrow. Her bright orange gown seemed a reflection of her confidence." Citing specific moments in the program, Scher wrote, "Podleś resembled a force of nature, unstoppable and rather awe-inspiring...her fortissimos were so loud that they could have easily filled a venue five times the size of the 492-seat hall. It was a sound that made the ears ring, a sound one could feel all the way to one's toes... Her Joan of Arc could have conquered enemies with her voice, which soared, swooped and made difficult ornamental flourishes do exactly what she wanted... More tender were the rarely heard songs by Chopin, who was known primarily for his piano music." Ms. Podleś was accompanied by her stepdaughter, pianist Ania Marchwinska.
GALA CONCERT OF CAROLS Kraków, Karol Szymanowski Kraków Philharmonic, December 28, 2003, at 5 p.m. Featuring: Akademic Choir ORGANUM, Instrumental Ensemble RICERCAR, Elżbieta Towarnicka - soprano. Program: Christmas carols. Revenues from the concert donated for Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Chorych - HOSPICJUM / Friends of Ailing People Society - HOSPICE in Kraków. www.filharmonia.krakow.pl
"NIGHTINGALES" SING CAROLS Poznań, Poznań Philharmonic, December 28 and 29, 2003, at 7:00 p.m. Featuring: Boys' and Men's Choir of the Poznańn Philharmonic POZNAŃSKIE SŁOWIKI / POZNAN NIGHTINGALES (also known as Stuligrosz Choir), Bartosz Michalowski - director, Miroslaw Galeski - organ, Dominik Czernik - soprano.
Ignacy Jan Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic, at 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Featuring: ORKIESTRA SYMFONICZNA FILHARMONII POMORSKIEJ / SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF THE POMERANIAN PHILHARMONIC, Highlander Folk Group TURNIOKI, Anna Jurksztowicz - vocals, Krzesimir Debski - director Program: Krzesimir Debski's compositions, highlanders' music. Filharmonia Pomorska im. Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego, ul. Libelta 16, Bydgoszcz.
outdoors at pl. Wolnosci, at 9:30 p.m. KONIEC I POCZATEK / THE END AND THE BEGINNING is a leading slogan of a big New Year's Eve's event - a celebration of the 750th anniversary of city of Poznan foundation - and the beginning of the next 750 years of Poznan. www.city.poznan.pl/iks THE GREAT NEW YEAR'S EVE CONCERT Adam Mickiewicz University - Auditorium, at 7:00 p.m. Featuring: Poznan Philharmonic's Symphony Orchestra, José Maria Floręncio - director, Marta Boberska - soprano, Tomasz Krzysica - tenor. Program: arias and opera and operetta choruses. Filharmonia Poznanska im. Tadeusza Szeligowskiego (Tadeusz Szeligowski Poznan Philharmonic) www.filharmonia.poznan.pl
National Philharmonic, at 7:30 p.m. Featuring: Warsaw Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and Choir, Antoni Wit - director, Agata Marcewicz - soprano, Henryk Wojnarowski - choir director. Program: arias and opera and operettas choruses. Filharmonia Narodowa (National Philharmonic) www.filharmonia.pl NEW YEAR'S EVE OPERA GALA Polish National Opera, at 8:00 p.m. Featuring: Doina Dimitriu - soprano, Ko Seng Hyoun - baritone, Orkiestra Teatru Wielkiego - Opery Narodowej, Marco Guidarini - conductor. Program: works of Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Umberto Giordano, Francesco Cilea. Polish National Opera: Teatr Wielki - Opera Narodowa in Warsaw www.teatrwielki.pl
Four Polish choirs were among the 52 choral groups which took part in the 13th International Festival of Advent and Christmas Music in Prague on November 28-30. The choirs were the following: the Cathedral Choir "Carmen" from Białystok (Bożena Bojaryn-Przybyla, conductor), "Vox Juventutis" from Płock (Robert Majewski, conductor), the Men's Chamber Choir "Cantilena" from Wrocław (Adam Rajczyba, conductor) and the men from the Boys' and Men's Choir "Cantores Minores" from St. John Cathedral in Warsaw (Joseph A. Herter, conductor). In all, over 2,000 singers from 19 countries took part in the festival and competition.
All the Polish choirs competed in the small choir category which was also subdivided into the categories of children's, women's, men's and mixed choruses. A bronze ribbon in the men's choir category went to Wrocław's "Cantilena", a silver ribbon in the mixed choir category was given to Płock's "Vox Juventutis" and a gold ribbon in the mixed choir category was presented to Bialystok's "Carmen". For the second year in a row, Warsaw's "Cantores Minores" was also awarded a gold ribbon in the men's choir category. This year, a special award was also presented to "Cantores Minores" for being the best men's choir in both the small and large choir categories.
For further information, visit: www.millenniumtravel.cz/christmas/index2.htm or www.cantoresminores.pl
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
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I am a descendant of Julian Fontana (he was my maternal great great grandfather), Chopin's friend and copyist. Many years ago one of my ancestors (my grandmother's sister) said that the family had donated many of Fontana's papers to a university library. Since they lived in New Orleans I thought it was Tulane University but I don't find anything in their files. I was told by another family member that the files may have been donated to a university in California. Was it your institution or are you aware of which it might be. I am searching for copies of Fontana's music and I would appreciate any advice and assistance you might be able to give. Thank you, William J. Rodriguez Jacksonville, FL
I hope maybe you could help me. I have a Huntington upright player piano that was requested by Ignacy Jan Paderewski for the Paderewski Singing Society in Chicago Ill on May 13th,1900. On the inside lid of the piano, is a warranty, a picture of Mr. Paderewski, and a letter that he wrote for the piano. At the bottom of the photograph, it says "Yours Truly" and his name is engraved. Here is what the letter says. If you could tell me anything about this piano I would appreciate it. I will be selling it and would like to know the true value of this piano. Thank you very much.May 13th,1900 Mrs. Tina M. Woolley
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DISCOGRAPHY |
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by Wanda Wilk
VIRGIN VC 5456202 Piotr Anderszewski's first Chopin disc was selected as Disc of the Month. In his review of the CD, Adrian Jack describes the Polish pianist's playing as "finely chiselled Chopin" and praises his choice of the "composer's later works in three categories" (mazurkas, ballades and polonaises). He continues "the playing is so special in its pleasures as to set a new standard of imaginative recreation." He gives it 5 stars for performance and 5 stars for sound and he concludes with "the undividuality and finesse of these performances place them beyond comparisons." (What a review!!!)
Janacek: Violin Sonata; Szymanowski: Mythes; Lutosławski: Subito & Partita. Isavbelle Faust, violin. Ewa Kupiec, piano. Joseph Magil is happy to have "another recording of Szymanowski's Mythes besides Kaja Danczowska and Krystian Zimerman's (which I enjoy)...The works of Lutoslawski are played to perfection...The Partita is an imposing work with allusions to the baroque that is given a classic performance here."
Penderecki: Sextet, Clarinet Quartet, Miniatures, Divertimento, Prelude. Michael Lethier, cl; Markus Maskuniitty, hn; Regis Pasquier, v; Bruno Pasquier, va; Arto Noras, vc; Juhani Lagerspetz, p. Allen Gimbel goes on to say, "This collection of mostly recent chamber music gives a good inexpensive sampling of Penderecki's interesting work in this medium, but it does fall short in several important ways." He is not impressed with the playing of the violinist and clarinetist, lacking "beauty and technical precision." He also mentions that the Clarinet Quartet (1993) "now seems to have entered the repertoire with some security" as it is in its 5th recording.
Clarinet XX Reger, Debussy, Berio, Hindemith and Lutosławski. Dieter Klocker, cl. Reviewed in American Record Guide by Steven E. Ritter, who praises the soloist Dieter Klocker. Of the Lutoslawski he writes, "The Lutoslawski Five Dance Preludes are a delightful set of pieces that resemble the music of Bartok. These short one- to two-minute works are gathered around a thematic constant that is easy to pick up and follow. Sometimes it is melody, sometimes it is rhythm, other times a harmonic device that leads the ear through the composer's always-imaginative sound world. If you don't know the composer, or were turned off by something more advanced, hearing this is a good way to acquaint yourself before advancing to the more 'important' (and difficult) works of his later years.
Polish Piano: Chopin, Szymanowski, Ekier, Malawski, Lutoslawski, Kisielewski. Stella Czajkowski, piano. Jack Sullivan lets us know that the pianist survived the Nazi gas chamber "only because the mechanism of death failed to work." The soloist with the same name as the famous Russian composer, only with a Polish spelling, "went on to establish a career in Poland and Sweden, where she currently lives... The recordings, all from 1970s recitals, are a bit dry in the Chopin, more vivid in the newer pieces." He calls the artist "a remarkable pianist who combines the best of modern and romantic styles." (ARG)
Choral Transcriptions of Bach, Barber, Berg, Chopin, etc... Accentus Lindsay Koob reviews "this outstanding French chamber Ensemble" for a second time and finds that an entire album of transcriptions "such as these, spectacularly performed, makes for a different and supremely rewarding choral experience, especially if you know the original material. This has got to be one of the most novel and striking collections I've ever covered." He is especially impressed with "Franck Krawczyk's two rewrites of piano works from Chopin."
Thanks to Multimedia-Polska Szczecin a new and valuable resource for all who wish to learn more about the history of jazz has become available. This comprehensive chronicle of jazz starts from Ragtime and Blues and continue until Jazz Rock of 1970s. The series consists of 28 CDs with 21 volumes devoted to musical varieties from history of jazz with short (5 - 15 sec.) analysis made by the author of this astounding project — Andrzej Schmidt, professor of music at the Music Academy in Katowice, Poland. The last seven CDs include brief essays presented by the author himself (in Polish). Absolutely astonishing! Must have for all jazz fans. For more details please visit http://multimedia polska.pl/jazz/. Please address all inquiry to info@multimedia-polska.pl
Charlie Mariano - alto sax, flute; Vitold Rek - double bass; Vladislav Sendetzki - piano; Martin France - drums. "Opus Absolutum" is a contemporary jazz album with that deepness you look for on other recordings, but in vain. Congratulations ! (Peggy Thiele, Jazzdimentions, Nov.2003) TASO MUSIC PRODUCTION presents CDs with an original and unique musical synthesis of tradition and the modern. The TASO label promotes music from across the cultures, music which weaves together on its way through all productions. To purchase, visit amazon.de. |
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MISCHA MISCHAKOFF—CONCERTMASTER |
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by Joseph A. Herter
When the Warsaw Philharmonic celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2001, I was surprised to find no mention of Mischa Mischakoff in the orchestra's centennial publication 100 lat filharmonii w Warszawie, 1901-2001. Coming from Detroit, I remember Mischakoff as being the concertmaster of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which, in the days of my youth, was conducted by the Frenchman Paul Paray. Undoubtedly, one of the most outstanding Detroit Symphony concerts I ever heard was Mischa Mischakoff's farewell concert during the summer of 1968 at the orchestra's summer Meadowbrook Festival, when the violinist gave an unforgettably electrifying performance of Brahms' Double Concerto for Violin and 'Cello with 'cellist Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-76). It was in the program notes for this concert that I first read that both Piatigorsky and Mischakoff had escaped from Bolshevik Russia via Poland, where both had become concertmasters of their sections in the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra during the 1921-22 concert season. [1] A few years ago, I once more came across this information while searching though WW II vintage programs given at New York's Carnegie Hall. In an NBC Symphony program conducted by Artur Rodziński, the conductor reminisced about a concert that he once had at the Warsaw Philharmonic when its personnel included these two famous Russian-born musicians.
On October 8, 2001, I wrote a letter to the Detroit Symphony's archivist asking if they could supply more information to confirm Mischakoff's position with the Warsaw Philharmonic. I did not receive an answer until December 8, 2003, when the violinist's daughter Anne Mischakoff Heiles, a violist and Visiting Professor of Music at the University of Illinois in Urbana, wrote back stating that she had found my letter in the Mischakoff file during a recent visit to the Detroit Symphony. The mystery about her father and Warsaw was finally solved: While living in Warsaw, Mischakoff performed under the pseudonym of Michał Fiber (sometimes spelled Fičber). Indeed, the name Fiber (surname only) does appear in a list of Warsaw Philharmonic concertmasters in the orchestra's earlier-mentioned centennial album.
"Fiber" would be only one of several names that Mischakoff used during the early part of his life, which was most probably done to hide his Jewish origin in a part of the world notorious for its anti-Semitism. The Ukrainian town of his birth Proskurov (now called Khmelnitsky) was, as Mischakoff's daughter Anne Heiles writes, "known for manufacturing chocolates and pogroms against its Jewish population". [2] She then goes to point out, that in keeping with the bloody history of the city, the communists renamed it after the ruthless Bogdan Khmelnitsky who led the Ukrainian "War of Liberation" against Poland in the 17th century.
 Mischakoff as a young teen. Collection of Anne Mischakoff Heiles. Mrs. Heiles was kind enough to send me most of the information needed for this paper about her father, including photocopies of numerous programs and reviews taken from her father's half dozen scrapbooks that show Mischakoff performed both in Warsaw and in other cities in Poland during his one but extremely productive year there. Before going into how Warsaw became a stepping-stone to freedom for not only Mischakoff and Piatigorsky, but also for the Russian conductor and arranger André Kostelanetz (1901-80), who was also employed as a pianist for several months at the Warsaw Philharmonic in 1922, it is first necessary to see what an extraordinary violinist and musician "Michał Fiber" was. Mischa Mischakoff was born on April 16, 1895 (according to his recollection) or 1897 (according to his sisters', who told him that his date of birth was made earlier in order to get him admitted into the St. Petersburg Conservatory). [5] A pupil of Professor Sergei Korguyev who had been a pupil of Leopold Auer, he graduated in 1912, winning the conservatory's Gold Medal and Rubinstein Awards. After having served in the Russian Army's music regiment during World War I, he became a professor at Nizhi Novgorod's Conservatory and concertmaster of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the Moscow Grand Opera (1920) and solo violinist of the Bol'shoi Ballet. [6] In 1921, the Soviet government organized a chamber music concert tour for the principal players of the Bol'shoi Ballet Orchestra and provided them with a special train car for the tour. While near the Polish border in the southwestern part of Russia, Piatigorsky and Mischakoff made the dash for freedom, first to Lwów, Poland (now Lviv, Ukraine) and then to the Polish capital itself. It is not known how long the two men stayed in Lwów before moving onto Warsaw, but it was certainly long enough to provide one incredible event in the life of Mischakoff. His daughter describes it in her unpublished paper in the following way: One day, while eating in a café in Lemberg, [7] an old man overheard Piatigorsky and Mischakoff talking, and came up to ask, 'Do you have a sister?' 'Yes, but I haven't seen her since I was six or seven years old.' [8] 'I think I've just seen her,' the old man said. She's sitting right now in the office of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society just down the street.' He hurried off, and the two found each other, though not immediately recognizing one another. After the joyful reunion, he heard news of his family, and that some of his siblings had already made it to the United States. They found the address and Mischakoff sent a cable. For the first time in seven years, he had news of Yascha, [9] and he learned that five brothers had come to New York; two of them were members of the Philharmonic Orchestra, one a conductor of a fashionable hotel orchestra, and Yascha was a teacher (and became concertmaster of the City Symphony Orchestra in 1923). [10]  Mischakoff in the 1920s. Collection of Anne Mischakoff Heiles.   Mischakoff's interest in the Karłowicz concerto stems from the beginning of Warsaw's 1921-22 concert season which saw the violinist Bronislaw Hubermann perform this work. Before coming to Poland, Mischakoff had the distinction of playing the world premiere of Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 in Russia with the composer conducting in 1917, before the concerto had been published. [14] After leaving Poland, Mischakoff helped popularize the violin concerto of former Paderewski pupil Ernest Schelling. Other musical firsts for which he and his Mischakoff String Quartet were responsible include the following: the American premiere of Bartok's String Quartet No. 3 in Philadelphia and the first American performance of Schönberg's Verklärte Nacht in Chautauqua, New York.  Mischa had decided to give a special Sunday afternoon recital that would feature solo performances by some of the orchestra players, and he asked me to accompany them on the piano. We gave the concert, and it went very well. Afterward, in a reception room just offstage, there was a small gathering of musicians and some members of the audience. Mischa spoke only Russian, so I stayed near him to help communications along by fitting in some German here, some French there. And it worked out pretty well. At one point a couple came up to us and introduced themselves as Monsieur et Madame Keena. [19] Monsieur began to praise us, continuing in French, saying that we were wonderful musicians and had we ever thought of going to the United States, where great artists were much appreciated? I told him we would love to do just that, but unfortunately there would have to be a three-year wait for a visa. And now both Keenas smiled at me, and it was Fortune's smile. 'Je suis le consul américaine!' M. Keena said. If we would come to the consulate the next morning, he would personally issue us our visas. [20]  The quotation written on this picture reads "Znakomitemu skrzypkowi i sympatycznemu artyście p. Fiberowi na pamiątkę koncertów w Filharmonii Warszawskiej." Emil Młynarski, 5.9.22 (05.IX.1922) [To the superb violinist and sympathetic artist Mr. Fiber as a token of remembrance for his concerts at the Warsaw Philharmonic.]  Mischakoff, Piatigorsky and conductor Sixten Ehrling in 1968.
Hopefully, having uncovered the true identity of the former Warsaw Philharmonic concertmaster Michał Fiber and pointing out the presence of André Kostelanetz among the orchestra's personnel will give the National Philharmonic in Warsaw pride in knowing that it was not just one great Russian-born musician, Gregor Piatigorsky, who played in the orchestra during its 1921-22 season. Indeed, there were three great Russian-born musicians, who, while using Warsaw as a stepping-stone to freedom, enriched the musical life of Warsaw during that year: Mischa Mischakoff, André Kostelanetz and Gregor Piatigorsky, three outstanding and magnificent musicians. If they had not first come to Poland in search of freedom, they might have never been able to play the unforgettable roles they did in American musical life.
Warsaw, PolandJanuary 2004 
All the photographs included in this article come from the private collection of the violinist's daughter, Anne Mischakoff Heiles. The first photo was taken of Mischakoff in his late teens. Mischakoff played with the Warsaw Philharmonic when he was 24 (or maybe 26). The second photo is a portrait of the violinist in the 1920s. The third photo is of Emil Młynarski in 1922, given to Mischakoff as a souvenir. The Mischakoff-Piatigorsky photo was taken during Mischakoff's farewell concert with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at their summer festival, Meadowbrook, in August 1968. This was a "repeat" performance of the Brahms Double which they played together in Warsaw on November 13, 1921. On the podium is Swedish-born conductor Sixten Ehrling, music director of the DSO. NOTES:[1]. Piatigorsky was actually the assistant concertmaster to Eli Kochański (1885? - 1940), the brother of the world-famous violinist Paweł Kochański. [Back] [2]. Heiles, Anne Mischakoff. Mischa Mischakoff (1895-1981), an unpublished paper, p. 3. [Back] [3]. Photocopy of June 25, 1911 program of the 4th Orchestral Concert in the Kisłowodsk (Ukraine) Theater and Park. [Back] [4]. Heiles, Anne Mischakoff. E-mail letter to author, December 29, 2003. [Back] [5]. Under the Julian calendar the date would be April 3. [Back] [6]. Heiles, Anne Mischakoff. E-mail letter to author, December 8, 2003, and Heiles' Mischa Mischakoff, p. 14. [Back] [7]. The German name for Lwów, which was at one time the capital of the Austrian province of Galicia. It was known for being one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Eastern Europe and prided itself on its large and diverse Armenian, Austrian (German), Gypsy, Jewish, Polish, Russian and Ukrainian ethnic communities. [Back] [8]. Mischakoff was the fifteenth of sixteen children born to his parents. [Back] [9]. His older brother who was born in 1889. [Back] [10]. Heiles, 31-32.[Back] [11]. Piatigorsky, Gregor. Cellist. New York: Da Capo Press, 1976, 55f. Emil Młynarski (1870-1935), a cofounder of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and its first conductor, was at this time the director of Warsaw's Teatr Wielki (The Warsaw Opera House) and, until his resignation in January 1922, the director of the Warsaw Conservatory. [Back] [12]. Wiktor Łabuński (1895-1974), Polish pianist, composer and conductor, born in St. Petersburg, immigrated to the United States in 1928. He was on the faculty of the Kansas City Conservatory from 1937 and also its director from 1941 to 1958. He spent his last years in Kansas City. Related to the Młynarski family through marriage, he was also the brother-in-law to Artur Rubinstein's wife Aniela (Nela), the other Młynarski daughter. [Back] [13]. Whitcomb, Marcia. E-mail letter to author, November 12, 2003. In 1959, the Kansas City Conservatory became incorporated into the University of Kansas and later became part of the Missouri state university system. [Back] [14]. The first performance of this concerto in the West took place in Paris on October 18, 1923, with Marcel Darrieux (violin), the Paris Opera Orchestra and Serge Koussevitzky (conductor). [Back] [15]. Heiles. E-mail letter to author, December 29, 2003. [Back] [16]. "...jako skrzypek pierwszorzędny." From an undated review entitled Sztuka z Muzyki and signed "Ro." [Back] [17]. "...podbił całe auditorjum pięknym tonem swoich skrzypiec i techniczną stroną interpacji (sic!)." From an undated and untitled review signed "F. Han." [Back] [18]. "Burzę oklasków wywołał p. Fiber, wykonaniem "Chaconne" T. Vitali... P. Fiber z prawdziwem (sic!) mistrzostwem i dokładnością pokonywał wielkie trudności techniki skrzypcowej..." From an undated review from Przegląd teatralny i kinematografie signed "Fortuna." [Back] [19]. Leo John Keena (1878-1967), the American Consul General in Warsaw (1921-22), was a native of Michigan and an alumnus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he was a fullback on the U of M football team (1897-99). [Back] [20]. Kostelanetz, André and G. Hammond. Echoes: Memoirs of André Kostelanetz. New York and London: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 45-46. [Back] [21]. Heiles. E-mail letter to author, January 1, 2004. [Back] [22]. Heiles. E-mail letter to author, December 8, 2003. [Back] [23]. Heiles. E-mail letter to author, January 18, 2004. [Back] [24]. Heiles. E-mail letter to author, December 29, 2003. [Back]
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© Copyright 2004 by the Polish Music
Center at USC, Los Angeles.
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Formatting by Krysta Close, 01/07/2004.