CHOPIN BICENTENNIAL & MARATHON CONCERT AT USC
By Marek Zebrowski

This month marks an important anniversary in the history of Polish music: two hundred years ago on March 1, Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola near Warsaw. Chopin’s father, Nicolas, was a French national who had immigrated to Poland, settled there, and became a devoted Polish patriot who fought in the Kościuszko Uprising. Chopin’s mother, Justyna Krzyżanowska, was a relative of the Skarbek family who lived in their modest village manor house where Chopin was born. The Skarbeks hired Nicolas Chopin as their French tutor.

Frédéric Chopin (the spelling which he used throughout his life) was a precocious child who began to compose when he was seven years old. By that time the family already lived in the center of Warsaw on the fashionable Krakowskie Przedmieście Boulevard. First tutored at home, Chopin then attended the Warsaw Lyceum and later studied at the Warsaw Conservatory. Remarkably, Chopin had only two music teachers. The first, Adalbert Żywny, was a violinist with whom Chopin studied for six years. Sensing extraordinary gifts of his young pupil, Żywny allowed Chopin’s talent to develop naturally by introducing him to the music literature canon of Bach and Mozart. Józef Elsner, a noted composer, was Chopin’s second teacher who took over from Żywny—first as a private tutor, then as Chopin’s professor at the Warsaw Conservatory.

By the time Chopin was fourteen, he already had a catalogue of a few Polonaises, a Military March and a Mazurka. His first published work, Rondo in C minor, Op. 1, dates from 1825, when he was fifteen; his last composition, the Mazurka in F minor, Op. 68 no. 4 was written in 1849, the year he died at the age of thirty-nine. During the period of almost twenty-five years devoted to composing, Chopin produced some of the most beautiful and enduring repertoire that remains without doubt the highest achievement of Romantic-era piano music. As a result, Chopin occupies a truly unique position in the history of music: his ground-breaking opus is at once revolutionary in its treatment of melody and harmony and its discovery of distinctive piano textures, as well as classical in the sense of the supreme perfection of form and content that inhabits all of his music.

Chopin’s singular dedication to the piano—the instrument he understood intimately and played like no one else before or since—is among the greatest assets of his legacy. He was quite conscious of his ability to compose for this medium and thus was able to give free reign to his creative imagination. The luxurious sounds and coloristic effects Chopin drew from the piano inspired his contemporaries, left his public spellbound, and served as the foundation of music written by composers who followed him decades later, well into the twentieth century. Liszt’s account of Chopin’s importance as a composer is worthy of quoting; the two were friendly in Paris and Liszt genuinely admired Chopin’s refined style and exceptional virtuosity. He also understood that Chopin’s music pointed towards the future:

In making an analysis of the works of Chopin, we meet with beauties of a high order, expressions entirely new, and a harmonic tissue as original as erudite. In his compositions, boldness is always justified; richness, even exuberance, never interferes with clearness; singularity never degenerates into uncouth fantasticalness; the sculpturing is never disorderly; the luxury of ornament never overloads the chaste eloquence of the principal lines. His best works abound in combinations which may be said to form an epoch in the handling of musical style. Daring, brilliant and attractive, they disguise their profundity under so much grace, their science under so many charms, that it is with difficulty we free ourselves sufficiently from their magical enthrallment, to judge coldly of their theoretical value. Their worth has, however, already been felt; but it will be more highly estimated when the time arrive for a critical examination of the services rendered by them to art during that period of its course traversed by Chopin.1

The legacy of Chopin covers many themes, with the Polish national spirit felt most strongly in his Polonaises, Mazurkas, and Ballades. Chopin’s Nocturnes, as well as his Berceuse and Barcarolle are examples of unparalleled romantic piano literature where beauty of sound and intimacy of experience strike a chord in every listener’s heart. Chopin’s Etudes and Preludes are essays that speak to Chopin’s pianistic prowess and poetic inspiration. His Impromptus and Waltzes dazzle with their elegance, dash and spontaneous flow of exquisite musical ideas. The three piano Sonatas and the monumental Cello Sonata chart the development of Chopin as a composer, from a student of classical forms in Professor Elsner’s class to a fully mature artist who charted the course of music well into the twentieth century. The two piano Concertos and his shorter works for piano and orchestra remain the mainstay of concert repertoire to this day.

A sampling of Chopin’s catalogue of compositions will be presented to the public on 27 March 2010 at Newman Hall on the University of Southern California campus. In conjunction with the Thornton School of Music, the Polish Music Center is organizing a Chopin Marathon that will feature faculty and graduate students performing a variety of solo and chamber music repertoire. In addition to the two piano sonatas and the Cello Sonata, lesser-known piano works and chamber music (including selections of Chopin’s beautiful songs) will be presented. The music will be heard in four approximately 50-minute segments with intermissions between them, allowing for the public to hear Chopin’s music a la carte. The admission is, as always, free, and on a first come, first served basis. Come celebrate this wonderful anniversary with us!

Saturday, March 27, 2010 | 3:00 – 7:00 pm
Chopin Anniversary Marathon
Alfred Newman Recital Hall, USC
3616 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA
Free Admission
Parking ($8): Enter campus at Gate 3 on Figueroa Blvd & McCarthy Way

________________________________
1 See Franz Liszt, Life of Chopin, p. 5

A BOOK REVIEW OF
ZYGMUNT STOJOWSKI: LIFE AND MUSIC
by Joanna Guzy-Pasiak
Institute of Art
Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw

The original version of this article in Polish was published in MUZYKA, Quarterly LIV 2009 N 3-4. English translation provided by Michael J. Oczko. Reprinted by permission.

A long awaited and much needed first monograph of the once famous Polish composer and pianist Zygmunt (Denis Antoni Jordan) Stojowski (1870-1946), known as Sigismond abroad, has finally appeared. The work is the tenth volume in the highly regarded collection Polish Music History Series published by the Polish Music Center of the University of Southern California at Los Angeles, introducing foreign readers to the history of Polish musical culture which is edited by specialists distinguished by their service to the propagation of knowledge about the musical contributions of our country: Wanda Wilk, Maja Trochimczyk, Linda Schubert and, recently, Marek Żebrowski. The ambitious undertaking to present selected aspects of the history of contemporary and nineteenth century Polish music in English can be compared only to Stefan Sutkowski’s monumental series The History of Music in Poland which by design is, however, a thorough review of Polish musical culture in general.

The more than 300-page study dedicated to this outstanding artist and pianoforte virtuoso was written by Joseph Herter, an American who has resided in Poland since the 1970s, a graduate of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Herter, a conductor and musicologist, combining the abilities of theoretician and practitioner, has not only written this book concerning the Polish composer but has also taken pains to restore many of the composer’s works to their rightful place in the concert repertoire. Even before the publication of the monograph in question, he made his mark as a cultivator of Stojowski’s music, organizing (among other events) the “Music of Zygmunt Stojowski Festival” in 2003 in Warsaw at which the first Polish performance of the First World War cantata A Prayer for Poland [Modlitwa za Polskę] (set to a text by Zygmunt Krasiński) was presented.

To date, the level of research on the life and works of Zygmunt Stojowski, as reflected in the Introduction (XV - XXI) is extremely impoverished; in fact, the most recent bibliographical notes in English date from the 1970’s,1 while those in Polish from as far back as the nineteen fifties.2 In writing his monograph, Joseph Herter was obliged to consult source materials as not much help was forthcoming from the literature on the subject and, as he himself writes—his work often was more reminiscent of that of a detective than of a musicologist (p. XV). The author established, for example, that the artist’s date of birth was the 8th of April, 1870, thus rejecting numerous errors found in the literature and ranging from between 1863 to 1876. A review of the composer’s life, the reconstruction of the catalogue of his works and their performance history required research in several European countries (Poland, France, Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland) and in the United States—an exceptionally detailed archival quest conducted in many libraries (the archives and other materials engaged by Stojowski’s biographer are listed in the Acknowledgements, pp. XI - XIV).

The work is clearly written and divided into two basic parts: the first describes the personal and professional life of the Polish composer and concert pianist (pp. 25-144), while the second presents his creative output in the form of a complex chronological catalogue. The highly detailed biography is divided into chapters of which the first describe Stojowski’s educational and professional development; these are Ancestry and Childhood (pp. 25-30), Triumph in Paris (pp. 31-50), Pianist and Professor in America (pp. 52-56) and later chapters - The Composer in Decline (pp. 110-118), and Twilight of a Great Musician (pp. 128 -137). Other fragments concern to a large degree persons whose paths crossed with those of the composer: his students and his wife (who was also his student) and children—Teacher and Students (pp. 63-86) and Family (pp. 87-93). Two chapters are dedicated to the currently little known activities of Stojowski on behalf of Poles during both world wars and the systematic propagation of Polish culture throughout the world —The Great War (pp. 94-109) and Proud to be Polish (pp. 119-127). The final chapter, Remembering Stojowski (pp. 138-144) describes the posthumous fate of the composer’s body of work which, thanks to Joseph Herter, has been enjoying something of a renaissance over the last few years.

Much abridged, the musical career presented in the book can be summarized as follows: Stojowski’s first music teacher was his mother Maria, well known in Kraków for the establishment of an artistic salon hosting such bright lights as Hans von Bülow, Anton Rubinstein, Maurycy Rosenthal and Józef Hofman. Stojowski took piano and composition lessons with Władysław Żeleński thanks to the patronage of Duchess Marcelina Czartoryska, a student of Chopin; it was in her salon that Stojowski made his debut as a pianist. In 1887, he graduated with distinction from St. Anne’s Gimnasium (high school) in Kraków; in his class were the painters Józef Mehoffer and Stanisław Wyspiański (also a celebrated playwright). In the same year, following his debut as a composer, he entered studies at the Paris Conservatory which he finished with double medals. The departure to Paris was recommended by Żeleński, who had also studied there, and whose advice Stojowski remembered with gratitude. He studied piano with Louis Dièmer, harmony with Théodore Dubois, and composition with Léo Delibes (he also consulted with Jules Massenet and Camille Saint-Saëns). Léo Delibes was so proud of his student that he wanted to adopt him so that he could take part in the Prix de Rome competition which, at the time, was reserved for French citizens. Perhaps due to Stojowski, Delibes took an interest in the folk music of southern Poland, collecting folk melodies during a lengthy sojourn in Kraków, Lwów and Zakopane for later use in two of his major works—the opera Kassya and the ballet Coppélia. Among the teachers who had the greatest influence on him Stojowski also included Władysław Górski, the violinist and composer, with whom he studied the interpretation of chamber music, and Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the pianist and composer, his teacher and mentor from 1891. As Paderewski’s student, Stojowski was another link in the great chain of Viennese pianistic tradition (Paderewski had been a student of Téodor Leszetycki, he of Carl Czerny, a student of Ludwig van Beethoven who—as we know—was the student of Joseph Haydn). During his stay in Paris, the Polish artist also attended the Sorbonne at lectures in the fields of history, philosophy, literature and foreign languages. There he became friends with Peter Tchaikovsky and Johannes Brahms. Upon completion of his studies he gave concerts in Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin and Poland. In 1898, he won the first prize at Ignacy Jan Paderewski Composers’ Competition in Leipzig for his Symphony in d minor, opus 21 (1898). The symphony was performed under the direction of conductor Emil Młynarski in Warsaw at the inaugural concert of the newly formed National Philharmonic Orchestra on 5 November 1901, in France, Great Britain and Denmark. Since 1894, his oeuvres had been published by major companies such as Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt and Hatzfeld Ltd., Schott and Co., Peters, Heugel, Gebethner and Wolff, and Schirmer. His career as pianist and composer was evolving very successfully. In 1905, he departed for the United States on the invitation of Frank Damrosch to take up duties as the director of the pianoforte chair and remained there until his death (he also received American citizenship). The Institute of Musical Art in New York directed by Damrosch was later renamed the Julliard School of Music (as the result of a merger with the Julliard Graduate School). Although the fundamental reason for arrival of the Polish artist in America was his pedagogical work—he was highly regarded from the beginning for his work in this area—he soon established his reputation as an outstanding virtuoso appearing in New York’s most important venues, and later in many cities in the united States, Canada and in South America. In 1918 he founded his own school, among whose students were Alexander Brachocki, Antonia Brico, Phyllida Ashley, Oscar Levant, Mischa Lewitzki, Arthur Loesser, Alfred Newman, Guiomar Novaes, and Harriet Ware, among others. Besides his concert, compositional and pedagogical activities, he published a number of texts on the problems of pianoforte pedagogy (for thirty years he was a correspondent of the musical magazine “The Etude”).

During the First World War he engaged in the organization of assistance for his Polish countrymen—he was the vice-chairman of the American Polish Relief Committee founded by Metropolitan Opera diva Marcelina Sembrich-Kochańska, and also a director of the Polish Concert Bureau in New York, supported by Paderewski and organizing concerts in support of the Polish Victims’ Relief Fund. Paderewski even proposed Stojowski a position in the first Polish government that he was forming, but the composer declined the honor. During World War II he became involved in the work of the Polish Musicians Committee. He was among the founders of institutions promoting Polish culture in America - the Polish Institute of Arts and Letters (PIAL) founded in 1932 as a prototype of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences functioning in Poland since 1942 and originally the extraterritorial representative of the Kraków Polish Academy of Learning. For twenty years he also participated in the work of the Kosciuszko Foundation. On 28 February 1926, the Polish Government decorated Zygmunt Stojowski with the medal of the Polonia Restituta Order for his work on behalf of Poles during the First World War. The United States honored him with a number of distinctions including the Distinguished Service Medal.

His compositions could be found in the repertoire of the greatest orchestras of his time: The Berlin Philharmonic, The Vienna Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. They were performed by the leading soloists, such as I. J. Paderewski, Aleksander Michałowski, Józef Hofman, Mieczysław Horszowski, Antonina Adamska, Rudolf Ganz, Carl Friedberg, Aleksander Brachocki, Arthur Loesser, Percy Grainger, Olga Samaroff, Mischa Levitzki, Michael von Zadora, Władysław Górski, Paweł Kochanski, Henryk Opieński, August Wilhem, Jacques Thibaud, Jascha Heifetz, George Enescu, Pablo Casals, Gregor Piatigorsky, Józef Adamski, Marcelina Sembrich-Kochańska, and Karol Fürstenberg.

The second half of the book is made up of complete chronological creative catalogues (pp. 145-253) divided into five categories: published works with opus numbers, published works without opus numbers, unpublished and lost works, unpublished works from the archives of Zygmunt and Luisa Stojowski, and, separately, unpublished works from other collections. The descriptions of the works in the catalogues are very exhaustive and include—besides the basic information regarding ensemble specifications, movements, occasional dedications, location of manuscripts, publication and recording information—much commentary, often occupying several pages; these are, at times, concise analytical descriptions, or commentaries and reviews penned by Mr. Herter and other authors. The value of such a thoroughly formulated catalogue for future researchers and performers of the music of Stojowski is inestimable.

In the two sectional format of the book, essentially no place was earmarked for a broader summary of the body of composed works by Zygmunt Stojowski to trace the evolution of his style, to indicate his most important works, or to present the technical elements used in his composing work. A scanty description of the characteristics of his music is included in the chapter, The Composer in Decline, indicating his affinity with the traditional musical media particular to romanticism and his resistance to modernist tendencies appearing at the beginning of the twentieth century. As the author remarks, the work of Albéniz, Debussy, Granados, Scriabin and Szymanowski marked the boundaries of Stojowski’s tolerance for musical experimentation (p. 113). His contact with the avant-garde artist Henry Cowell in the thirties (during his work at Mills College in California) left no impression on him whatsoever.

Following the catalogues are two indices of which the first (p. 254 - 258) contains listings of orchestral performances of Stojowski’ works in the years 1885 - 1938, while the second (pp. 259-273) lists the manuscripts contained in the Zygmunt and Luisa Stojowski Archives at the Polish Music Center in Los Angeles presented in the same order as is to be found in the archive, divided into sections and folders. It would be wise to consider changing the title of the second index (“Stojowski’s manuscripts. Zygmunt and Luisa Stojowski Collection at the Polish Music Center, USC”) as section VI - IX of the listing contains Published Works.

The bibliography (pp. 274-299) divided into two parts begins with a valuable listing of Writings by Zygmunt Stojowski (pp. 274-279) in alphabetical order by title, followed by the literature on the subject (Other Sources, pp 279- 299). It would be most interesting to read the musical and non-musical writings of Stojowski of which more than seventy were published in English, Polish, French, German and Spanish (p. 122); these articles were not employed in the contents of this book. Somewhat puzzling is the inclusion of written materials by Stojowski dedicated to his writings, but in forms not generally regarded as “writings,” such as personal letters, program and biographical notes. Documentation of source materials should be extracted from the listings of published work regarding the artist and presented separately (cf. e.g., p. 295 “Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences. Sigismond Stojowski Papers, Collection No. 046, Folders 1-51, New York”) and—in a separate listing—unsigned daily press notices generally reporting on the appearances of Stojowski. The work is richly illustrated (pp. 300-312) and contains concert programs, portraits of the composer, and pictures of his family among others. The index occupies pages 313-327.

The book is an exceptional achievement required reading for researchers and amateurs of Polish musical art of the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The author’s scrupulous attention to detail is quite amazing. The narrative is not reminiscent of a novel in style because Joseph Herter (pictured at left) in his precise research has not allowed himself to fantasize on the composer’s personality, and never exceeds the boundaries of facts. One might well wish for further endeavors of a similar degree of detail concerning the work of forgotten composers active in the nineteenth and at the beginning of the twentieth century whose music also deserves to be more often included in the concert repertoire such as Ignacy F. Dobrzyński, Józef Deszczyński, Julian Fontana, Karol Lipiński, Antoni Stolpe, Józef Krogulski, Emanuel Kania, Józef Wieniawski, Teodor Leszetycki, Karol Mikuli, Henryk Melcer-Szczawiński, Witold Maliszewski or Zygmunt Nosowski. An additional value of the book on Stojowski is the fact that it was published in English thus increasing to a substantial degree the broadening of knowledge of Polish musical heritage. We are grateful to Joseph Herter for bringing back to life the music of Zygmunt Stojowski and wait impatiently for the appearance of the Polish language version of his book.

[Images: Property of the Polish Music Center, Zygmunt & Luisa Stojowski Collection]

__________________________________

1 Frank Cooper. 100 Years Later, the Centenary of an Extraordinary Musician, Clavier 9 (1970) no. 9, pp. 4- 9. See also Frank Cooper’s notes of 1976 stored in the International Piano Archives at Maryland (IPAM), University of Maryland, (then, the International Piano Archives, New York).

2 Maria Macharska-Wolańska. Twórczość fortepianowa Zygmunta Stojowskiego (The Pianoforte Works of Zygmunt Stojowski), Masters thesis, typewritten. Jagiellonian University, Kraków: 1950.

Performances |On the Air |In Books | On Exhibit | In the Theater | March Concerts

CHOPIN'S WEEK-LONG BIRTHDAY

Blechacz Kicks Off the Birthday Celebrations

On February 22, pianist Rafał Blechacz joined Antoni Wit and National Philharmonic in Warsaw to inaugurate the celebrations of Chopin’s birthday in Poland. Although historians now generally agree that Chopin was born on March 1,1810, his birthday was long thought to be February 22 due to confusing historical documents and calendar discrepancies. Thus many of the Chopin  birthday celebrations fall on either February22 or March 1, or last the whole week long. In the case of the National Philharmonic, this meant concerts every day between February 22-28, featuring such artists as Ivo Pogorelić, Sinfonia Varsovia, Murray Perahia, Garrick Ohlsson, Kevin Kenner, Nerlson Goener, Janusz Olejniczak, Evgeny Kissin, Nikolai Demidenko, Daniel Barenboim performing Chopin repertoire.

During the inaugural concert, Blechacz performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto in F Minor. According to Jacek Marczyński, a reviewer from Rzeczpospolita, Rafał Blechacz is now presenting a new artistic persona. Marczyński remarks that Blechacz is no longer the boy from five years ago who won the Chopin competition—now he is a mature artist and, as such, has the right for his own explorations.

“In the first movement of the Concerto, Blechacz enriched the dramatic narration. In the lyrical Larghetto, he did not allow himself to indulge in too much sentimentalism. Some of the timbral concepts were even surprising. If anyone had doubts regarding that particular interpretation, the Finale convinced them of the pianist’s vision. The final Allegro was performed extraordinarily, with surprising ease, unmistakably feeling Chopin’s changing rhythms,” said Marczyński.

According to Krzysztof Komarnicki of the National Chopin Institute’s Magazyn Chopin: “After the concerto, Blechacz performed two encores: both were Mazurkas, and the first, in A Minor op. 17 no. 4, was performed phenomenally. Blechacz was able to give an unforgettable interpretation, charming and hypnotizing his listeners. Nobody dared to applaud—long after the last note has sounded there was absolute silence. Everybody was trying to stay as long as they could in this world created by Frederic Chopin and discovered by Rafał Blechacz.”

[Sources: magazynchopin.pl; rp.pl]

“The Longest Birthday” Marathon

“The Longest Birthday” [Najdluzsze Urodziny] was conceived to celebrate Chopin’s birthday with a continuous concert starting on February 22 and ending on March 1 in Warsaw. This marathon concert was organized by a group of Chopin enthusiasts and took place in the Dom Polonii of Wspólnota Polska on Krakowskie Przedmieście. All of the concerts were free and open to the public.

The list of performers for this over 170 hour celebration was very long and impressive and included some of the greats: Filip Wojciechowski Trio, Maria Pomianowska, Ravel Piano Duo, Janusz Olejniczak, Camerata Quartet, Andrzej Jasiński, Andrzej Jagodziński, Kazimierz Gierżod, Andrzej Bohdanowicz, and many, many others. See a complete list of performers www.najdluzszeurodziny.pl. On that website you can also see the photographs from this unusual event as well as reactions from the press and online communities around the world.

[Source: najdluzszeurodziny.pl]

For more Chopin performances in February, see our Performances section below

CHOPIN ON THE AIR

PMC Director on KUSC

Recently, KUSC host Kimberlea Daggy sat down with PMC Director Marek Zebrowski to discuss the inimitable Chopin during his anniversary year. The broadcast featured insights into the life and works of this great pianist and composer, with musical illustrations provided by Mr. Zebrowski, as well as a few surprises!  

The program was broadcast on Sunday, February 28th at 2:00 p.m., on FM 91.5 and KUSC's affiliated stations around California. The program is no longer available online, however a recording is available from the PMC.

NPR tribute

From the celebratory (“Chopin We Love”) to the ridiculous (“We Apologize In Advance: A Chopin-oply Of Chopuns”), the American National Public Radio network (NPR) joins the celebration of Chopin’s 200th anniversary with their dedicated site, Chopin at 200. Read and listen to features, including The Life And Music Of Frederic Chopin, A World Of Expression In A Tiny Chopin Mazurka, and Chopin With A Polish Touch, about the “special bond” between Polish pianists and their compatriot.

Polish Radio reports

The External Service of Polish Radio celebrates the International Chopin Year 2010 with many different broadcasts and articles in English, including “Chopin - citizen of the world.” See a list of all features here: www.thenews.pl.

ZET Chopin Radio

Polish Radio ZET, in cooperation with Frederic Chopin Society, has created an internet radio station dedicated to highest quality performances of Chopin’s music—ZET Chopin. Performers include: Rafał Blechacz, Bella Davidovich, Yundi Li, Alieksiej Sułtanow, Krystian Zimmerman and many other highly esteemed artists. Repertoire for the station was selecte by Chopin scholar Antoni Grudziński, General Director of the Frederic Chopin Society, musicologist and author of numerous publications about the composer.

[Source: polmic.pl]

CHOPIN & PADEREWSKI BOOKS

Chopin with Cherries: A Tribute in Verse

Chopin with Cherries: A Tribute in Verse was compiled by former PMC Director Maja Trochimczyk in celebration of Chopin’s 200th birth anniversary. Poetry from the project has been featured in forums from the 3rd International Chopin Congress in Warsaw to the Evening of Music by Chopin and Poetry about Chopin in Los Angeles. Ninety-one international poets are represented in the volume. The anthology includes more than 122 poems in English, and one important Polish poem, Cyprian Kamil Norwid's masterpiece Fortepian Szopena, in its first English translation by Leonard Kress. English-language classics include verse by T. S. Elliot, Emma Lazarus and Amy Lowell. Chopin with Cherries is published by Moonrise Press.

For the great German expatriate poet, Henrich Heine, who shared Parisian exile years with the composer, Chopin was "the great genius tone-poet" (1837). The search for the "poetic" in Chopin's music persisted over the years. Numerous poets dedicated their work to the "eternal eloquence, immortal pain" (phrases from Emma Lazarus, 19th century) or "nothing but moonlight" found in Chopin's music (a phrase from the composer's lover, writer George Sand). The latter expression was cited by poets Milicent Borges Accardi and Susan Rogers in the current collection.

Chopin with Cherries brings together a variety of approaches and poetic forms, such as free verse, letter-poems, villanelle, sonnet, rhymed poems in couplets, prose poetry, and tanka. Some poets write about details from Chopin's life, women he loved, Wodzinska and Sand, as well as the circumstances of his illnesses and death. Others focus on his music - on its meaning as a symbol of fragile beauty in the modern world, or on the emotional impact of individual pieces. Nocturnes are particularly popular as a genre (16 poems), but three miniatures attracted the greatest attention: the Prelude in D-flat Major, Op. 28, No. 15 "Raindrop" (5 poems), the Waltz in D-flat Major, Op. 64, No. 1 "Minute Waltz" (6 poems, including a cowboys' dance), and the Waltz in A Minor, Op. Posthumous (4 poems).

Chopin is heard everywhere: in a Parisian church (Rick Lupert), on the plains of North Dakota (Thom Tamarro), in Ohio (Donna L. Emerson), in his birthplace in Żelazowa Wola (Margaret C. Szumowski), and on the radio (Ryan McLellan). Marian Shapiro considers the meaning of Chopin's art "as if each measure were a casual ripple in a spring stream of melting centuries." Australian-born poet Katrin Talbot envisions Chopin's music as an accusation for ourfailures:"'Why didn't you . . . ? Why did you . . . ?'" John Guzlowski writes about Chopin's music replacing traumatic memories of "the hollow surge and dust of German tanks" ("A Good Death"). Ruth Nolan hears Chopin in the desert, "between the spaces of darkness and sound, blown across the sand dunes into magnificence." Poets fondly remember playing or listening to the music associated with their childhood, evoking moments of happiness and feelings of nostalgia or loss (Trochimczyk's "A Study with Cherries" that gave rise to the title of the collection).

Chopin: Prince of the Romantics

A completely new edition of the definitive biography of Chopin, Chopin: Prince of the Romantics (first published 1979), is available again after an absence of many years. The book is by one of the finest of contemporary European historians, Adam Zamoyski, and published by HarperPress.

Two centuries have passed since Chopin's birth, yet his legacy is all around us today. The quiet revolution he wrought influenced the development of Western music profoundly, and he is still probably the most widely studied and revered composer. For many, he is the object of a cult. Yet most people know little of his life, of the man, his thoughts and his feelings; his public image is a sugary blur of sentimentality and melodrama. Adam Zamoyski cuts through the myths and legends to tell the story of Chopin's life, and to reveal all that can be discovered about him as a person. He pays particular attention to recent revelations about the composer's health, and places him within the intellectual and spiritual environment of his day.

Adam Zamoyski is an award-winning British historian and author of the best-selling epic 1812. Napoleon’s Fatal March on Moscow and its sequel Rites of Peace. The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna. Zamoyski has published several other acclaimed books, on key figures and aspects of European and world history. His comprehensive history of Poland, The Polish Way, not only featured in the best-seller lists for several weeks when it came out in 1987, but has never been out of print since.He is also a distinguished commentator and reviewer, and has contributed to all the major British papers and periodicals, and lectured widely in England, Europe and the United States.

Read a review of this book in The Economist.

[Source: Polish Cultural Inst. UK]

Ignacy Paderewski: Poland

Ignacy Paderewski: Poland, written by Anita Prażmowska, is an English-language book exploring Paderewski’s critical role in Polish and world history after 1919. A part of the series Makers of the Modern World, this monograph is published and sold by Haus Publishing. The following description of this English-language book, which explores Paderewski’s role in Polish and world history after 1919, is taken from the website of the Polish Cultural Institute UK:

Ignacy Paderewski: Poland by Anita Prażmowska, one of 32 in the series Makers of the Modern World, describes the personalities, circumstances and events surrounding the countries that were remade after the Paris Treaties. Poland, a country poised to be reborn after its multiple partitions between the Prussian, Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires, became a pawn for the Central Powers who all wanted a strong Poland for different reasons. 

A resolution of the Polish Question was a great unknown throughout the war, as nobody knew who the victors would be. The Central Powers were indifferent to Polish territorial demands until the fall of the three empires and the Russian Revolution of 1917. Russia had been a valued ally of France, which was now faced with both a stronger Germany and its fear of Bolshevism; Britain feared retaliation by a Germany pushed too far by loss of territory and reparations and tried to prevent France from gaining a firm foothold in Central and Eastern Europe.

Ignacy Paderewski, world famous and indefatigable concert pianist, was one of the three major figures involved in establishing a post-war Poland, together with Roman Dmowski, the intellectual socialist and Jan Pilsudski, the military chief. He was considered the public face, almost the “soul” of Polish nationalism. A pianist in the romantic mould, his field of battle was the concert hall and his audiences were the elites of France, Britain and the United States. He is credited with swaying President Woodrow Wilson in favour of Poland in a memorandum he submitted on the Polish Question. The Polish case became Wilson’s 13th Point, the strongest guarantee that Poland would be restored: “My dear Paderewski, I can tell you that Poland will be resurrected and will exist again.” But, his lack of political awareness and naiveté made his later years as Prime Minister of Poland deeply unhappy. […]

Continue reading here: Polish Cultural Institute UK

Nocturne (Book &CD)

Amid the lush tonal landscapes of Chopin, a killer stalks unseen in Harrison Slater’s page-turning new novel, Nocturne (Peabody Mason, $24.95, January 2010). Nocturne combines culture and passion in a gripping narrative of love, fatal attraction and, ultimately, redemption. 

Internationally known author, scholar and pianist Harrison Slater continues on the path of his acclaimed best-selling novel, Night Music, which was optioned as a film in Europe. Just as Night Music opened the world of Mozart to mystery readers, Nocturne brings the poetic panoramas of Chopin to those who love novels of obsession and romance.For Nocturne, a CD of Chopin’s piano music has been integrated into the text … the first example of a novel with a soundtrack performed by the author.

A Ph.D. in musicology, Harrison Gradwell Slater is the author of four books including Night Music and In Mozart’s Footsteps. In addition to writing and recording, Slater coaches many world-class pianists, thanks to his musical association with Paul Doguereau, whose experience links him to the greatest pianists of the twentieth century. Slater is also Artistic Director of an international Chopin piano competition scheduled for May 2010 in Boston. Nocturne is Slater’s second novel. The author divides his time between Boston, Milan and Paris.

CHOPIN EXHIBITS

Chopin Manuscripts on display in London

“Chopin: The Romantic Refugee” is the title of an exhibition opening in the Folio Society Gallery of the British Library on March 1. The exhibition will be open until May 16 and features manuscripts from the British Library collection as well as some rare archival recordings. Additionally on display are concert programs, letters and portraits. The main theme of the exhibition is Chopin’s two visits to Great Britain in 1837 and 1848, when he fled the French revolution.

According to the Polish Cultural Institute UK, “the story of his tour of Great Britain will be told in the context of the Polish fervour which had taken over the artistic and political life of the country.”

[Sources: muzyka.onet.pl; culture.pl]  

Chopin Stamps displayed in Wrocław

The Museum of Post and Telecommunication in Wrocław, Poland has prepared an exhibition entitled "Fryderyk Chopin... sercem Polak, a talentem świata obywatel" [Fryderyk Chopin… Pole at heart, Citizen of the World by talent]. The exhibition was opened on February 26 and will continue until April 8, 2010. According to representative of the museum, Agata Kreska, the exhibition will feature Polish Postal Service releases as well as international postal prints dedicated to the artists and Chopin Piano Competition.

"The Polish Post has released the first stamp dedicated to Fryderyk Chopin in 1927 based on a design by Zygmunt Kamiński. Since that first stamp there have been several editions and prints, including the Kultura polska series from 1947 created by Stefan Żechowski, where Chopin was presented in addition to other well known personas from Polish cultural life" said Kreska. Since 1954 there also have been designs dedicated to the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

The exhibition will be augmented by original designs of post stamps and posters as well as a new printing created by the Polish Postal Service for 2010, entitled +Rok Fryderyka Chopina+. Additionally there will be map on display of the postal route from Warsaw to Duszniki Zdrój, which Frederic Chopin traveled in 1826; a letter that Chopin wrote to his friend, Wilhelm Kolberg; and the painting "Marsz żałobny Chopina" [Chopin’s Funeral Procession] by Stefan Żechowski.

[Sources: rmfclassic.pl; wiadomosci.wp.pl]

CHOPIN ON STAGE

Summer at Nohant in D.C.

The Ambassador Theater is delighted to present the Washington DC premiere of Summer at Nohant, a romantic comedy in three acts directed by Hanna Bondarewska, celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Frederic Chopin’ birth. The original play by famed 20th century poet, prose writer, playwright and essayist, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, is presented in a translation by Celina Wieniewska.

In this play, George Sand, the famed French writer and emancipated woman, brings together artists at her celebrated summer retreat in Nohant.  Frederic Chopin, one of her lovers and most inspiring of artists, echoes all the longings and frustrations of the inhabitants as he composes his Sonata in B minor.  His music is transcendent and affects everyone in the household… “And what stirs me so greatly each time he plays a new composition, is the fact that here, in Nohant, in these vulgar surroundings, among kitchen squabbles- something so full of transcendental genius is being produced!”

The Ambassador Theater’s mission is to build international cultural awareness, provide a high standard of international repertoire based on close relations with the diplomatic and cultural representatives of different countries in the United States, and provide international interactive educational programs for the youth of the District of Columbia, the D.C. Metro area, and around the United States.

March 9 – March 21, 2:00 & 7:30 P.M.
Iwaszkiewicz’s Summer at Nohant
Mead Theater Lab at Flashpoint
916 G Street NW, Washington DC
Tickets: $25 General Adm., Students and Senior Citizens $15 - on line: www.aticc.org/season/tickets.html or at the door

Monsieur Chopin in Laguna Beach

Created by the same team that brought George Gershwin Alone to life, Monsieur Chopin begins at Frédéric Chopin’s salon at 9 Square d’Orléans in Paris. Monsieur Chopin will teach a piano lesson that
actually took place on March 4, 1848, just days after the February 1848 revolution. As the piano lesson unfolds, he reveals secrets about the art of the piano and composition, as well as secrets about himself. Considered by his contemporaries, and now by history, as the true “Poet of the Piano,” Monsieur Chopin features some of the pianist-composer’s most beautiful and enduring music. The play is written and performed by Hershey Felder, and directed by Joel Zwick.

Thursday, Feb. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 28 & Thursday, Mar. 4 - Sunday, Mar. 7, 2010
Hershey Felder as Monsieur Chopin
Laguna Playhouse  ~ Moulton Theater
606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, CA
Tickets: $60, $55, $40.
Information: www.lagunaplayhouse.com

PADEREWSKI & CHOPIN IN D.C.

Paderewski - The Pianist and the Diplomat

George Washington University's Klub Polonia presents “The Pianist and the Diplomat”—an evening of music, history and food exploring the life of Jan Ignacy Paderewski who, in his various roles as diplomat, prime minister, performer, humanitarian, and composer, fiercely advocated for a free and independent Poland. The evening will feature two of the foremost American Paderewski experts: former US Ambassador and retired Lt. Gen. Edward Rowny, and world-renowned concert pianist and cultural ambassador John Robilette.

For more information on this event and the presenters, please visit Facebook.

Friday, March 12, 2010 | 7:00 pm
The Pianist and the Diplomat
Lindner Family Commons, 602
1957 E Street, NW, Washington D.C.
Reception to follow
Please RSVP to klubpolonia@gmail.com

Ewa Pobłocka performs Chopin

Distinguished Polish pianist Ewa Pobłocka will perform a recital of Chopin’s music in honor of the 200th year of Chopin's birth and in cooperation with the Embassy of Poland. The event will take place at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, March 14 at 6:30 pm.

Die Welt has ranked Ewa Pobłocka “among the greatest pianists of her own country and others too." She studied at the Music Academy in Gdańsk and received top awards from piano competitions in Vercelli, Bordeaux and Warsaw. Ms. Pobłocka has performed throughout Europe, North and South America, Singapore, Korea, Japan and Australia—appearing in such famous venues as the Herkules-Saal in Munich, the Musikhalle in Hamburg, the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, the Barbican Centre and Wigmore Hall in London, the Musikverein in Vienna, New York's Lincoln Center and Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.

Sunday, March 14 | 6:30 pm
Ewa Pobłocka performs Music by Chopin
National Gallery of Art - West Building Main Floor, West Garden Court
Washington, D.C.
Free Admission
Information: (202) 842-6941

2010: A CHOPIN ODESSEY

The new work 2010: A Chopin Odyssey was written especially for the AUKSO Chamber Orchestra of the City of Tichy, Poland, and Mateusz Kołakowski (pictured below), a prominent pianist, jazz trio leader and soloist. The music was composed and arranged by Mr. Kołakowski and Piotr Steczek.

2010: A Chopin Odyssey was presented by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute at the Vilnius Philharmonic on February 24^th. It was performed by AUKSO with Director Marek Moś and soloists: Mr. Kołakowski – piano, Mr. Steczek – violin & woodwinds, Maciej Garbowski – bass, and Krzysztof Gradziuk – drums. Future performances include Tychy (March 22), Bytom (April 30), and Katowice (August 29) in Poland, as well as possible performances in Warsaw, New York, Paris and elsewhere. For more details on the performers, see www.aukso.pl/pdf/aukso_press_eng.pdf

According to Piotr Steczek and Mateusz Kołakowski:

This project aims to develop novel pieces based on themes, phrases and concepts found in Chopin's original scores. References to classical ideas emerge in surprising, innovative ways where harmony, rhythm and form take on a new dimension. Creative, pioneering interpretations of Chopin's music are derived from modern jazz with its harmony and deployment of orchestra as rhythm section. However, the arrangement also relies on classical collaboration between a jazz trio and a string orchestra. The complete range of timbres and articulations available in this configuration is enhanced through interactions between the two ensembles. Instrumental depth is added in improvisations on an acoustic violin and a six string electric violin as well as the spatial sound of oriental lutes (duduk, shakuhachi, ney).

The standard jazz trio finds a strong partner in the orchestra, which can swing, take the spotlight, and above all mix classical, romantic, modern and jazz sounds, so closely intertwined in today's world. All pieces in this program make up a self-contained, contiguous whole sprinkled with references to its classical antecedents for what is an unparalleled musical concept, both daring and mature.

[Source: AUKSO Press Release]

NOSPR IN THE CHOPIN YEAR

The Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) is joining the celebrations of the Chopin Year 2010 by going abroad on tour. Starting in March the orchestra willperform the works of Frederic Chopin in Germany, Switzerland, Qatar, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates. Listen to an interview about the orchestra’s upcoming projects with Music Director Łukasz Borowicz on Polish Radio.

On March 11 NOSPR will begin a five-day concert tour of Stuttgart, Fribourg and Lucerne where, under the baton of Jacek Kaspszyk, they will perform works by Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Panufnik with pianist Angela Hewitt. Between March 16 and 20 the chamber ensemble of NOSPR will be joined by conductors Krzysztof Penderecki and Michał Klauza in the Middle East to perform works by Chopin, including: Waltz in E flat Major, Andante spianato and Grand Polonaise in E flat Major, Fantasy on Polish Themes, Rondo a la Krakowiak, Variations on “La ci darem la mano,” as well as both piano concertos. Soloists for the Middle East tour will be Philippe Giusiano and Krzysztof Jabłoński.

[Source: muzyka.onet.pl]

CONCERTS

Free Chopin in New York

March 1-5, 2010 | 9am-Noon: open pianos / Noon-7pm: Chopin “round-robin” / 7pm: solo recitals
Free Chopin Recitals
Soloist include: Claire Huangci, Christopher O’Riley and Vassily Primakov
World Financial Center, 200 Vesey Street, NY, NY
Read more at: www.gramophone.co.uk and www.broadwayworld.com

Midwestern anniversary celebrations

March 1, 2010 | 5-10 pm - Chicago, IL
Northwestern’s Chopin Fest: Happy 200th Birthday, Chopin!
A pianist marathon recital featuring Northwestern U. students
Lutkin Hall, Northwestern University,
700 University Place, Evanston, IL
Free admission and refreshments                  

March 1, 2010 | 8:00 pm -
Chopin 200th Birthday Recital - Edward Auer, piano
Indiana University - Bloomington
Auer Hall - Simon Music Center, Bloomington, IN
Details: music.indiana.edu

March 26 & 27 | 8:00 pm & 10:00 am - Chicago, IL
Paderewski Symphony Orchestra - Celebration of Chopin’s 200thAnniversary
with Piotr Banasik, pianist
Chicago Symphony Center
220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL
Tickets: $48-$28 & $35-$17; www.bilety.com

March 28, 2010 | 3:00 pm - Chicago, IL
Lira Ensemble - Chopin Bicentennial Concert
Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Northwestern University
50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL
Tickets: 773-508-7040

[Source: www.chopin-paderewski.org]

“Chopin l'européen” Series in Paris

A tour of Chopin’s world in one week…Chopin's complete works for solo piano will be presented in chronological order from Tuesday, March 9 to Sunday, March 14 at the Cité de la Musique in Paris, France. These solo recitals will be performed by some of the greatest Chopin interpreters of this generation, including: Pierre Goy, Kevin Kenner, Abdel Rama El Bacha, Vanessa Wagner, Nelson Goerner, and Janusz Olejniczack. All recitals will be performed on a historical fortepianos from the collections of the Musée de la musiqe or the Paris Conservatory.

For a detailed list of all concerts and repertoire, please visit www.citedelamusique.fr. Presented in collaboration with the Chopin Institute in Warsaw.

This recital series will coincide with the opening of the exhibition “Chopin, l'atelier du compositeur” in an adjoining exhibit space at the Cité. This exhibit will explore Chopin’s life as both composer and performer, through historical instruments and other artifacts.

Kevin Kenner – world-wide Chopin Programs

The year 1990 was a milestone for American pianist Kevin Kenner, whose artistry was recognized throughout the world by three prestigious awards: the top prize at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw (together with the Peoples' Prize and prize for the best Polonaise), the recipient of the International Terrence Judd Award in London, and the Bronze Medal at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow (together with the prize for best performance of a Russian work). In the years leading up to those accomplishments, he won prizes at the Van Cliburn International Competition (Fort Worth, 1989) and the Gina Bachauer International Competition (Salt Lake City, 1988). To celebrate the anniversary of Chopin as well as these great achievements 20 years ago, Kevin Kenner will present several interesting programs in venues around the world in March.

Saturday, Mar 6, 2010 | 7:45 pm
Kevin Kenner performs Chopin Concerto in E min.
with the Redhill Sinfonia, Paweł Kotla, cond.
Harlequin Theatre - Redhill, England

Sunday, Mar 7, 2010
Kevin Kenner  performs Chopin Concerto in F min.
with the "Amadeus" Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra, Agnieszka Duczmal, cond.
Adam Mickiewicz University, Aula Hall – Poznań, Poland

Wednesday, Mar 10, 2010 | 7:00 pm
Kevin Kenner - Chopin works written between 1828-30
Cité de la musique Amphitheatre – Paris, France
(more concerts in this series below)

Friday, Mar 12, 2010 | 8:00 pm
Kevin Kenner - All-Chopin Program
Aula der Hans-Freudenberg-Schule – Weinheim, Germany

Sunday, Mar 14, 2010 | 6:00 pm
Kevin Kenner - All-Chopin Program
Audienzsaal Schloß Neuhaus – Paderborn, Germany

Monday, Mar 15, 2010 | 8:00 pm
Kevin Kenner - All-Chopin Program
Forum Peine – Peine, Germany

Wednesday, Mar 17, 2010 | 8:00 pm
Kevin Kenner - All-Chopin Program
Performed on a on a Pleyel piano
Kreishaus Cuxhafen – Cuxhafen, Germany

Saturday, Mar 20, 2010 | 7:30 pm
Kevin Kenner - All-Chopin Program
Le Petit Trianon Theatre (Steinway Society) – San Jose, CA

Sunday, Mar 21, 2010 | 2:00 pm
Kevin Kenner - All-Chopin Program
UCLA Clark Memorial Library - Los Angeles, CA
Tickets: $25 - Reservation required (see lottery form here: http://tinyurl.com/nh8pac or call (310) 206-8552)

Tuesday, Mar 23, 2010
Chopin Salon with Kevin Kenner, cellist William De Rosa and mezzo-soprano Marta Wryk
Kiva Auditorium (MTNA Convention) – Albuquerque, NM

For Chopin 2010 events in the UK - get The Guide

For Chopin 2010 events world-wide – visit chopin2010.pl

PENDERECKI US PREMIERE

The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles and the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus Association will present a concert honoring Poland’s musical legacy in the 20th century on March 13 and 14, 2010.

The first half will feature the US Premiere of Penderecki’s heartfelt Chaconne—In Memoriam John Paul II and Szymanowski’s unique Symphonie Concertante for piano and orchestra, expertly interpreted by Palomar College Artist in Residence, pianist Peter Gach. Chorus and soloists join the orchestra on the second half for the Stabat Mater of Szymanowski, which the composer intended as a “Polish Requiem.” Vocal soloists include Renee Calvo – soprano, Janelle DeStefano – mezzo-soprano, and Philip Larson – bass.

March 13-14, 2010 | 8:00 pm & 3:00 pm
La Jolla Symphony – “Music from Poland”
Mandeville Auditorium – University of California, San Diego
9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093
Tickets: Saturday at 8:00 p.m. $15 (students), $26 (senior – 65+), $29 (general)
Sunday at 3:00 p.m. $15 (students), $26 (senior – 65+), $29 (general)
Pre-concert lecture one hour prior to concert time.
Tickets & info: (858) 534-4637 or www.lajollasymphony.com

MYKIETYN PREMIERE AT OTHER MINDS

On March 5, Eva-Maria Zimmermann will perform the US Premiere of Paweł Mykietyn’s Epiphora (1996) for piano and pre-recorded media at the Other Minds Festival (March 4-6, 2010). On the same program, the Del Sol String Quartet will perform Mykietyn’s String Quartet No. 2 (2006). For notes about these pieces, see p. 17 of the OM15 Program Notes.

This year's Festival will bring to the San Francisco Bay Area three highly influential senior composers: Chou Wen-chung, perhaps the first modern Chinese composer to emigrate to the US who then founded a movement for contemporary Chinese music; Kidd Jordan of New Orleans who organized the first World Saxophone Quartet and in 2005 was knighted by the Republic of France; and Tom Johnson, American composer and formerly one of the most influential new music critics in the US.

These new music stalwarts will be joined by local talents Gyan Riley and Carla Kihlstedt, Bay Area ex-pat Lisa Bielawa, Switzerland's radical minimalist Jürg Frey, Poland's rising star, Paweł Mykietyn, and Natasha Barrett, an electroacoustic and acousmatic sound installation composer from Norway. Performers will include ROVA Saxophone Quartet, Quatuor Bozzini, the Del Sol String Quartet, and Eva-Maria Zimmermann (piano).

Friday, March 5 | 7pm Panel Discussion & 8pm Concert
Music of Paweł Mykietyn at Other Minds Festival
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco
 3200 California St., San Francisco, CA
Information

LACHERT CHORALES PREMIERED

While many have heard about the skiing accident that left Pope Benedict XVI with a broken wrist of the right hand, few know that this incident has prompted Polish composer, Piotr Lachert, to write a special composition for the Pope. His holiness is an avid piano and harpsichord player and always has an instrument at his disposal. In August 2009, Lachert composed Sieben Choräle für die linke Hand alleine [7 chorales for the left hand] and dedicated them to “patient no. 917,” which was Pope’s number while in the hospital. The chorales took two weeks to finish and are based on chorales from the XVI and XVII centuries. Lachert received a letter from the Pope, thanking him for the gift.

The chorales were premiered on February 19, 2010 at the Auditorium “Petruzzi” in Pescara, Italy, where the composer currently resides. Performers on the clavicembalo were Massimo Salcito and his students Luisa Torrese, Chiara Pulsoni, and Emiliano Giannetti. The composer was present for the premiere.

[Sources: Lachert Foundation, cultura.inabruzzo.it, www.comunicati-stampa.net]

PENDERECKI ON SCORSESE SOUNDTRACK

Shutter Island, the new feature film by American director Martin Scorsese, features music by Krzysztof Penderecki. The soundtrack includes Penderecki’s Passacaglia – Allegro Moderato from Symphony No. 3 performed by the Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Antoni Wit.

Shutter Island opened in America on February 19, 2010. The Polish premiere of the movie is scheduled for March 26. The double-CD original soundtrack, including Penderecki’s work, will be released in the US on April 6.

[Source: muzyka.onet.pl]

WHERE’S THE MUSIC?

From the External Service of Polish Radio comes the following commentary on the recent issues concerning public media in Poland and how the reduction of funds for public media might affect awareness of classical music amongst the general public. See the News section last month’s Newsletter for background on these issues.

“Is there or isn’t there a crisis in music culture? Can audience deafness be remedied by proper education? Are there ways of educating audiences?

In Polish Radio’s Europol Express Elzbieta Krajewska and Michal Kubicki talk to Ewa Michnik, director of Wrocław Opera, Paweł Kos-Nowicki of the New Chamber Orchestra and Attila Lazar, head of the Chopin Music School in Gödöllö, Hungary; and take us from Verdi and Szymanowski to Rammstein.”

Other recent articles related to the public media downturn: Artykul124356.html and Artykul124213.html.

PENDERECKI MONOGRAPH, PART II

PWM has just released the second part of the recent monograph about Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, entitled Penderecki. Odzyskiwanie raju [Penderecki. Retrieval of Paradise]. The book was premiered during a meeting with the author, Mieczysław Tomaszewski, in the PWM Salon in Kraków on February 4, 2010.  

[Source: pwm.com.pl]

POCKET OPERA PERFORMS HALKA

The affiliation between San Francisco’s Pocket Opera and the Polish Cultural Foundation continues in 2010 with a presentation of Halka.  Following last season’s Haunted Manor, Donald Pippin has created an English setting for a second opera by the Polish composer, Stanisław Moniuszko.  Performances will take place on March 27 & 28 at 2pm at the Legion of Honor and April 3 at 7:30 pm at the Julia Morgan Theater. This production is part of a city-wide celebration of a sister city status San Francisco has forged with Kraków.

The 33rd season of Pocket Opera will be a celebration of the artistry and lifetime of dedication of Donald Pippin to the musical wealth of San Francisco and the world of opera. Pocket Opera will present six different operas this season: La Cenerentola by Rossini, Halka by , Moniuszko, Puccini’s La Rondine, Rinaldo by Handel, La Vie Parisienne by Offenbach, and Verdi’s La Traviata. With the exception of Handel's Rinaldo, all the operas will be performed in English, using Donald Pippin's acclaimed translations.

MUSICAL STYLINGS OF KULKA’S DAUGHTER

The music of Gaba Kulka, daughter of famous violinist and Chopin Music Academy professor Konstanty Kulka, was featured on the Polish Radio program “Studio 15” in February. Polish Radio describes Ms. Kulka as “an independent songwriter, pianist and a performer whose work fits into the broad spectrum of 'alternative' music - combining elements of jazz, rock and pop, with a theatrical and cabaret twist to it.” Read and hear more at www.thenews.pl/radio/studio15/artykul125232.html

EASTER BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL

The inauguration of the 14th Easter Ludwig van Beethoven Festival will take place on March 21, 2010 in the Grand Theater-National Opera in Warsaw. The concert will feature conductor Long Yu and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. The program includes works by Chinese composers and Robert Schumann’s Cello Concerto. The cello solo will be performed by Jian Wang, and vocal soloists include: Qi Lu – soprano and Xiaoyong Yang – baritone.

The Easter Beethoven Festival will continue until April 3 with the motto "Beethoven, music and the piano phenomenon. The year of Chopin and Schumann." The program of the festival includes outstanding ensembles, such as: Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Symphonie Orchester, Basel Chamber Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Warsaw National Philharmonic, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, Grand Theater-National Opera Orchestra and Choir, Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir, Polish Radio Choir, and Artis Quartet.

Additionally the festival will host a number of outstanding pianists: Elisabeth Leonskaja, Rudolf Buchbinder, Louis Lortie, Nelson Goerner, Boris Berman, Alexander Lonquich, Wei-Yi Yang, Kirill Gerstein, Krzysztof Jabłoński, Michaela Ursuleasa. There will also be excellent conductors: Charles Dutoit, Antoni Wit, Long Yu, Ingo Metzmacher, Marco Guidarini, Paavo Järvi, Paul McCreesh, Łukasz Borowicz. And fantastic soloists: Paul Groves, Roberto Scandiuzzi, Anatolij Kotscherga, Tamar Iveri, Małgorzata Walewska, Francesco Hong, Andrzej Dobber, Izabela Matuła, Arto Noras, Jurek Dybał, Christian Frohn, Reiner Koneck.

The festival will also host an international musicological symposium and an exhibition of the manuscript collections of Jagiellonian University Library.

For more information please visit the official website of the festival www.beethoven.org.pl.

[Source: muzyka.onet.pl]