Friday, May 3, 2002 | 7:30 p.m.
Alfred Newman Recital Hall, USC (see AHF on campus map)
3616 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Reception to follow the concert
Krauze: Paderewski Lecture at USC
The first Paderewski Distinguished Lecture, featuring composer-pianist Zygmunt Krauze, with the participation of the Polish Folk Dance Ensemble Krakusy, will take place on 3 May 2002, 7 p.m. Bovard Auditorium, USC Campus, Los Angeles.
Ignacy Jan PADEREWSKI (1860-1941), a pianist, composer, politician, humanitarian, and orator, was greatly acclaimed as a virtuoso musician and a charismatic personality. Throughout his musical career he was actively lobbying for Poland to regain independence; he collected funds for the benefit of the country, soldiers, and the victims of the war. His campaign resulted in Poland returning to the map of Europe; he then became the first Prime Minister of Poland and the first Polish delegate to the League of Nations. In order to celebrate Paderewski’s musical talents and his connection to California (he settled in Paso Robles where he had a vineyard; he also received an honorary doctorate from USC) the Polish Music Center at the University of Southern California presents a lecture series, supported by the Kosciuszko Foundation of New York. These lectures, or lecture-recitals in case of pianists and other performing musicians, will spotlight Polish and Polish-American composers and musicians of international stature. The invited guests (one per year) will give a one-hour lecture about their music and their connection to Polish culture. The lectures will be recorded and published by the Polish Music Center: the texts in the Polish Music Journal and the lecture-recitals on CDs. The events will be widely advertised nationally and internationally. The lecture series – through recordings and publication – will become a permanent tribute to Paderewski and to the vitality of Polish culture.
The selection of Paderewski as the patron of the lectures held at USC highlights both his role in California and his connection to this esteemed University. This eminent composer-statesman received an honorary doctorate from USC in 1923 (from the School of International Relations). During that event held at Bovard Auditorium, Paderewski made a speech, but did not perform; a music program was presented by an international array of artists. Participants in this celebration included USC deans and professors, representatives of Polish-American Community; musicians and a patriotic organization called the Native Sons of the Golden West. The audience consisted of USC faculty members and students, diplomatic corps from L.A. area; journalists and the general public. The same groups of listeners are expected at the 2002 Paderewski Distinguished Lecture featuring Zygmunt Krauze and Krakusy.
The 2002 speaker will be Zygmunt KRAUZE (B. 1939), recently described by Mark Swed in the Los Angeles Times as a “major composer” of our times. Krauze has been active as a pianist and composer since the late 1950s. His original style of “unistic” compositions was inspired by constructivist Polish paintings by Strzeminski. His music later borrowed material from folk song of central Europe and Poland. With a keen ear for sonority, Krauze created an original sound world of subtle arabesques and fluid textures. His connection to Polish traditions of piano music may be seen in his interpretations of, and improvisations based on, works by Chopin, Szymanowski, and Paderewski. His lecture-recital will present a unique approach to Polish national style and its place in the international music world. KRAKUSY Polish Folk Dance Ensemble has recently celebrated their 50th anniversary and is widely recognized as the most important Polish folk dance group in Southern California. The Ensemble’s new choreographer, Maciej Pasternak, is an eminent expert from Poland, specializing in folk dance and having previously directed several groups in Poland. The group will illustrate the steps of national dances during the lecture of Mr. Krauze as well as present three “national” dances to the music of Karol Kurpinski and Stanislaw Moniuszko at the conclusion of this event.
The Paderewski Distinguished Lecture is organized by the Polish Music Center, USC Thornton School of Music; and co-sponsored by The Kosciuszko Foundation, New York; The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles; and a range of Polish organizations in California.
The first Annual Paderewski Lecture, featuring composer-pianist Zygmunt Krauze, with the participation of the Polish Folk Dance Ensemble Krakusy, took place on 3 May 2002, 8 p.m., at the Alfred Newman Recital Hall, USC Campus, Los Angeles. Zygmunt KRAUZE (b. 1939) was recently described by the Los Angeles Times as a “major composer” of our times. Krauze has been active as a pianist and composer since the late 1950s. His original style of “unistic” compositions was inspired by constructivist Polish paintings by Strzeminski. His music later borrowed material from folk songs of central Europe and Poland. With a keen ear for sonority, Krauze created an original sound world of subtle arabesques and fluid textures. His connection to Polish traditions of piano music may be seen in his interpretations of, and improvisations based on, works by Chopin, Szymanowski, and Paderewski. His lecture-recital presented a unique approach to Polish national style and its place in the international music world.
Krauze presented the following program (the planned repeat of Paderewski’s Nocturne was not performed).
- Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849): Mazurka in A minor Op. 67 No. 4 With improvisations by Zygmunt Krauze
- Fryderyk Chopin: Polonaise in E-flat minor Op. 26 No. 2 With improvisations by Zygmunt Krauze
- Discussion of Polish folk dances (kujawiak, oberek, polonaise, krakowiak) with a live demonstration by the Polish Folk Dance Ensemble Krakusy, in folk costumes from the areas of Kraków and Mazovia, and in the costumes of the Polish nobility
- Karol Szymanowski (1881-1937): Krakowiak in F-major from Folk Dances of the World (1926) Choreographed by Maciej Pasternak. Polish Folk Dance Ensemble Krakusy
- Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994): Folk Melodies (1945), a selection of three melodies With improvisations by Zygmunt Krauze
- Zygmunt Krauze (b. 1938): Five Folk Melodies (1958)
- Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941): Nocturne in B-flat major Op. 16 No. 4 (1890-92)
INTERMISSION
- Ignacy Jan Paderewski: Nocturne in B-flat major Op. 16 No. 4 (1890-92)
- Tomasz Sikorski (1939-1988): Zerstreutes Hinausschauen (1971)
- Kazimierz Serocki (1922-1981): A piacere (1963)
- Boguslaw Schaeffer (b. 1929): Non-Stop (1964)
- Zygmunt Krauze: Stone Music (1972) for amplified piano
- Zygmunt Krauze: Nightmare Tango (1987) for piano
The Newman Hall was filled to capacity and the attendees greatly enjoyed the evening that exposed them to “national” and “avant-garde” types of Polish music. The evening began with remarks by the Consul General of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Krzysztof Kasprzyk, and by Founder and Honorar Director of the PMC, Wanda Wilk. Polish-Americans constituted the majority of attendees, with two large groups predominating, those afilliated with the Krakusy Ensemble and the Helena Modjeska Club for Polish Culture. The review by Mark Swed, published in the Los Angeles Times on 6 May 2002, praised the Center’s past scholarly activities and had only kind words for the lecturer.
The Annual Paderewski Lectures are sponsored by the Polish Music Center at the University of Southern California, the Kosciuszko Foundation of New York, and the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles. The event was made possible by a large grant from Dr. Zbigniew Petrovich, M.D., and a group of sponsors, including: Philip R. Brewster (First Union Securities), POLAM – Polish American Credit Union, Polish American Cultural Network, Helena Modjeska Art and Culture Club of Los Angeles, Children’s Medical Care Foundation, Friends of Polish Music, Jerzy and Lena Wagner, Elzbieta and Ginter Trybus, Dorota Dabrowska, Helena and Stanley Kolodziey, Dorota Rzymska, Edward Koterba, and Waldemar Chmielewski. The event was made possible by the efforts of a group of volunteers, some of whom were known beforehand and mentioned in the program book. The coordination of Volunteer Committee was by Helena Kolodziey, with the participatio of Beata Balon, Henryk Chrostek, Barbara Zakrzewska, and Krysta Close. USC students who contributed their efforts to making sure this event was a success included: Adrianna Lis, Krszystof Szmanda, Michal Sobus, Karolina Naziemiec, and Robert Zych. An unexpected and dedicated volunteer was the mother of Krysta Close, who was visiting her daughter and spent half of a day working on our events. Many thanks to all who helped out!
In addition to giving the Paderewski Lecture, Zygmunt Krauze also lectured at the California State University, Long Beach (thanks to Prof. Martin Herman), and at the University of California, Irvine (thanks to Dr. Michael Ferriell Zbyszynski). Both lectures elicited enthusiastic response of composition students and faculty.
The 2002 Paderewski Lecture was supposed to have been preceded by the opening of a Paderewski Exhibition, featuring scores, manuscripts, and documents from the collection of the Polish Music Center, including Paderewski’s piano rolls, photographs, letters, as well as concert programs of his tours in the 1920s, and numerous publications of his music (recordings and early editions), donated by Wanda Wilk, Annette Strakacz-Appleton, and Maja Trochimczyk. The Exhibition, curated by Maja Trochimczyk and designed by Ljiljana Grubisic has been postponed until the fall semester. The opening took place on 17 September 2002.
Paderewski Lecture In The Press
The first Annual Paderewski Lecture received a fair amount of attention in the press. In addition to Mark Swed’s review in the Los Angeles Times (6 May 2002, review entitled “Tour of a Nation’s Musical Past, Present”), the Lecture was reported in Nowy Dziennik (Przegląd Polski, review by Barbara Zakrzewska), News of Polonia (review by Zbigniew Petryka), and in USC Chronicle (announcements of the event).
In the report published in the Californian monthly, Dr. Zbigniew Petryka wrote not only about the “academic” part of the lecture (commenting on the informative and educational content of Krauze’s introduction to Polish avant-garde, shocking for many Californian Poles), but also about the “social” aspect – the quality of our reception prepared by Polka Restaurant of Eagle Rock, and the entertainment provided by children of the Polish Folk Dance Ensemble Krakusy, who sang Polish folk songs during the event. The report was illustrated with photographs by Jacek Nowaczyński, some of which are reproduced below. The report in News of Polonia appeared both in Polish and in English, so that no segment of Polish American population would be left without knowing what a significant cultural event it was.
PADEREWSKI LECTURE AFTERTHOUGHTS
From June 2002 PMC Newsletter
The first Annual Paderewski Lecture, featuring composer-pianist Zygmunt Krauze, with the participation of the Polish Folk Dance Ensemble Krakusy, took place on 3 May 2002, 8 p.m., at the Alfred Newman Recital Hall, USC Campus, Los Angeles. In addition to the review in the Los Angeles Times the Lecture was reported in Nowy Dziennik (Przegląd Polski), News of Polonia, and in USC Chronicle.
In the report published in the Californian Monthly, Dr. Zbigniew Petryka wrote not only about the “academic” part of the lecture (commenting on the informative and educational content of Krauze’s introduction to Polish avant-garde, shocking for many Californian Poles), but also about the “social” aspect—the quality of our reception prepared by Polka Restaurant of Eagle Rock, and the entertainment provided by children of the Polish Folk Dance Ensemble Krakusy, who sang Polish folk songs during the event. The report was illustrated with photographs by Jacek Nowaczyński, some of which are reproduced below. The report in News of Polonia appeared both in Polish and in English, so that no segment of Polish American population would be left without knowing what a significant cultural event it was. The next lecture in 2003 will hopefully be given by Ewa Podleś, a famed contralto.
