April 2006 – Polish Music Center

Polish Music Center Newsletter Vol. 12, no. 4

PMC News

2006 Paderewski Lecture-Recital

The Polish Music Center is pleased to announce that celebrations of the annual Paderewski Lecture-Recital will culminate this year on Thursday, October 12th, with a concert and lecture at Newman Recital Hall on the USC Campus. The event begins at 7:30 PM and is free and open to the public. This year’s festivities will honor the composer and student of Paderewski, Zygmunt Stojowski (1870-1946), on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his death and in celebration of the receipt of the Stojowski Collection—a very special gift of manuscripts and personal papers, donated to the PMC by the family of the composer.

The Paderewski Lecture-Recitals celebrate the legacy of Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), by highlighting the accomplishments of the most distinguished Polish composers. Since their inception in 2002, the event has featured the music of Zygmunt Krauze, Joanna Bruzdowicz, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, and Marta Ptaszyńska in concerts, master classes, and meetings at USC and the greater Los Angeles area.

The October 12th event at Newman Hall will feature renowned scholar and conductor, Joseph Herter, who will deliver a retrospective lecture on the life and music of Stojowski, as well as performances by pianist Jonathan Plowright (pictured at right), who recorded Stojowski’s compositions for piano and orchestra as well as his solo works on Hyperion Records. In addition, throughout the fall 2006 season, performances of several works by Stojowski are planned on the USC Campus and around Southern California. More details on these events will be posted on the Polish Music Center website: www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music.

Library Update

Last year, the Polish Music Center celebrated its 20th anniversary year with a series of concerts and educational events throughout the greater Los Angeles area. This year (and quite likely through the next) will be dedicated to maintaining and updating our unique library of books, scores, and manuscripts of works by leading Polish composers and our website, two unique and invaluable resources in the world of Polish music.

The PMC library catalogue currently lists over 6000 items. Another 4500 items still await cataloguing. As a result of our on-going inventory, since 2004 we have added over 500 items to the web-listed USC Homer catalogue (library.usc.edu) that now includes some 3500 PMC entries. During the next two years, we will implement a variety of procedures designed to make our holdings more accessible, searchable, and compatible with the USC Library systems. This project is linked to the complete overhaul and redesign of the Polish Music Center website, which will make the PMC catalogue searchable via the Internet. With these changes in mind, we hope to fulfill our two-pronged mission of serving the USC community and the world-wide audience interested in Polish music.

This exciting project will require the far-reaching cooperation of various USC departments and other institutions, a substantial amount of manpower, and considerable financial resources. If you did not have a chance to help us during our 2005 Fund Drive or would like to supplement your support, please consider making a contribution to the Polish Music Center, helping to secure the future of this unique institution and furthering our mutual goal of making the richness of Polish culture available to all. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions at (213) 821-1356 or polmusic@usc.edu. Your contributions may be sent to:

Polish Music Center USC
840 W. 34th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0851

[MZ]

News

Kaspszyk To Lead Wrocław Phil

Jacek Kaspszyk, one of the most renowned Polish conductors has been appointed chief conductor of the Wrocław Philharmonic. The first concert with Kaspszyk officially at his post and on the conductor’s podium is planned for September, during the Wratislavia Cantans Festival.

Jacek Kaspszyk was born in Poland and studied at the Warsaw Academy of Music, graduating in 1975, and that same year he made his début at the National Opera in a new production of Don Giovanni. In 1976 he made his début at the Düsseldorf Opera and the next year was appointed as Principal Conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony, becoming Music Director in 1980. In 1978 he had gained top prize at the Karajan Competition and made his New York début.

Moving to London in 1982 he has since appeared regularly with all of the London orchestras and with the Hallé, RSNO, RLPO, Bournemouth Symphony, BBC NOW (with whom he made his Prom début) and BBC SSO. Elsewhere in Europe he has conducted such orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, Bayerischer Rundfunk, RSO Berlin, Orchestra National de Paris, Vienna Symphony, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Danish National Radio Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, with which he toured Australia. In Asia he has toured with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony and the Tokyo Philharmonic, as well as visits to the Hong Kong Philharmonic and New Zealand Symphony. In the US he has conducted the San Diego Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic and at the Detroit Opera. Other operatic appearances include productions at Lyon, Bordeaux, Opéra Comique, Royal Stockholm, English National, Opera North and Scottish Opera.

Jacek Kaspszyk returned to Poland in 1994, after an absence of 12 years. He became Principal Guest Conductor of the National Philharmonic and in 1998 took the position of Artistic Director of the National Opera. Last year he took the position of General Director of the National Opera and has overseen a great increase in the company’s international reputation, with many productions visiting the US, South America and other European houses.

Penderecki Days In Münster

Between March 30th and April 1st, the town of Münster, Germany will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki’s St. Luke’s Passion with three days of music by the composer. It is to be one of the most important events of the Polish-German year 2005/2006. The concerts will be performed by the National Radio Symphony Orchestra from Katowice, conducted by Maestro Penderecki, as well as the Oistrach Philharmonie, conducted by Ulrich Grosser. Next to the performances under his direction, Krzysztof Penderecki will receive the honorary doctorate of the philosophical faculty of the Westphalian Wilhelms University. To date, Penderecki has already received honorary doctorates and professorships from 16 different universities around the world. For his St. Luke’s Passion, in 1966, Penderecki has received the great art price of the State of Northrhine-Westphalia.

The “Polish-German Year” was inaugurated in August 2005 by the presidents of the two countries in the Berlin Konzerthaus and will continue through the end of April 2006. The main idea of the project is to give both nations the opportunity to learn more about each other, sharing in the cultural bounty and experiencing the traditions, specialties and discoveries of each country. Since Poland and Germany share a border and Poland is now a part of European Union, the partnership between the two nations can only be strengthened by learning more about each other. As part of the “bonding” there will be hundreds of events in many fields such as culture, economics, politics and science. A calendar in Polish can be found at: www.de-pl.info/pl/callendar.php and a calendar in German can be found at:http://www.deutsch-polnisches-jahr.de/veranstaltungen-de-kalender.php.

Canadian Music In Poland

The wonderful duo of saxophonist Charles Stolte and pianist Joachim Segger from Edmonton, Canada will present Canadian and Polish-Canadian music in Berlin and three Polish cities between April 3-7. The four recitals will be preceded by lectures on Canadian music given by composer Piotr Grella-Możejko (pictured at left). The recitals are scheduled for the Universität der Kunste (Berlin); two Academies of Music, in Szczecin and Łódź; and Integrated Music Schools (Szczecinek).

The program:

Jacek Sobieraj: Les imponderables No. 0.972: Music Poem (1997)
Monte Keene Pishny-Floyd: Three Unaccompanied Studies (1982)
Rolf Boon: Six Miniatures (1982)
Scott Edward Godin: from Three Number Pieces (2002) – #17
Reinhard von Berg: Five Bagatelles (1969)
Shane Krepakevich: streets where you want them (2006)
George Andrix: Four Pieces (1966)
Charles Stolte: True Confessions (1994)
Scott Edward Godin: from Three Number Pieces (2002) – #8
Piotr Grella-Możejko: Organigami (Music for Aysha) (2004)

Then, on April 8, the Szczecin Opera Orchestra under Maestro Jacek Kraszewski, with Dariusz Samól and Robert Matuszewski, saxophones, will perform five world premières of Canadian works for saxophone and orchestra. The concert is organized under patronage of the Canadian Embassy in Warsaw, and will be opened by the Canadian Ambassador to Poland.

The program:

Jacobus Kloppers – Concerto in quattro umori for saxophone and orchestra (1994/2006)
Alex Eddington – Snowforms for Saxophone and Strings (2001)
Jacek Sobieraj – On the Pasture of Herbivorous Ghosts for Saxophone and Orchestra (2006)
George Andrix – Recitative and Rondo for Saxophone and Orchestra (2006)
Bruce Mather – Elegy for Saxophone and String Orchestra (1959)
Piotr Grella-Możejko – Dream Daemon – Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra (2006)

April at the Kosciuszko Fdn.

During the weekend of April 7-8, The Kosciuszko Foundation will sponsor its 57th Annual Chopin Piano Competition at the Foundation House in New York City. Dozens of young virtuosos will perform a repertoire ranging from the major works of Chopin, Szymanowski and standard repertoire from the Baroque to contemporary pieces. A particular requirement is a major work by a Polish, American, or Polish-American composer. The Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition was inaugurated in 1949, marking the centennial of the great composer’s death; Polish master pianist Witold Małcużyński performed at the Foundation on that occasion. Since then, laureates have included Roy Eaton, Murray Perahia, and Frederic Chiu, among others. Jurors this year include Jed Distler, Miriam Conti, and Frank Levy.

Then, on April 22nd at the Waldorf=Astoria, the Foundation will host its 71st Annual Dinner and Ball, with special guest, Van Cliburn, one of the most distinguished laureates of their Chopin Competition. After winning the Competition in 1952, Mr. Cliburn went on to win the Tchaikowsky Competition in Moscow and establish a worldwide reputation. Mr. Cliburn will receive the Kosciuszko Foundation’s Medal of Recognition at the event. The Kosciuszko Foundation Annual Dinner and Ball is a preeminent social event in the Polish-American Community. It is a lavish evening of dining and dancing and a showcase of the Kosciuszko Foundation Debutante Cotillion. The Dinner and Ball is a primary fund-raising event for the Kosciuszko Foundation, directly supporting the education and cultural exchanges and programs.

57th Annual Chopin Piano Competition Kosciuszko Foundation House
15 East 65th St. (between 5th and Madison Aves.), NYC, NY
Preliminaries: Friday April 7, beginning at 10 am – open to the public, no ticket required
Finals: Saturday April 8, beginning at 2 pm, followed by an Awards Ceremony and reception
Tickets and info: call 212-734-2130

71st Annual Dinner and Ball
Waldorf=Astoria Hotel
NYC, NY
Tickets and info: call 212-734-2130 Ext. 217, or e-mail: development@thekf.org.

Director Of Poznań Phil Dismissed

Grzegorz Nowak was dismissed from the position of the director of the Poznań Philharmonic. The decision was made based on the discovery of irregularities in the director’s payroll history. Work rule changes planned for the Philharmonic players by Mr. Nowak before his dismissal are now postponed indefinitely. During the press conference it was mentioned that a replacement for Mr. Nowak had already been found, but the name of the candidate was not released.

La Bohème At Nat’l Opera

On March 30th, the National Opera in Warsaw will premiere their new staging of Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème. It is directed by Mariusz Treliński (pictured at right), with set decorations designed by Boris Kudliczka and conducted by the director of the institution, Kazimierz Kord. It is staged in the original language with Polish supertitles. The primarily Polish cast is joined by two Russian singers, Jekatierin Sołowjow and Siergiej Semiszkur.

The world premiere of this opera took place in 1896 in Torino, and Polish premieres were in 1898 in Warsaw and 1901 in Lwów. Other presentations of the opera will take place on March 31, April 22, June 11 and 30. Visit the theater’s official website for more information: www.teatrwielki.pl.

PWM At The Frankfurt Musikmesse

Between March 29 and April 1, Poland’s largest music publisher, PWM, will be presenting their music catalog at the International Music Expo Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany. During the trade show there will be meetings with international distributors and agents to determine the export possibilities for the Polish company. The most important new items on display in Frankfurt are: new volumes of The National Edition, The Most Popular Transcriptions series, and Musica Claromontana, as well as the new titles in The Most Beautiful… and Polish Chamber Music series.

Polish Music In Kiev

As a part of Season’s Musical Premieres 2006 Festival in Kiev, Ukraine, the president of Ukraine’s Composer’s Union, Igor Szczerbakov, invited young Polish composers to present their works. On March 23rd the works of seven Polish composers were performed by Ukrainian musicians.

The program consisted of: Jacek Wiktor Ajdinović, Arrière-pensée du temps for piano trio (2005); Weronika Ratusińska, Piano Trio (2004); Barbara Kaszuba, Trio “Wyspy Szczęśliwe” [Happy Islands] (2003); Jakub Kowalewski, Furioso for piano trio (2005); Marcin Gumiela, String Quartet (2004); Sławomir Kłodnicki, 4th String Quartet (2004); and Katarzyna Głowicka, Preludes for string quartet (2000).

Festivals

Los Angeles

The Polish American Film Society and Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles proudly announce this year’s Polish Film Festival in Los Angeles. The event kicks off its seventh annual series on April 27th, 2006 with an Opening Night Gala at the Directors Guild of America (7920 Sunset Boulevard, LA) with the reception and screening of Perfect Afternoon [Doskonałe popołudnie] by Przemysław Wojcieszek. Over the course of the following seven days, 24 features, 6 short films and 8 documentaries will be screened at the Laemmle’s Sunset 5, April 28 to May 4:

My Nikifor [Mój Nikifor] by Krzysztof Krauze; Tulips [Tulipany] by Jacek Boruch; The Perfect Afternoon [Doskonałe popołudnie] by Przemysław Wojcieszek; The Call of the Toad [Wróżby kumaka] by Robert Gliński; Down Colorful Hill [W dol kolorowym wzgorzem] by Przemyslaw Wojcieszek; Pitbull by Patryk Wega; The Cross-Way Café [Rozdroze Café] by Leszek Wosiewicz; Persona Non Grata by Krzysztof Zanussi; Homo Father by Piotr Matwiejczyk; Vinci by Juliusz Machulski; Fallow Land [Ugor] by Dominik Matwiejczyk. Films produced outside of Poland: My Summer of Love by Pawel Pawlikowski; One Long Winter Without Fire by Greg Zglinski; Karol—The Man Who Became Pope by Giacomo Battiato; The Unbraid Man by Marta Meszaros. Documentaries include: Arden2, Betrayal, The Battle for Warsaw; After the Gulag; Artur Szyk; and the World Premiere of Life is a Dream in Cinema: Pola Negri.

The Festival will present a retrospective of Feliks Falk’s films with of The Collector[Komornik] – Poland’s official submission to the 2006 Academy Award, Hero of the Year[Bohater roku] and Top Dog [Wodzirej] and special screening of Andrzej Wajda’s English-language film The Shadow Line, in honor of his 80th birthday. The year of Krzysztof Kieslowski will be celebrated with special screenings of Camera Buff [Amator], Big Animal[Duże zwierze], The Double Life of Veronique [Podwojne zycie Veroniki], Colors: Blue, Red & White, Short Film About Killing and Short Film About Love at the Bing Theatre at LACMA (May 5-6/12-13) and his documentaries at The Egyptian Theatre (May 14/21/28). The retrospective is organized in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles Filmforum, Polish Cultural Institute in New York, TVP, Polish National Film Archive, Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles and Polish American Film Society.

The following filmmakers and artists will be among this year’s guests:
Dawid Antkowiak, Piotr Adamczyk, Andrzej Chyra, Magdalena Cielecka, Mateusz Damiecki, Feliks Falk, Joanna Klass, Abel Korzeniowski, Mariusz Kotowski, Ivo Krankowski, Borys Lankosz, Krzysztof Malkiewicz, Gabriela Maskala, Dominik & Piotr Matwiejczyk, Marek Piwowski, Marek Probosz, Weronika Rosati, Marcel Sawicki, Peter Silverman, Tomasz Szafrański, Voytek Szczytko, Anna Włodarczyk, Przemysław Wojcieszek Greg Zglinski and Jerzy Stuhr.

To ensure your invitation to the Opening Gala, the minimum level of support requested is $50 as a Festival Friend sponsor. Please make your invaluable, tax-deductible financial contributions to: Polish American Film Society and mail your checks to 7726 Ethel Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91605. For more information please call Vladek Juszkiewicz, director of Polish Film Festival: 818-982-8827 or visit www.polishfilmla.org.

[Vladek Juszkiewicz, festival director]

London

Over the last four years the Polish Film Festival in London has gone from strength to strength and is now a highly anticipated event in Britain’s cultural calendar.

Following the decline in Polish film production in the mid 1990s, the industry has had a remarkable resurgence. From the multi-award winning My Nikifor to the romantic Angel in Love, film production in Poland has confounded stereotypes and we are proud to bring you a programme of the best films of 2005.

The Festival opens with one of the year’s highlights – Krzysztof Zanussi’s Persona Non Grata and we are thrilled to be screening a retrospective of this highly respected director’s work. Along with feature films the Festival also includes the best shorts, animation and documentaries, which give a fascinating insight into the cultural and social life of Poland.

[Paweł Potoroczyn, festival director]

X Easter Beethoven Festival

The 10th edition of this festival will take place between April 1 and 15 in four Polish cities: Kraków, Warsaw, Gdańsk and Bydgoszcz. The motto for this year is: Beethoven: Heritage and Resonance. There will be over 30 concerts in the best concert halls in Poland, performed by more than 2,000 artists. The audience will be able to hear Placido Domingo, the Korean Chamber Ensemble, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and Orquestra Sinfónica de Madrid, among others. Alongside the concerts there will be an International Musicological Symposium.

For information and program go to: www.beethoven.org.pl.

XII Festival Of One-Voice Music

This unique festival will take place in the Cathedral Chapel in Płock between March 31 and April 2. This year’s edition is dedicated to memory of the late Pope John Paul II and the special guest will be Roberto Colavalle, the cantor of the Sistine Chapel. He will perform the All Saints Litany, the same work he performed during the funeral of the Pope. The festival has also invited Schola Cantorum from Riga and Ensemble Officium from Heidelberg. Polish artists include the Bornus Consort from Warsaw and Schola Gregoriana Silesiensis from Wrocław.

XIV Świętokrzyskie Days Of Music

The festival will take place between March 26 and April 21, 2006, at the Świętokrzyskie Philharmonic in Kielce. The program of the Days of Music is extremely varied and includes works both modern and classical. The artists include some of the best Polish soloists and conductors and also artists from Europe.

For the program of the festival, go to: www.culture.pl. For information about the Philharmonic in Kielce go to: www.filharmonia.kielce.com.pl.

II Festival Musica Sacra

The Musica Sacra Society inaugurated the second edition of the “Musica Sacra in Praga Cathedral” International Festival on March 26. The following concerts will take place on the 2nd of April and 22nd of April. You can find more information on the website: www.musicasacra.com.pl.

XIII Opera Festival In Bydgoszcz

The festival starts on April 29 and ends on May 14 and takes place on the stage of the Opera Nova (pictured above). During the two weeks of the festival the audience will have a chance to see national and international opera companies present their achievements. To date, this festival has gathered over 70,000 people for the performances. The festival will be opened by the Prague State Opera and closed by the Boris Ejfman Ballet Theatre. Opera Nova will present the new staging of Mozart’s Magic Flute. The festival will also include an exposition dedicated to Mozart and screenings of opera performances released on DVDs.

For detailed program of the festival please visit www.opera.bydgoszcz.pl.

Awards

2005 Fryderyk Awards

For the first time in the 12-year history of the Fryderyk Awards (the Polish equivalent of the American Grammy Awards), the recipients were announced over the Internet. There was no official ceremony or TV transmission due to the lack of financial support from the sponsors. The winners were announced on the 30th of March and the statues will be given to the artists during concerts or other media appearances. The awards were given in 17 categories of pop/mainstream music, 7 categories of classical music and 2 in jazz music. In the classical recordings, the most nominations (3) were given to the winner of recent International Chopin Piano Competition, Rafał Blechacz. The results in the classical categories are as follows:

Album of the Year – Early Music: Il Tempo Ensemble, Agata Sapiecha – director, Music of the Warsaw Castle
(pictured at right)
Album of the Year – Chamber Music: Bartłomiej Niziołand Paweł Mazurkiewicz, for their CD featuring the violin compositions of Grażyna Bacewicz
Album of the Year – Orchestral Music: Rafał Blechacz, for the recording from the XV International Chopin Piano Competition
Album of the Year – Solo Music: Rafał Blechacz, for the recording from the XV International Chopin Piano Competition
Album of the Year – Vocal Music: Musica Sacra Choir, Paweł Łukaszewski – conductor, for the CDs Musica Sacra Edition
Album of the Year – Contemporary Music: National Philharmonic, Antoni Wit – Conductor, for the recording of Witold Lutosławski’s concertos
Album of the Year – Outstanding Recording of Polish Music: National Philharmonic, Antoni Wit – Conductor, for the recording of Witold Lutosławski’s concertos

For video clips from the on-line announcement and a full list of the nominated artists and winners, please visit muzyka.onet.pl/fryderyki/index.html, the official announcement webpage.

Musica Sacra Competition

The 2nd International Composition Competition “Musica Sacra” 2006 was organized by the “Musica Sacra” Association and The “Gaude Mater” International Festival of Sacred Music in Częstochowa, Poland. This year, the jury consisted of Marian Borkowski (Poland) – chair, Stephen Layton (Great Britain), Jan Łukaszewski (Poland), Paweł Łukaszewski (Poland) and Vytautas Miskinis (Lithuania). There were 38 compositions sent to the competition from Austria, Estonia, Greece, Japan, Germany, Poland, USA, Hungary, Great Britain, and Italy.

On the 25th and 26th of February, the jury of the Competition chose the winners. The awards are as follows: 1st prize—not awarded, 2nd prize—Hideyuki Nashimura (Japan) for Caritas nunquam excidit, 3rd prize (ex-aequo)—Agata Krawczyk (Poland) for Parce nihi and Jakub Kowalewski (Poland) for Missa Brevissima, 4th prize—Piotr Tabakiernik(Poland) for Crux Fidelis. The Special award for the youngest finalist, funded by Polish Music Editions (PWM), was given to Piotr Tabakiernik.

Sembrich Voice Competition

The Marcella Sembrich Voice Scholarship Competition of the Kosciuszko Foundation took place on Saturday, March 18, 2006, beginning at 10 am. Auditions were free and open to the public and held at Hunter College’s Lang Recital Hall. This year’s winners were: Nicole Taylor, age 26, of Ridgewood, NY (1st place); Kim Sungji, age 33, of Mt. Laurel, NJ (2nd place); and Matthew Pena, age 23, of NYC, NY (3rd place).

This Competition honors the great Polish soprano Marcella Kochańska-Sembrich, who made her Metropolitan Opera debut in its brand-new building in 1883. After an enormously successful career, the popular singer founded the vocal programs at both the Juilliard School and Curtis Institute. Previous winners of the competition include Barbara Hendricks and Jan Opalach. The winner of the Sembrich Competition in New York is customarily sent to the Moniuszko International Competition in Warsaw, next held in May 2007. Cash scholarship prizes are $1000, $750, and $500.

III International Teleman Violin Competition

In the 3rd International George Phillip Teleman Violin Competition in Poznań for young artists under the age of 15, the first prize was awarded to Claudia Zorbas from Hungary. The second prize was awarded ex aequo to Celina Kotz from Poznań and Maria Włoszczowska from Warsaw. The third prize went to Marta Kowalczyk. In all, there were 62 participants from Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Ukraine and Russia.

Discography

Re-Release Of Szymanowski

Kaja Danczowska, violin and Krystian Zimerman, piano play Szymanowski and Franck
Deutche Grammophon CD 477 590-3
Re-released in February 2006

Program:

Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937):

Mythes, Trois Poèmes, Op.30
Pieśń Roksany (piano transcr. by P. Kochański)
Pieśń Kurpiowska (piano transcr. by P. Kochański)

César Franck (1822-1890):

Sonata for Violin and Piano in A

Chopin Competition Recording

15th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition Chronicle
DUX Warszawa 2006 [KCH1516A13653]
Performed by the 2005 competitors

BOX of 15 CDS:

Vols. 1-5: 1st Round: the best performances of each participant of the Competition
Vol. 6: Rafał Blechacz: 1st & 2nd Round Recordings
Vol. 7: Nobuyuki Tsujii: 1st & 2nd Round Recordings
Vol. 8: Takashi Yamamoto: 1st & 2nd Round Recordings
Vol. 9: 2nd Round: the best performances: Jacek Kortus, Ka Ling Colleen Lee, Rachel Naomi Kudo
Vol. 10: 2nd Round: the best performances: Dong Hyek Lim, Rieko Nezu, Dong Min Lim, Yeol-Eum Son, Yuma Osaki, Andrey Yaroshinskiy, Shohei Sekimoto
Vol. 11: Finals: Jacek Kortus, Dong Hyek Lim
Vol. 12: Finals: Takashi Yamamoto, Rieko Nezu
Vol. 13: Finals: Rafał Blechacz
Vol. 14: Dong Hyek Lim & Dong Min Lim: selected recordings
Vol. 15: Rafał Blechacz recordings from Laureates’ Concert

The impulse to establish the International Frederic Chopin Piano Competitions in Warsaw came from Aleksander Michałowski (1851-1938). This great Polish pianist is sometimes called Chopin’s ‘artistic grandson—through Karol Mikuli and Marcelina Czartoryska. Michałowski’s idea was brought to fruition by his outstanding student, Jerzy Żurawlew (1887-1980), whose efforts led to the organization of the 1st Chopin Competition in 1927.

Interest in the International Chopin Piano Competition has not diminished over the intervening eight decades. On the contrary, each year it attracts a growing number of entrants, conscious of the fact that a prize-winner’s title won in Warsaw is for a budding pianist a spring-board to a major international career. Suffice it to recall the names of successive past winners of the Competition: Lev Oborin, Alexander Uninsky, Jakov Zak, Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Bella Davidovich, Adam Harasiewicz, Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich, Garrick Ohlsson, Krystian Zimerman, Dang Thai Son, Stanislav Bunin and Yundi Li. But what brings to Warsaw such large numbers of young pianists in the first place? It is the magical power inherent in Chopin’s music. As Franz Liszt said: “Chopin was not only an outstanding virtuoso, not only an artist of great renown, he was much more than it—he was Chopin!”

The International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition is affiliated with the Geneva-based World Federation of International Music Competitions, of which it is a founding member. Before 1939 the Chopin Competitions was owned and organized by the Warsaw Music Society and the Fryderyk Chopin Higher School of Music (in which Aleksander Michałowski and Jerzy Żurawlew were faculty members) and, after the war, by the Fryderyk Chopin Society in Warsaw. The 15th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition was held in Warsaw on 2-24 October 2005. [Stanisław Dybowski]

Orders can be placed by mail at:

DUX
Małgorzata Polańska & Lech Tołwiński
Morskie Oko 2
02-511 Warszawa, POLAND

Or by:

Tel./fax: (48 22) 849-11-31, (48 22) 849-18-59

E-mail: dux@dux.pl

Performances

Podleś In Michigan

According to The Globe and Mail, “There is one conspicuous reason for reviving Rossini’s Tancredi in our time—the availability of the Polish contralto Ewa Podleś.” And this is just what the University Musical Society Opera in Michigan has done. On March 25th, the University Musical Society brought Ms. Podleś to Ann Arbor, MI and together with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, they delighted audiences with the twists and turns of Rossini’s music. Also featured in this performance were Laurence Brownlee, tenor and Mariola Cantareo, soprano, with Alberto Zedda, conductor.

Tancredi is one of the lesser-known serious operas of Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868), who is best known for his rollicking comic operas and his penchant for vocal fireworks. With Tancredi, Rossini achieved maturity as a composer and established himself in Italy and abroad as the leading composer of Italian opera seria. Similarly, Ms. Podleś has made her mark on the opera world largely through her “signature” role in Tancredi, although her voice is just as stunning beautiful and richly expressive when singing the music of Mahler and Prokofiev.

PMC Around The World

Mr. Żebrowski giving an interview to two dedicated fans

Polish Music Center Director and acclaimed pianist Marek Żebrowski gave two concerts in Marburg, Germany, on the 15th and 17th of March 2006. The first, a recital held in the auditorium of Huelsen-Haus, featured works by Bach-Busoni, Mozart, and Chopin. Żebrowski’s second performance took place in the historic aula of Phillips University and it was held in connection with the Marburger Kamerapreis 2006 Film Festival. Both events also featured a selection of Mr. Żebrowski’s own film compositions: The Running Spirit, Sunset Theme, and Le Cineaste.

The Marburger Kamerapreis Festival is organized by Prof. Karl Pruemm from the Marburg University, and this year’s laureate, Judith Kaufmann, was honored for special visual qualities in her films. The gala evening on March 17th opened with Marek Żebrowski’s film music, followed by the official remarks from the University President, Prof. Dr. Volker Nienhaus. The mayor of Marburg, Egon Vaupel, and the City Alderman for Culture, Dr. Kerstin Weinbach, also spoke at the ceremony. The highpoint of the event was the appearance of actress Monica Bleibtreu, whose gracious remarks about Judith Kaufmann introduced the filmmaker to the audience. The musical part of the evening was dedicated to film scores, with Marek Żebrowski performing Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 13 (used in the film The Man Who Wasn’t There), and with Chopin’s virtuoso Grand Polonaise Brillante Op. 22 (used in The Pianist by R. Polański), which closed the evening on a sparkling note.

Mr. Żebrowski’s appearances were extensively covered by the German media. “Interpretations Charm the Public in Marburg” was a headline of the review in the Mittelhessische Anzeigen Zeitung on 17 March 2006. Marburger Express Magazine and other cultural and film magazines carried announcements and reports from the events and screenings during the Kamerapreis 2006 Festival.

Internet News

ISCM Newsletter

The International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) published the first volume of its online newsletter in the beginning of March. The publication is not only for the members of the organization, but for everybody interested in the contemporary music and its promotion. The English-language publication is sent via e-mail and gives information about the society, competitions, festivals, conferences and workshops in over 50 countries. Poland is represented by the Polish Society for Contemporary Music. To subscribe to the newsletter please write to: info@iscm.nl.

Polish Heritage in Lib. of Congress

Read an article about the Oil City-based Polish Heritage Project – an 18-year journey that has preserved the nuanced sounds of a local Polish choir. The materials and output of the project (10 recordings, 8 lyric books, 2 devotional books and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Centennial Hymnal) have been received by the Library of Congress as a testament to fading, small-town ethnic church traditions.

Stojowski Collection Update

In 2005, the Polish Music Center at USC received a generous donation of manuscripts, sketches, correspondence, and published scores of music by Zygmunt (Sigismond) Stojowski (1870-1946) from the composer’s family. Now known as the Stojowski Collection, this new addition to the PM archive consists of 32 boxes of varying sizes. During the summer of 2005, the Stojowski Collection was appraised by a specially hired expert. Although study copies will remain in the Polish Music Center, the originals will reside permanently in Special Collections at the Doheny Library on the USC campus. In the coming months, as the Collection’s detailed inventory is being made, we will continue publishing the contents in our Newsletter, informing our public of this important legacy left by a fascinating and undeservedly forgotten composer. All inquiries regarding the Stojowski Collection should be directed to the Polish Music Center at USC via e-mail to: polmusic@usc.edu.

Box 2 of the Stojowski Collection contains published works in various European and American editions. Most of the scores date from the late 19th or early 20th century and are in very fragile condition.

[MZ]

Box 2

Case VI

Berceuse[Op. 5 no. 1] for piano. 2 copies (Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt & Hatzfeld Ltd. London and Leipzig, and Schott & Co., London)
Bruissements[Forest Breezes], Op. 36 no. 4 for piano. Published by Schirmer
Amourette de Pierrot, Op. 30 no. 1 for piano. 2 copies (different sizes), published by Arthur R. Schmidt-Boston, Leipzig, New York
Aspirations[for piano] Op. 39, published by Heugel & Cie, Paris. Black leather front cover “Album | Sig. Stojowski,” containing the following: Vers l’azur, Op. 39. no. 1; Vers la tombe, Op. 39 no. 2 (the last stave of the second page of the piece has one bar added in ink in composer’s hand); Vers le caprice, Op. 39 no. 3 (contains pencil markings of fingering throughout); Vers l’amour, Op. 39 no. 4 (contains pencil markings of fingering throughout); Vers la joie, Op. 39 no. 5 (contains pencil markings of fingering throughout and text changes in pencil and ink on the last 3 pages of the piece, entered in composer’s hand)
AspirationsOp. 39 [complete]. With title page: Aspirations | Poèmes pour piano etc. Published by Heugel & Cie, Paris (large-size edition)
AspirationsOp. 39: single copy editions of Vers l’amour and Vers la joie. Published by Heugel & Cie, Paris (large-size edition)
An incomplete score of AspirationsOp. 39, containing Vers l’azurOp. 39 no. 1, and the first page of Vers la tombe, Op. 39 no. 2. Smaller version of the Heugel & Cie, Paris edition above. Includes pencil markings of fingering throughout
A series of stapled sets of xeroxed copies of AspirationsOp. 39 with the original title page
Au soir pour piano, Op. 15 no. 3. Published by Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt & Hatzfeld Ltd. London and Leipzig
Aus Sturm und Stille, Op. 29, Sechs Klavierstücke. Published by Peters, Leipzig
Chant d’amour, Op. 26 no. 3 for piano. Several copies of different editions and versions of the work, some with annotations and fingering markings by the composer, published by: B.F. Wood, Boston, Schirmer, Inc., New York (revised edition, 5 copies, some with timing annotations), and Carl Fischer, New York (with fingering, other markings and the new ending, entered in pencil on the score in composer’s hand).
Aubade pour Violon et Piano. Published by Schott & Co., London. Arrangement by A. Kaiser for violin and piano of Stojowski’s Op. 8 no. 3. Contains the violin/piano score and the solo violin part
Concert in G für Violine von Sigismond Stojowski, Op. 22. Contains the orchestral score (ca. 8 x 11 in / 19 x 27 cm), published by Arthur P. Sdchmidt-Boston, Leipzig, New York and the violin/piano reduction with the violin solo part, published as above
Dumkafor piano. Contains 2 copies of the 1945 single work edition by Schirmer, New York
Cinq Miniatures Op. 19[for piano]. Contains 1 copy of the set of five pieces (Feuillet d’Album/ Moment musical/ Arabesque/ Barcarolle/ Mazurka). Published by Heugel & Cie, Paris.
Concerto en fa # pour Piano et Orchestre par Sigismond Stojowski, Op. 3. Two piano score. Includes fingering, penciled in by the composer [?]. Published by Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt & Hatzfeld Ltd., London & Leipzig. Outside cover missing-on the inside title page an ink stamp “Luisa Morales Macedo.”

Case VII

Prologue, Scherzo et Variations (2eme Concerto), Op. 32. A full orchestral score, published by Heugel, Paris, with interpretative remarks, annotations and changes of text entered into the score. Paper clips indicate a cut in the last movement. Also includes a full set of orchestral parts

Case VIII

Prologue, Scherzo et Variations (2ème Concerto). Contains 5 copies of the 2 piano score – most are in poor condition, with covers torn, loose pages, etc. Also includes a full set of orchestral parts

Case IX

Danses Humoresques pour Piano, Op. 12. Contains single editions of the following: Mazurka, Op. 12 no. 3; Cracovienne, Op. 12 no. 4, published by Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt & Hatzfeld Ltd., London and Leipzig (4 copies, one bound; one with extensive fingering markings); Cracovienne, op. 12 no. 4, published by Augener & Co., London; Cosaque fantastique, Op. 12 no. 6, published by Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt & Hatzfeld Ltd., London and Leipzig
Fantaisie pour Trombone Tenor avec accompagnement de Piano. Published by Evette & Schaeffer, Paris. Written for the 1905 Conservatoire National de Musique competition. 2 copies of the piano-trombone score
Deux Caprices pour Piano, Op. 16, published by Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt & Hatzfeld Ltd., London and Leipzig. 3 copies (one bound) of Op. 16 no. 2 only
Fantaisie pour Piano, Op. 38. Published by Heugel & Cie., Paris. Contains 3 copies of the work, two with blue pencil markings indicating corrections for the engraver
Quatre MorceauxOp. 5. 3 copies of Mazurka, Op. 5 no. 4 (2 published by Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt & Hatzfeld Ltd., London and Leipzig; 1 copy published by Schott
[Piano pieces] Op. 8, including 2 copies of LegendeOp. 8 no. 1 (large and small sized scores), published by Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt & Hatzfeld Ltd., London and Leipzig; and 1 copy of Mazurka, Op. 8 no. 2, published by Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt & Hatzfeld Ltd., London and Leipzig
Deux Pensées musicales pour Piano, Op. 1, including 2 copies of MélodieOp. 1 no. 1, published by Schott & Co, and 1 copy of Mélodie Op. 1 no. 1, transcribed by Reginald Goss Custard for organ. Published by Schott, Mainz (with pencil corrections and amendments to the arrangement, entered possibly by the composer)
Deux Caprices-Etudes pour Piano, Op. 2, including 1 copy of Fileuse, Op. 2 no. 1, published by Augener Ltd
Poème d’Eté-Quatre Morceaux pour Piano, Op. 36. Contains 2 copies of Fleurettes, Op. 36 no. 3, published by Schirmer, New York. Both versions have hand-entered fingering indications, the smaller score is signed “Stojowski” [possibly in Stojowski’s hand] top right
Morceaux pour Piano: 3 copies of Gondoliera, Op. 5 no. 3 (2 copies published by Theodore Presser, Philadelphia, illustrated and plain cover; and 1 copy published by Stanley Lucas, Weber, Pitt & Hatzfeld Ltd., London and Leipzig )
3 Esquisses pour Piano, Op. 30. 2 copies of Feuilles mortes, Op. 30, no. 2. Published by Arthur P. Schmidt, Boston, Leipzig, New York, and Alfred Lengnick, London.
Cinq Mélodies/ Pięć PieśniOp. 11. Contains the piano-vocal score of the entire set, published by Schott & Co. Inscribed in Polish and dated Paris, 28 September 1908, on the inside cover to Madame Marcellina Sembich-Stenzel by the composer

Anniversaries

Born This Month

1 April 1872 – Tadeusz JOTEYKO, composer (d. 20 August 1932)
3 April 1904 – Maria WIŁKOMIRSKA, pianist professor of piano in Lodz and Warsaw
4 April 1941 – Aleksander GLINKOWSKI, composer active in Katowice (d. 1991)
8 April 1890 – Zbigniew DRZEWIECKI, pianist and professor of piano, organizer of Chopin Competitions, president of Chopin Society
9 April 1880 – Stanisław LIPSKI, pianist and composer (d. 6 October 1937)
9 April 1951 – Andrzej KRZANOWSKI, composer (d. 1990)
13 April 1890 – Ludwik BRONARSKI, musicologist (d. 1975)
18 April 1903 – Tadeusz KWIECINSKI, composer (d. 11 July 1960)
21 April 1907 – Antoni SZAŁOWSKI, composer (d. 21 March 1973)
29 April 1880 – Adolf CHYBINSKI, musicologist, professor of universities in Lwów and Poznan (d. 31 October 1952)

Died This Month

5 April 1935 – Emil MŁYNARSKI, conductor, violinist, composer, music director of the Warsaw Opera, (b. 18 August 1870)
9 April 1944 – Bolesław WALLEK-WALEWSKI, conductor and composer, active in Krakow, Warsaw and Poznan (b. 23 January 1885)
11 April 1938 – Bronisława WÓJCIK-KEUPRULIAN, musicologist, professor of Lwow University, specialist in Chopin and Armenian music (b. 6 August 1890)
12 April 1956 – Tadeusz STRUMIŁŁO, musicologist, professor of Jagiellonian University, with Z. Szweykowski discovered over 200 compositions of 18th, 19th c. (b. 10 July 1929)
15 April 1945 – Feliks WRÓBEL, composer and music theorist (b. 15 May 1894)
18 April 1854 – Józef ELSNER, composer, founder of Warsaw Conservatory, teacher of Chopin (b. 1 June 1769)
24 April 1845 – Anna WOŁKOW-STANIUKIEWICZ, soprano, singer of Warsaw Opera (b. 26 August 1808)
25 April 1951 – Jerzy FITELBERG, composer, son of conductor Grzegorz, since 1933 lived in Paris, 1940 in New York (b. 20 May 1903)
28 April 1928 – Henryk MELCER-SZCZAWINSKI, pianist, teacher, conductor, professor and chair of the Warsaw Conservatory of Music (b. 21 September 1869)