Maja Trochimczyk, ed.
The selection of writings by a variety of American and Polish authors documents several aspects of Paderewski’s life as a virtuoso pianist, composer, statesman and Polish patriot, as well as a teacher, and friend. Edgar Swayne’s overview of Manru appeared in Music (January 1902), in the month preceding the premiere of the opera at the Met. American texts deal with Paderewski’s compositional and performing activities. The respected New York music critic, Henry E. Krehbiel wrote analytical notes for Paderewski’s American tours in 1895-96, 1899-1900, 1904-05, and 1907-08. His texts about Paderewski’s pieces are reprinted from copies of Analytical Notes on M. Paderewski’s Programmes issued by Steinway Pianos. Nellie R. Cameron Bates (1914) provides us with a glimpse of a general public’s response to Paderewski’s recitals; her “country girl” tone is interesting from feminist point of view. Texts by Polish authors come from a special issue of Życie muzyczne i teatralne vol. 2 no. 5/6 (May- June 1935) published in Poznań by Wieńczysław Brzostowski and dedicated to Paderewski. Articles by Franciszek E. Fronczak and Cyryl Ratajski were translated by Wanda Wilk, while articles by Antonina Adamowska, Zygmunt Dygat and Wiktor Łabuński appear in a translation by Maria Piłatowicz. The selection includes:
Henry E. Krehbiel: Analytical Notes on M. Paderewski’s Programmes (1895-1908)
Egbert Swayne: Paderewski’s “Manru” (from Music, January 1902)
Nellie Cameron Bates: A Country Girl at a Paderewski Concert (1914)
Franciszek E. Fronczak: Paderewski in Light of Polish Emigration in America (1935)
Józef Ratajski: Paderewski, The Underappreciated (1935)
Antonina Adamowska: The Private Life of Paderewski (1935)
Zygmunt Dygat: A Lesson with Paderewski (1935)
Wiktor Łabuński: A Visit to Paderewski’s Pullman (1935)