© Protected - Selected Classical Music in Poland and the Europe of Chopin - Reviewer's Notebook

Harold Pinter 1930-2008 With all the recent mendacious publicity concerning the imminent awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize, I would refer you to the Nobel Prize Lecture 'Art, Truth and Politics' delivered in 2005 by the eminent English playwright of genius, Harold Pinter.  Conclusions concerning the nature of truth are inescapable. This link will transport you to the official Nobel website that contains a live delivery of the lecture and its written transcription. His voice is slightly affected as, although still working as a playwright, he was courageously fighting esophageal cancer from which he ultimately died.  Although not referring directly to our dark days, in view of the current unspeakable events, it is a statement of universal relevant truth in our time. Only the actors have changed.  The lecture is profoundly thought provoking, moving and required reading or listening, interred as it is, forgotten among the tsunami of superficial, gratuitous...

World-renowned musicians and pianists have been assembled to play at the  80th Anniversary  Duszniki-Zdrój International Chopin Festival  1-9 August 2025 The longest-running international piano festival in the world with great traditions Concerts August 1st 8:00 p.m. – Festival Opening (symphonic concert) I am reliably informed that the National Philharmonic Orchestra will play at Duszniki  Soloists: Mikhail Pletnev  August 2nd 4:00 PM – 2025 Van Cliburn Competition Gold Medal 8:00 PM - Sergei Babayan  August 3rd 4:00 PM - Kevin Chen 8:00 PM - Gabriela Montero  August 4th 4:00 PM - Kyohei Sorita 8:00 p.m. – Krzysztof Jablonski  August 5th 4:00 p.m. – Manami Suzuki 1st prize – 12th Hamamatsu Piano Competition 2024 9:00 PM – Nocturne  August 6th 4:00 PM - Aimi Kobayashi 8:00 PM - Boris Giltburg  August 7th 4:00 PM - Philipp Lynov 8:00 p.m. - Piotr Anderszewski ...

THE WARSAW CONCERTO Sunday 13 th  July at 7:00 pm Edinburgh Society of Musicians 3 Belford Road, Edinburgh EH4 3BL The recital is a joint presentation by these two bodies *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * STEINWAY HALL, LONDON, WELCOMED RAPHAEL LUSTCHEVSKY IN A  PERFORMANCE OF THE WARSAW CONCERTO ON 9th JULY  BIOGRAPHY: Raphael  Lustchevsky's   international career began at the age of 16 with a successful debut alongside the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Since 2003, he has been listed as a Steinway Artist on the  Steinway & Sons Artists’ Roster  in New York, which features some of the world’s finest pianists. With a concert career spanning over 25 years,  Lustchevsky  has performed in many of the world’s premier venues, including Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris), the United Nations Palace of Nations (Geneva), Warsaw National Philharmonic, Palau de la Música (Barcelona), Victoria Concert Hall (Sin...

The Paderewski Memorial in Paderewski Park, Warsaw     Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941) [Piotr Betlej 2016 © Galerie Roi Doré] Paderewski is such an underestimated composer of affecting lyrical and poetic piano music which speaks directly to the heart and sensibility rather than burdening the intellect with high seriousness.  As an example of relieving humour, at the Paris Peace Conference Georges Clemenceau (the 'old Tiger') came up to Paderewski and wickedly asked  'Are you a cousin of the famous pianist Paderewski?'  When Paderewski replied  'It is I, Monsieur le Pr ésident , ' Clemenceau observed, acting as if greatly surprised  'And you the famous artist have become Prime Minister? What a come-down!' Paderewski at Versailles Naturally, being a great patriot, Paderewski wrote many Polish mazurkas and polonaises but much of his piano music reminds me of a superb film score for say an intensely romantic French love affair set in ...