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

Chopin's birthplace at Zelazowa Wola abut 50 kms from Warsaw I decided to make the effort to attend the birthday recital at Zelazowa Wola by the brilliant and outstanding Chopin pianist Kevin Kenner. The intimacy I remember of my first visit to the dworek and hamlet in the early 1990s has disappeared with a quite understandable development of the site to cope with the freedom of global touristic movement that Poland now enjoys - restaurant, ticket hall, shop, recital and lecture theatre - the full unfolding of facilities for visitors but with the inevitable loss to the poetry of the domain. I would like to quote my first impressions of what was once a deeply poetic place. In an access of nostalgia the extract comes from my book abut Poland entitled  A Country in the Moon.                                                   ...

Contemplating the present disheartening turmoil at the Warszawska Opera Kameralna and my heartrending attendance at the next to last performance of Mozart's delightful confection  La Finta Semplice,  I feel that much of what I wrote five years ago concerning the turmoil of those years remains essentially relevant to the present case. I cannot remain silent and nostalgically look back to the 'golden years'. Below are links to my extensive blog entries of that period and I suggest that those who are as appalled as I am by the apparent demise of this inspirational  European artistic treasure should read with an air of nostalgia what I wrote all those years ago - essentially we have returned to a most uncertain future. Stefan Sutkowski has died. Can his creative spirit be preserved? http://www.michael-moran.com/2012/06/warsaw-chamber-opera-concert-warszawska.html and http://www.michael-moran.com/2012/06/warszawska-opera-kameralna-haunte...

It may appear as if I am neglecting my internet journal and I suppose I must admit to this. There have been few outstanding concerts or opera in Warsaw since the Sokolov recital although many fascinating relays of concerts in Poland and elsewhere in Europe by the superb Polish classical station  Dwojka (Radio 2 of Polish Radio).   A description of this blog could be accurately described as 'the labours of an intermittent Hercules'. Reviews of concerts are not encouraged in Poland. A complete mystery.... Over recent weeks I have been rather preoccupied with my further attempt to master the fiendish Polish language through attendance at a course at Warsaw University.  Naturally the promotion of my most recent book in Australia has taken up a great deal of time. '...this is better than most musical biographies. Moran's portrait of his sometimes enigmatic relative has immediacy and the images of Europe between the wars are vivid.'     ...

This morning I try to write the account of a musical evening engraved indelibly on my heart and mind. Those of you who read my extensive notes know I can usually write quite rationally about music but this morning....I am still vibrating with what was presented to us... Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Sonata C-dur KV 545 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Fantasia c-moll KV 475 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Sonata c-moll KV 457 Robert Schumann –  Arabeske  op. 18 Robert Schumann –  Fantazja  C-dur op. 17  How can words describe the overwhelming, profound experience of this great musical soul revealing itself.... All the Mozart was played far slower and at a more meditative tempo particularly K 457. Here was a thinking and deeply introspective, even philosophical Mozart. Ornamentation and inner details revealed as never before. The  C-minor Fantasia emerged as an improvisation of thought, searching for, touching upon harmonies and s...

Click on photographs to enlarge Dust Jacket Design Amelia Walker :  www.ameliadesign.net This post is for those of you who may have been reading my blog over the last six years. In many posts I described my travails in writing this latest book, a biography of Edward Cahill, the glamorous but now forgotten Australian concert pianist. A long journey but a rewarding one. The book was published by  Australian Scholarly Publishing  in November this year. Available at:  http://scholarly.info/book/516/ I managed to obtain three excellent reviews  by eminent musicians  of the rare private recordings of Liszt and Chopin that survived his peripatetic lifestyle. They generously made time from busy international schedules to listen via the internet to his recordings. This link will be printed in the book for readers to access. It will add a remarkable extra dimension and element of discovery to the biography of a now forgotten musi...