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

The monumental dome of the Holy Trinity Church, Warsaw (Kościół Ewangelicko-Augsburski Świętej Trójcy) I have many fond memories of this now magnificently restored historic Warsaw Lutheran church and am quite taken by the connections with Chopin here as a young boy of 15. The king's banker, Piotr Tepper, made frustrating efforts to build this church but in 1777 he finally obtained the appropriate privilege from King Stanisław August Poniatowski. The king, however, reserved for himself the right of choosing the design of the building. The church was designed by Szymon Bogumił Zug and constructed from 1777–1782 with a monumental dome and lantern. On 30 December 1781 the congregation's pastor Gottlieb Ringeltaube [de] celebrated the inauguration of the church. It is a Classical rotunda based partly on the Roman Pantheon. The Lutheran church was the highest and at the same time one of the biggest buildings of 18th century Warsaw. The diameter of the dome is 33.4 meters and the ...

The unexpected passing of Nelson Freire on November 1st, All Saints Day 2021, was deeply shocking for all who loved this immeasurably modest and refined titan of the piano.  Last night I listened to his 2017 recording of the Brahms Intermezzi which were profoundly and movingly affecting in the circumstances. This was especially true of that in A-major Op.118 No.2 Andante teneramente which had me in tears.  An intense and poignant musical farewell to life.  All I can do as a tribute is offer my reviews of his playing heard in Duszniki Zdroj and at the Warsaw Chopin i jego Europa Festival  together with the intimate companion of his soul, Martha Argerich. This filmed informal meeting between two close friends, Nelson Freire and Martha Argerich, is intensely moving in view of the terrible occurrence of his sudden death. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr-rYidfgqw 9th CHOPIN AND HIS EUROPE FESTIVAL ( Chopin i jego Europa ) f...

  17.08.19 NIFCCD 070 Paderewski, Moniuszko, Duparc/ Songs Saturday 17:00 Witold Lutosławski Studio of the Polish Radio Vocal recital Performers Christoph Prégardien  tenor     Christoph Schnackertz  piano Program Stanisław Moniuszko  (1819-1872) Les larmes Les plaintes de la jeune fille Le chant de la tour Le Nièmen Le joueur de lyre, cz. 4 Oui, chantons encor Henri Duparc  (1848-1933) Chanson triste Soupir Le manoir de Rosemonde Phidylé L’invitation au voyage Robert Schumann  (1810-1856) Zwölf Gedichte, Op. 35 to words by Justinus Kerner Concerts are never real music, you have to give up the idea of hearing in them all the most beautiful things of art.'   Chopin said to one of his students ( Chopin: Pianist and Teacher: As Seen by His Pupils  Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger).  Far be it from me to contradict Chopin, but this was certainly not the case in the song recital I attended this evening. On this rarest of occasions, I h...