Paderewski in Breslau

Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), the world-famous Polish pianist, composer, statesmen and social activist is an absolutely exceptional personality. Although he was an idol of the masses he was a modest man committed to the good of his fatherland. The well-known musician and composer Krzesimir Dębski recently recalled that Paderewski had been a social phenomenon in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century and compared him to contemporary superstars in pop music like Michael Jackson!

Paderewski was the first pianist in the world to undertake a large amount of tours worldwide; hence he accumulated a huge circle of admirers. He performed recitals in every continent apart from Asia. His repertoire mostly consisted of romantic works, primarily by Chopin and Liszt, as well as his own compositions. Paderewski appeared twice in Breslau, in 1891 and 1901. Apart from their artistic significance his recitals had a huge significance for the Poles living there. Both performances were reviewed in the “Breslauer Zeitung” by Emil Bohn, the well-known Breslau musician and scholar.