Paderewski in Breslau

„Music alone is truly a living art. Its elements, its vibrations, its dynamics are all elements of life. Hushed yet audible, tremendous yet unrecognised it is everywhere where life is”.

Quote from a speech made by Ignacy J. Paderewski during the Chopin festivities on 23 October 1910 in Lviv.

Ignacy J. Paderewski (1860–1941) is a “Pole with a unique status”[1], a world-famous pianist, composer, statesmen and social activist. In every respect he is an extraordinary personality even though he has now somewhat fallen into oblivion.[2]

One music critic from Paris described him as the “Prince of pianists”. But there has never been a Prince, not even a ruling Prince, who has enjoyed such great popularity as the composer of ‘Manru’ did every single day of his life at the height of his career.”[3]

In a recent television programme the 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![4]

In 1890 Ignacy J. Paderewski followed up his first appearances in Vienna with a successful recital in Paris where his interpretations of Chopin were received with huge enthusiasm. In a letter to his wife, Wojciech Kossak recalled one of the artist’s recitals in Paris in the following words: “Today I went to a concert on St Casimir’s Day. Paderewski played like an angel; the whole of Polish ‘high life’ was there […]”[5]. This comment wonderfully reflects the appeal of the pianist who simultaneously transformed himself into an “angel” with his interpretations. This “angel” gave a metaphysical dimension to his tonal art and whisked his audiences into an invisible transcendental world.” “(…) People were spellbound by an ecstatic impression, as if they had entered into an immaterial bond with ART, a communion with celestial beauty”. [6] Furthermore Paderewski’s piano style was the quintessence of the Polish spirit, not only superficially as expressed in the dancing élan of polonaises and mazurkas but also in the true sense of the Polish nation as it was deeply felt and experienced. For even when he spent the majority of his life abroad Paderewski always considered himself to be Pole, a fact that he often underlined and of which he was very proud.