Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
20
PawełMajewski
acousticactualisation.However,hisperformancescouldonlybeheardby
thosepresent,andtheironlytraceinlatertimesweretheimpressionsofsuch
audiencemembers,recalledinlatertexts.Suchexperiencesquicklybecome
distortedandeffacedfromindividualmemory,evenmoresoiftheybecome
thesubjectofthatgameofGChinesewhispers’whichwecallintergenera-
tionaltransmission.
Weshouldalsoaddtothisthemoreobviouselementsdiscussedinspe-
cialistpublications;namely,thechangesinperformancepractice,instrument
construction,andstyleofperception.Waldorffsummedupthisentirecom-
plexoffactorsasfollows:
Asaresultofone-sidedcommentariesandstageinterpretationsofChopin’smusic,
whenneoclassicismwithStravinskyandProkofievinitsleadcametorulesupreme
afterWorldWarIinParis,whichwastheveryhubofcontemporaryart,young
pianistscompletelyturnedtheirbacksonChopin,whomtheyconsideredasarep-
resentativeofmustysentimentalism5.
Such,then,wasthecontextinwhichJerzyŻurawlewputforwardtheidea
ofholdingacompetitionasaneventthatwouldcombineevaluationofmusic
performanceswithanaudience-orientedspectacle,inspiringpowerfulemo-
tionsinthelisteners–similarlytosportsevents,thoughlessludicinchar-
acter6.Apartfromdeterminationandenthusiasm,Żurawlew’sprojectwas
inawaylegitimisedbyhisownmusiceducation.Hewasagiftedpianist,
pupilofAleksanderMichałowski(1851–1938),whoasayoungpersonhad
takenlessonsfromKarolMikuli(1821–1897),whointurnhadbeenapupil
ofChopin.Lackingthosefeaturesofcharacterthatareneededtomake
astar,Żurawlewwasabletodividehistimebetweenhisownconcertcareer
andpromotingtheideaofartisticcompetitionamongmusicperformers.
IntheprefacetothefirsthistoricaloverviewoftheChopinCompetition,
publishedin1970,Żurawlewwrote:
TheideaofholdingaChopinCompetitionoriginatedin1925.Atthattime,not
longaftertheendofWorldWarI,youngpeoplefoundsportsimmenselyexciting;
theirwaysofthinkingandoutlookonlifewerethoroughlyrealistic.
IfrequentlymetwiththeviewthatChopinisoverlyromantic,movesthe
soultoomuch,andmakesthepsychevulnerable.Someevenbelievedthatfor
thesereasonsChopinshouldnotbeincludedinmusicschoolsyllabuses.Allthese
symptomsofatotalincomprehensionofChopin’smusicwereverypainfultome.
5J.Waldorff,Wielkagra,op.cit.,p.60.
6Cf.L.McCormick,PerformingCivility,op.cit.Theconceptofsucheventsoriginated
onlyinthelate19thcentury,andatpresenttheChopinCompetitionistheoldestofitskind
intheworld.Onlyafewotherpianocontestshadbeenheldbeforeitsinception,themost
importantofwhichwastheAntonRubinsteinCompetition(1890–1910,forbothpianists
andcomposers).
