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The1
stCompetition.TheDifficultBeginnings
21
[ś]Idecidedtocounteractthis.Whileobservingtheenthusiasmforsports
featsamongouryouth,Ifinallyhitonasolution–letusstageacompetition!What
palpablebenefitscoulditholdfortheyoungChopinperformers?Firstofall–the
prizemoney,secondly–theconquestoftheworld’sstages[ś]Consideringthe
difficultiesthatyoungmusicianshadtofaceatthattimeinordertomakeittothe
Philharmonicstage,suchacontestcouldlurethemstrongly.Thefutureproved
Iwasright.
Likeeverynewinitiative,alsothisoneencounteredmanyobstacles;firstand
foremost,enormousfinancialproblems,coupledwiththereluctantattitudeofthe
higherauthorities,evenofthesocietyatlarge.Thesituationseemedhopeless7.
Inanothertextherecalled:
AmemberoftheSociety[i.e.theWarsawMusicSociety,responsiblefortheprac-
ticalaspectsoforganisingtheChC]provided15thousandzlotysfromtheWMS’s
ownfunds,whichmadethelaunchoftheCompetitionpossible.Iwasaware,
however,thatfortheeventtowinrecognitionabroadImustenlistthehelp
ofourdiplomaticposts,whichwouldnotbepossiblewithoutthe[Polish]Presi-
dent’spatronage.PresidentWojciechowskirefusedourrequestforpatronage.We
seemedtohavereachedadeadend.However,soonaftertheMayevents[i.e.the
MayCoupof1926]thepostofPresident[ś]wastakenoverbyMościcki,whom
weaddressedwithourrequestforpatronage.Itookadvantageofmyfriendship
withJuliuszKaden-Bandrowski,andwasreceivedbythePresident.Ifeltwehad
wonandIwasnotmistaken.SeveraldayslaterIwastelephonedandaskedtovisit
theministry,whichwashostiletothecompetitionidea,butwashenceforthmade
responsibleforitssuccessfulimplementation8.
InJanuary1927Polandwasstilltryingcometotermswiththeconsequences
ofthecoupd’etatthattookplaceinMayofthepreviousyearandsignifi-
cantlyweakenedtheyoungPolishparliamentarydemocracy(afterlessthan
adecadeofitsfunctioning),whichgavewaytotheauthoritarianruleofMar-
shalPiłsudskiandhisfollowers.OnemightthinkthattheSanation[political
movement]wasnotparticularlyfavourabletotheartisticworld.Still,aswe
canlearnfromŻurawlew’smemories,itwasIgnacyMościcki,thethennewly
7J.Żurawlew,KonkursyChopinowskie[TheChopinCompetitions],in:Międzyna-
rodoweKonkursyPianistyczneimieniaFryderykaChopinawWarszawie1927–1970[The
InternationalFryderykChopinPianoCompetitioninWarsaw1927–1970],ed.J.Prosnak,
Warszawa1970,p.7.
8J.Żurawlew,JakzrodziłasięinicjatywaKonkursówChopinowskich[HowtheInitiative
ofChopinCompetitionsWasBorn],PressOfficeofthe5thInternationalChopinCompetition,
1955,quotedafter:KronikaMiędzynarodowychKonkursówPianistycznychim.Fryderyka
Chopina1927–1995[ChronicleoftheInternationalFryderykChopinPianoCompetition
1927–1995],edsB.Niewiarowska,I.Jaroszetal.,Gdańsk–Warszawa2000,p.9.Cf.also,
idem,DziejeinicjatywyKonkursówChopinowskich[TheHistoryoftheChopinCompetition
Initiative],“Muzyka”,amonthlyeditedbyMateuszGliński,1937,No.3,pp.69–73.
