Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
26
PawełMajewski
cientinformationconcerningthepreparationsfortheCompetition.[ś]Forsuch
amomentouseventforPolishmusicandpianism,theorganisingcommitteeought
tohaveobtainedanumberofrailwayfarereductions,andensuredthepresence
ofdelegationsfrom,forinstance,thehigheryearsofconservatoriesandhigher
schoolsofmusicfromKraków,Lwów[nowLviv],Poznań,Wilno[nowVilnius],
Katowice,etc.19
However,neithertheseproposalsnorKaden’srecommendationsconcern-
ingthenationalprofileoftheChChadmuchtodowiththeCompetition’s
realities20.
InhisspeechfortheinaugurationofthefirstChC,WitoldMaliszewski
(1873–1939),presidentofthejury,said:
WecannotimposeontheworldourPolishunderstandingofChopin’smusic.
Nevertheless,wethePolishjurorswishtospeakoutconcerningtheinterpretation
ofChopinsinceweareconvincedthatthejudgmentofanexclusivelyPolishjury
takesonauniquesignificanceandmustbeofparticularinteresttoforeigners21.
Thisdeclaration,similarlyasKaden’sratherboastfulremarks,reflected
theorganisers’fundamentalbelief(alsosharedbyŻurawlewandbythe
publicinterestedintheevent)thatChopin’soeuvreis,asPolishnational
music,thepropertyofthenation,withalltheconsequencesofsuchastate
ofaffairs.ThiscruciallyledtothesuppositionthatChopinisbestperformed
byhiscompatriots.Inthiscontext(thoughitwasnotopenlyadmitted),the
Competition’sinternationalscopewasmostlymeantasawaytopropagate
theidealPolishschoolofpianoperformanceabroad,sothatpianistsfrom
othercountrieswouldbeabletoexperiencepersonallyanddirectlymodel
performancesduringthecontest.Inthisway,albeitlosingtothePoles,they
wouldatleastbeabletolearnstraightfromthehorse’smouthhowChopin
shouldreallybeplayed22.
19jkb.[J.Kaden-Bandrowski],Przedpierwszymmiędzynarodowymkonkursemim.Cho-
pinawWarszawie[BeforetheFirstInternationalChopinCompetitioninWarsaw],“Świat”
1927,No.4,p.16.
20AnothertellingdetailwasKaden’scompleteomissionofanyinformationconcerning
pianistsfromtheUSSRabouttotakepartinthe1stChC,thoughheemphasisedatthesame
timethatmusiciansfromsuchcountriesasGermany,FranceandEnglandweretoparticipate
intheCompetition(whichdidnothappen).MostlikelyKadenenvisagedtheChCascrown-
ingproofofthePolish-nessofChopin’smusicandasitsexhibition,targetingandaddressing
WesternEurope–astancewhichobviouslyleftnoroomforGBolsheviks’displayingtheir
pianisticskills.
21[N.N.],MiędzynarodowyKongres[sic]pianistówim.Chopina[TheChopinInterna-
tionalCongress[sic]ofPianists],“Epoka”,24thJanuary1927,No.23,p.2.
22TheoriginsoftheconvictionthatPolesarethebestChopininterpreterswerecon-
ciselydiscussedbyM.DziadekinherarticlePolakpotrafi
