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PawełMajewski
ChC,whichpresentsanimageverydifferentfromtheoneenvisagedbythe
Competition’sfoundingfather(who,however,mayhavemeanttheSoviet
teams’preparationsforthe2ndand3rdeditions):
Thefirstthingthatneedstobeemphasisedistheincrediblyshorttimethatwe
hadtopreparetheprogramme.IfIamnotmistaken,theSovietgovernmentwas
officiallynotifiedofourpianistsbeinginvitedtotakepartinthecompetition,
andoftheregulations–notearlierthanthreeorfourmonthsbeforetheevent
started.Mytaskwasparticularlydifficult,sincethedecisionconcerningmypar-
ticipationwastakentwoweeks(!)beforeweleftforWarsaw.[ś]Ourdeparture
wasprecededbyaconcertwegaveintheGreatHallofMoscowConservatory48.
Interestingly,SovietpianistswereviewedinWarsawasexoticguests–an
attitudeevidentinthecommentsofevensuchcautiousobserversasNiewia-
domskiandSzopski.InhissetofnotesentitledNamarginesiemiędzyna-
rodowegokonkursuChopin’a[OntheMarginsoftheInternationalChopin
Competition]printedin“Świat”,apartfromKaden’ssummarywecanfind
somecruderremarksconcerningthepianistsfromtheUSSR(sidebyside
withthementionofticketsbeingresoldunofficiallyatthepriceof20–25
zlotys,whichwas10to12timesmorethantheboxofficeprice):
TheSovietpianistsseemednevertohaveenoughofWarsaw.Thoseyoungboys
wereGintheWest’forthefirsttimeintheirlives.[ś]Theuppercirclewasfilled
tothebrimbyyoungpeople,whopromptlynoticedthat[ś]Oboryn[sic]man-
agedtochangehisspotsandlookscompletelyduringtheseveraldaysofhisstay.
InthefirststageheperformedonthestagewithGaruffledmopofhair’,inthick
bootees,arathershapelesscoat,andanoldtiewornsmooth.AttheSundayshow,
everythingheputonwasnew.Patentleathershoes,asilkhankyinthepocket
ofanewsuit,andprettysocks.“Theboyhasdressedupfromtoptobottom,”
saystheuppercircle[ś]49.
Theanonymousauthoroftheselittlenotesalsoreportedonopenconflicts
takingplaceamongthejurors:“Theverdictsofthejury[ś]provokedanum-
berofviolentprotests.[ś]Itisalsotruethatthejurorsdidnotliveupto
thedignityoftheirpost.Thenumerousclashesbetweenthem,whichcould
beobservedthroughoutthecontest,proveanoverlyhottemper.Wholly
inappropriate,indeedś”
48Y.Bryushkov,VospominanyaogodakhuchenyavMoskovskoykonservatoriy[Mem-
oriesfromtheYearsofStudiesatMoscowConservatory],in:Pianistyrasskazyvayut,1sted.,
1979);quotedafter:G.Wiśniewski,Chopinwkulturzerosyjskiej.Antologia[ChopininRus-
sianCulture.AnAnthology],Warszawa2000,pp.162–163.
49b.,Namarginesie…,op.cit.AnearlyidenticalanecdoteconcerningSovietfemale
pianistsappearinginthe4thChC(1949)istoldbyMariaDąbrowskainherJournals.
