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PawełMajewski
biggerthan[itwas]fiveyearsago,andthisyeartheyrepresentnotonlyEurope,
butalsootherpartsoftheworld2.
IntimeswhenforeignmusiciansaremadetoleaveEuropeancities,whenthe
greatestoperahousescrumble,whenthelargestconcertagenciesgobankrupt
inBerlin,Paris,andLondon,whentheoperainNewYorkclosesitsseasonbecause
itcannotmakeendsmeetanInternationalMusicCompetitionisheldinWarsaw,
attractinganextremelylivelyinterest,toaninvariablypackedauditorium,and
anaudiencepassionateaboutart!Itisanastonishing,sensationalphenomenon!3
Fromamongmorethan200entries,89pianistswerequalifiedforthe2nd
ChCfollowingthepreliminaryround;theyrepresented18countries(includ-
ingtwostatelesspersons).Thejuryincluded,apartfromPoles,alsorepre-
sentativesofothernations,andduringsomeoftheauditionsthejurorswere
accompaniedbyMauriceRavelandKarolSzymanowski4.Chopinexpert
LeopoldBinental(1886–1944)thussummeduptheCompetitionenrolment
in“KurierWarszawski”towardtheendofJanuary:
Thelistofpianistswhoentered[theCompetition]isextremelyinteresting.The
Polishgroupconsistsof33persons,including16fromWarsaw,mostlyalumni
oftheChopinHigherSchoolandtheStateConservatory.Theformerconstitute
themajority.AfterWarsawtherunner-upisCracowwith5candidates,thenLwów
andParis3pianistseach,followedbyPoznań,Wilno[Vilnius]andŁódź.There
arealsopianistsfromBydgoszczandNowySącz.Foreignersrepresentdifferent
2J.Kaden-Bandrowski,MiędzynarodowasensacjamuzycznawWarszawie[AnInterna-
tionalMusicSensationinWarsaw],“GazetaPolska”,6thJanuary1932,p.5.
3[N.N.][K.Stromenger],EchaKonkursuSzopenowskiego[EchoesoftheChopinCom-
petition],“Radio”,10thApril1932,No.15,p.2.
4InoneofthesyntheticpublicationsabouttheCompetitionweread:“Itisexceed-
inglyhardtoestablishhowmanyjurorstherewere[intheearlyChCeditions]sincesome
ofthejurymembersparticipatedinitsworkonlyinpart.Sourceslistoromitsomenames
dependingonwhichjurorstheauthorsoftheCompetitionaccountsbelievedtobeGmore
important’.Therulewasthatifoneofthejurorswascompletelyunabletotakepartinany
oftheauditions,afterobtainingthechairman’sapprovalheorshecededhisorhervotetoone
ofthreesubstitutemembers,electedinadvancebyamajorityvoteatoneofthelastplenary
sessionsofthejury”(KronikaMiędzynarodowychKonkursówPianistycznychim.Fryderyka
Chopina[ChronicleoftheInternationalFryderykChopinPianoCompetition1927–1995],
edsB.Niewiarowska,I.Jaroszetal.,Gdańsk–Warszawa2000,p.20).IntheprewarChC
editionsthemake-upofthejurywasthereforesubjecttofluctuationsofthiskind,sincethe
procedureswerenotasrestrictiveastheyarenow.“Itwillbeworthwhiletodescribehere
theworkofthecompetitionjury.Thejurorsattendtwoauditionsaday.Sinceeventually
theymustaccountforeverysinglecandidate’splaying,theymustlistentoeachofthemwith
utmostattention.Thisworkisextremelyexhausting,soitisfortunatethatsubstitutejurors
werechoseninadvance,justincase”(jkb[J.Kaden-Bandrowski],Międzynarodowykonkurs
Szopena[TheInternationalChopinCompetition],“Świat”,12thMarch1932,No.11,p.14).
In“PolskaZbrojna”WładysławFabryreportedcasesofjurorsdozingoffduringtheauditions,
whileExpressPoranny”wrotethat“theirearshavegrownred”fromsomuchlistening.