Classical Music in Poland and the Europe of Chopin - From the Reviewer's Notebook

The Dworek at Żelazowa Wola, the birthplace of Fryderyk Chopin, 1st March 1810 Classical concerts in Poland today lie under the shadows of an unspeakably brutal war. In addition there is the poetry of attending a recital at Chopin's birthplace and absorbing the nostalgic anguish and yearning for aesthetic tranquility that lies at the heart of much of his music.  I had admired Dimitry Ablogin from when I heard him in impressive recitals  during  the  1st International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments. 2–14 September 2018.  Before I examine this recital a little, I would like to quote my first impressions in 1992 of that deeply eloquent domain of Żelazowa Wola, the birthplace, taken from my book concerning Poland entitled A Country in the Moon. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * "In late winter, in a despondent frame of mind, I decided to raise my spirits with a visit to Chopin’s birthplace at Żelazowa Wola, a hamlet about fifty kilometres from Warsaw. The flat Mazovian lands