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

  World-renowned musicians and pianists have been assembled to play at the  80th Anniversary  Duszniki-Zdrój International Chopin Festival  1-9 August 2025 The longest-running international piano festival in the world with great traditions Concerts August 1st 8:00 p.m. – Festival Opening (symphonic concert) I am reliably informed that the National Philharmonic Orchestra will play at Duszniki  Soloists: Mikhail Pletnev  August 2nd 4:00 PM – 2025 Van Cliburn Competition Gold Medal 8:00 PM - Sergei Babayan  August 3rd 4:00 PM - Kevin Chen 8:00 PM - Gabriela Montero  August 4th 4:00 PM - Kyohei Sorita 8:00 p.m. – Krzysztof Jablonski  August 5th 4:00 p.m. – Manami Suzuki 1st prize – 12th Hamamatsu Piano Competition 2024 9:00 PM – Nocturne  August 6th 4:00 PM - Aimi Kobayashi 8:00 PM - Boris Giltburg  August 7th 4:00 PM - Philipp Lynov 8:00 p.m. - Piotr Anders...

The embrace of the romantic landscape of Fryderyk Chopin and Poland continues to evolve. A most beautiful and moving festival has just begun at her final home in the historic town of  Skierniewice about 90 kms from Warsaw. As we are not taking a romantic carriage ride in the manner of Madame Bovary, the motor car journey takes a little over an hour. This first recital given by Kevin Kenner was personally a deeply moving musical and personal experience for me. The association with Chopin and his illusioned adolescent love, so poignantly expressed in his letters, touched me profoundly in a manner the details of which I cannot reveal. In 1824, Konstancja Gładkowska began studying singing at the Warsaw conservatory under Carlo Soliva. After completing her studies, she joined the ensemble of artists of the Warsaw opera theatre. From her first performances, she was considered an exceptionally talented singer. On 21 April 1829, at a concert of soloists from the Warsaw conse...

Chopin in the Drawing Room of Prince Antoni Radziwill,  Henryk Siemieradzki 1887 The music of Chopin enters chambers of the heart and soul no other composer touches  In the horrifying  conflagration  that  approaches,   faith, spiritual nourishment and emotional consolation is of utmost  importance   The music of  Chopin  has become once again  profoundly   meaningful  for  humanity   (Michael Moran) The XVI International Fryderyk Chopin Competition Warsaw, October 2010 http://www.michael-moran.com/2010/10/the-xvi-international-fryderyk-chopin.html XVII International Fryderyk Chopin Competition Warsaw, October 2015 http://www.michael-moran.com/2015/10/17th-international-fryderyk-chopin.html XVIII International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition Preliminary Round Warsaw, 12-23 July 2021 http://www.michael-moran.com/2021/07/xviii-international-fryderyk-chopin.html XVIII International Fryderyk Chopin Competiti...

  ' There are the notes, there is what is behind the notes and there is what is between the notes'  Ignaz Friedman The music of Chopin enters chambers of the heart and soul no other composer touches  In the horrifying conflagration  that approaches,   faith, spiritual nourishment and emotional consolation is of utmost importance   The music of Chopin  has become once again profoundly   meaningful  for  humanity   Michael Moran The Selection Committee, headed by Professor Wojciech Świtała, has selected 171 artists from 28 countries from a record number of 642 applications, who will meet in Warsaw for the Preliminaries from 23 April to 4 May 2025. Their names were published on 4 March 2025 on the  official website of the 19th Chopin Competition . The most numerous groups are representatives of: China (more than 60 qualified participants), South Korea, Japan, Poland, Canada and Italy. During the Preliminaries, we will also h...

  Through the Looking-Glass, Alice Pushes Through the Mirror John Tenniel (1820 - 1914)  [Science Photo Library C043/5261] In this present state of the intense alternative reality of current political and geopolitical events, I am speechless. I do not wish my redundant voice added here to 'expert' journalistic 'talking heads' or political defense by devoted acolytes.  Alice manages to describe the situation I find myself in with an allegorical fluency second to none. The Queen went so fast that it was all she could do to keep up with her: and still the Queen kept crying “Faster! Faster!” but Alice felt she  could not  go faster, though she had not breath left to say so. 'The most curious part of the thing was, that the trees and the other things round them never changed their places at all: however fast they went, they never seemed to pass anything. “I wonder if all the things move along with us?” thought poor puzzled Alice. And the Queen seemed to guess her tho...