The legendary pianists II; Ignace Paderewski

The legendary pianists. BNA E.B. radio network brings you another in a series of recitals by keyboard giants of the early 20th century. These performances are selected from more than 1000 Recordings. I'm doing art reproducing piano rolls collected by Dr. Campbell stuff. The chairman of the music department at Washington State University. The duo art was a highly sophisticated refinement of the player piano developed to preserve actual performances of concert artists in the days before electronic records. Now here is Campbell stout. To introduce today's legendary pianist. For today's program I have drawn from the performances of the almost legendary figure ignites Jan Paderewski to give you a resettle of his own piano compositions. Not risky was born in 1860 and spent his childhood on his father's farm in Poland.

At the age of 12 he was sent to the Warsaw conservatory where he spent most of the time for the next 14 years as a student and professor. At the age of 26 deciding to become a concert artist he moved to Vienna to study with Fletcher to ski who is probably the most renowned teacher of that time. His peers debut in 1898 marked the opening of one of the most amazing musical careers on record. Three years later he made his first visit to the United States during this six months tour he gave one hundred seven recitals which included 18 appearances in New York City alone. His tour of America the following year covered a greater area and attracted more people. For example several hundred people from Texas were on hand for his Kansas City recitals. People from Phoenix travel to Los Angeles on a train load of young students from Montana made the trip through a blizzard to Salt Lake City for one of his concerts for the next 20 years his reputation continued to grow as a concert ties all over the world. Throughout this period in Potter Eskies life he had continued his interest in the Polish people and had

gained the close friendship of statesmen and politicians of various countries. It is not surprising therefore that at the outbreak of World War One he devoted his attention and talents to political matters. He spent most of the war years in the United States lecturing and giving benefit recitals. And it was largely through his efforts and influence that Poland was re-united and granted independence following the war immediately after the armistice he returned to his native country and was the representative at the peace conference when the new Polish Republic was created. The service premier as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs. However due to political disputes he and his cabinet remained in power for only about 10 months after which time he returned to the life of a concert artist. During these next few years Paderewski continued to record his interpretations on the reproducing piano. Today we will hear six of his own compositions the only ones which he recorded for the Deward. The program opens with the third number from the Opus 8 collection called Songs of the Voyager. It is called

Melody. You have been listening to melody by Paderewski the financial results of

Paderewski first postwar tour are indicative of his great popularity. It is reported that here in $460000 on this one tour about that time he recorded for the door of his caprice and in the style of Scarlatti. I am. I am.

I am. I am.

You have just heard Paderewski caprice. He continued to concertizing till

939 when he made his last American tour while 15000 people were awaiting his appearance in Madison Square Garden. He collapsed from a mild heart attack and shortly afterwards returned to his estate in Switzerland for a short time during World War Two he again served his country as president of the new Polish parliament in exile later called the Polish National Council. He returned to the United States late in 1948 to make his home in California and died in this country the following year. Our Paderewski concert continues with his legend Opus 16 number one. If.

I am. I am. You have just heard legend hope a 16 number one. Paderewski recital of original

compositions continues with another number from the same Opus. He recorded his Nocturne in B flat in July 1902 and when he heard the piano roll played back on the new piano he is quoted as having said Fine fine if anybody today thinks that the new art piano is a mere mechanical instrument he should here play this role. This is a complete refutation of any such notion. It is exactly the way I play my doctor and the way I should like it to be played always. It is perfect. Following the nocturne in B flat our Paderewski recital continues with his great Kovi and fantastic

the last of six compositions contained in his opus 14. That was quite Kofi Annan fantastic address details in his memoirs about the

circumstances leading to the composition of his famous minuet during the time he was a professor at the Warsaw conservatory. He was a frequent visitor in the home of a distinguished physician who was very fond of the music of Mozart and always insisted on hearing everything of Mozart that was in Paderewski repertoire because of the physician's conviction that no living composer could be compared with Mozart Paderewski decided to play a joke on his friend by composing a minuet in the style to play on his next visit. Upon hearing the word for the first time the physician not only accepted it as Mozart but continued to extol the virtues of Mozart's writing. It took great delight in telling him that it was his own composition in the revised form that we now hear the composition it rapidly became a favorite of audiences everywhere it was heard. Today's programme is concluded with ponderous interpretation of his minuet Opus 14 number one. Today's Paderewski recital of original compositions closed with the performance of his famous minuet.

This has been the legendary pianists since a series of recitals From do a large reproducing piano rolls by the keyboard giants of the early 20th century. Your host and commentator on these programs is Dr. Campbell stock the chairman of the music department at Washington State University. Speaking to the legendary pianists is produced by Washington State University Radio and distributed by the N.A. E.B. Radio Network.