On May 25, 2018 at 7.30 pm, the National Philharmonic will host a symphonic concert entitled "Independent – Created in Free Poland", devoted to the works of Ignacy Jan Paderewski.

Young Ignacy Jan Paderewski’s musical ambitions were severely put to the test from the very beginning – at the age of just twenty he became a widower and was left to care for his disabled son on his own; his professors advised him against becoming a concert pianist and recommended he devote himself to composing music instead; and neither his performances nor his compositions were fully appreciated in Warsaw. Nonetheless, the young musician had by that time managed to win the affections of a number of keen admirers, as well as patrons who made his continued musical education possible (they included the piano manufacturer Józef Kerntopf). Paderewski decided that he would become a virtuoso against all odds, and achieved this goal through sheer hard work, soon becoming one of the most famous pianists of his time. The real breakthrough came when he studied in Vienna under Teodor Leszetycki, one of the greatest professors of his time, and him­self a student of Czerny. This period bore fruit in the form of, among other works, Piano Concerto in A Minor, completed in 1888. This greatly acclaimed piece soon became a permanent fixture in the repertoire of both Paderewski and the numerous virtuosos of the fin‑de‑siécle era.

This success increased the demand for further works, and although Paderewski never penned another concerto, his Fantaisie polonaise from 1894, with its daring piano solo, became equally popular. Although he alludes to the rhythms and melics of Polish folklore, Paderewski does not refer to them directly, but, following Chopin’s example, makes use of subtle stylisation. This work also became – and still is – one of the composer’s most popular pieces. A little overshadowed by his piano music is Paderewski’s Symphony in B Minor “Polonica” – it should be pointed out here that Paderewski was one of the most important and effective advocates of Polish independence. The symphony is the only example of this genre in the composer’s catalogue. Written to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the January Uprising, it saw its premiere in 1909 in Boston, and was first heard by a Polish audience in the following year. Full of drama and pathos, and aptly instrumented, it conveys a clear theme – the memory of violence, oppression and struggle, as well as the hope of victory, which fortunately turned out to be prophetic.

This concert was produced under the patronage of PWM Edition as part of the project TUTTI.pl promoting the performance of Polish music.

Information on tickets at: http://filharmonia.pl