Nieznane fakty z biografii (nie tylko) Paderewskiego
Unknown Facts from the Biography of Paderewski (And Others)

Summary/Abstract: Unknown facts from the biography of Ignacy Jan Paderewski and artists associated with him are discussed here in a broad personal and institutional context, with emphasis on cause- -and-effect links between biographical and artistic phenomena. The account, documented in sources, consists of two parts. In the first, dealing with Paderewski’s stays in Kraków, Kąśna and Lviv between 1896 and 1898, the successive sections concern the Kraków celebrations held on 3 September 1896 by Józef and Antonina Szumowski in which Paderewski took part, and the piano brought there by Edward Kerntopf (manufactured by his family’s company), the performers on which, apart from Paderewski, included Henryk Melcer (introduced to the former), who premiered his own transcription of Moniuszko’s song ‘Prząśniczka’ [The spinstress]. Further sections deal with the following topics: the farewell given to Paderewski in the Żeleński family’s salon on 9 September 1896 and those present; the summer of 1898 in Kąśna and the first foreign account concerning Paderewski’s estate; Paderewski in the Żeleńskis salon on 27 August 1898 and his introduction to ‘Janek’; the performance of Paderewski’s ‘Cantata’ in the Żeleńskis’ salon; the pianist’s visits to Lviv and Kąśna in November 1897. Part Two deals with Paderewski’s brief tour of Great Britain in 1898–99, covering his participation in the First London Musical Festival on 9 May 1899 and the successes that followed between 10 and 16 May, as well as his July performances in the salons of London tycoons and the recitals he gave at the end of November 1899 before his fourth US tour.

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