Chopin Society of Atlanta

11/08/2024

The unforgettable recital by Roman Zaslavsky will stay in our memories forever. 🎶❤️🎶

11/01/2024

🎶🗨️ 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸 – 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲, 𝗗𝗿. 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘇𝗸𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿

On the 27th October, The New York Times reported on an unknown manuscript by Fryderyk Chopin found in the Morgan Library in New York. These revelations were met with enormous media resonance. We invite you to read a commentary on the article prepared by Dr Artur Szklener, Director of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute:

✒️ This is certainly one of the more interesting discoveries of recent years. Original Chopin manuscripts are extremely rare, and the mere suggestion that we may be dealing with previously unknown music by the Polish composer electrifies pianists and musicologists.

The manuscript found at the Morgan Library in New York has a number of features typical of Chopin manuscripts: it is written in brown ink on period paper, similar to that used by Chopin in his early years in Paris. It is slightly thicker and more yellow than later sheet music, and is clearly distinguished from the Warsaw scores, which were characterized by a greenish tint. Musically, the piece has features of the brilliant style, which also agrees with the indicated possible time of composition (1830-35).
Chopin, having visibly deepened the emotional depth of his work in his last year in Poland, which can be heard especially in his concerts with orchestra, as well as after an extremely dramatic stay in Vienna, where he was “fulminating on the piano” as a result of the outbreak of the November Uprising - as he himself wrote to his friend Jan Matuszyński - explored the brilliant current again as soon as he arrived in Paris. In December 1831, he wrote from Paris to his professor Józef Elsner: “I am compelled to think of paving my way in the world as a pianist, postponing only for a time the higher artistic views which you rightly present to me in your letter,” which best demonstrates not only Elsner's extremely mature attitude, but also Chopin's own awareness of the mechanisms of the music market of the time. During this period, he wrote Variations, Op. 12, on a theme from an opera by Ludovic Halévy, Duo Concertant on the theme of Robert le diable by Meyerbeer, and Rondo in E-flat major, Op. 16 - a kind of side stream of the composer's work. These works do not stand up comparison with the first nocturnes, mazurkas or études - not to mention the first scherzo and ballade.

At the same time, the found manuscript has features unusual for Chopin's music. First of all, it is not a complete work, but rather a certain musical gesture, a theme laced with rather simple piano tricks alluding to a virtuoso style. One can imagine that it is a kind of sketch of the first musical thought, not yet composed into the form of a whole piece, but the features of the manuscript itself do not agree with such a concept. Indeed, it resembles Chopin's gift manuscripts, intended in particular for the album of the recipients. It is small in size. (approx. 10x13 cm), very detailed and cleanly written, with detailed - quite unusual for this type of source - relatively numerous performance indications, such as sforzato (fz), sempre forte or finally fortississimo (fff) in a musically inexpressive moment even before the theme appears. The appearance of fi*****ng markings in such a short and simple passage for the pianist is also surprising. On the musical side, the coexistence of certain gestures that could be considered typical of Chopin, such as a kind of ornamentation in the melody or shifting seconds in the accompaniment, with the overrepresentation of almost banal features, such as the almost exclusive “A” sound in the bass or the extremely simple figures that refer to the brilliant style, but deviate even from Chopin's Warsaw compositions, seems significant.

These features could indicate that the manuscript could have been a gift to an amateur pianist, but in turn there is no dedication or characteristic signature of the composer - the word Chopin is not written in his hand. It cannot be ruled out that the manuscript is a vestige of a pedagogical activity in which Chopin co-wrote with a student during composition lessons, as was the case with the autographs of the Waltz in A minor and the Nocturne in C minor issued by Baroness Rothschild, but such a possibility seems to be contradicted by the small size and neatness of the manuscript.

The notation seems to have some characteristic features of Chopin's handwriting, although it should be mentioned here that the graphology of musical notation is not as codified as in the case of letter writing, so the source would have to be subjected to detailed comparative studies that would enable further classification. After all, at this stage it is difficult to exclude the possibility that the manuscript could be a trace of Chopin’s activity in the pianistic community – possibly a musical joke or a kind of potpourri involving a Polish composer forced “to think about paving his way in the world as a pianist.”

dr Artur Szklener
___
📷 Chopin, Frédéric, 1810-1849, ‘Valse,’ attributed to Chopin : autograph manuscript, between 1815 and 1849, recto. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Arthur Satz, 2019, Satz 1.10***. Photography by Carmen González Fraile, 2024.

11/01/2024

When in Paris, remember to visit the gravestone of Fryderyk Chopin in the Père-Lachaise cemetery 🍂 🕯️

🕯️ Shortly after Chopin’s death, voluntary donations were collected and a committee led by Eugène Delacroix was formed to erect a monument to the composer. Its ex*****on was entrusted to Auguste Clésinger – husband of Solange, daughter of George Sand. The tomb was unveiled exactly a year after Chopin’s death – on 17 October 1850. It consists of a pedestal with a marble figure of the muse Euterpe bent over a broken lyre. On the front of the pedestal is a medallion with the profile of the musician. The pedestal bears the inscriptions: A Fréd. Chopin Ses Amis’; ‘Frédéric Chopin, né de Pologne, à Zelazowa Wola prés de Varsovie. Flis d'un émigré français, marié à Mlle Krzyżanowska, fille d'un gentilhomme polonais’.

The Paris cemetery is not the only burial place of the composer. His heart – brought to Poland by his sister, Ludwika Jędrzejewiczowa – rests in the parish church of the Chopin family, the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Warsaw.

📷 The tomb of Fryderyk Chopin in the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

10/31/2024

10/26/2024

The 10th Bangkok Chopin Piano Competition 2024

A warm welcome to Bangkok. We are pleased to have you with us.

Slawomir Dobrzanski Deepak Subramony
Piotr Folkert Dorota Lato Wong

10/17/2024

📻 Broadcast of Requiem to mark the anniversary of Fryderyk Chopin’s death on Polish Radio Channel 2 and Radio dla Ciebie

On 17 October, the 175th anniversary of Fryderyk Chopin’s death will be commemorated with the traditional concert, during which the Requiem in D minor will be performed on period piano by the distinguished Ukrainian pianist, Vadym Kholodenko.
Mozart’s masterpiece (in Süssmayr’s version) will be heard in the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Warsaw, in front of Chopin’s heart, in a transcription for solo piano by Karl Klindworth, a renowned 19th-century German virtuoso, conductor, and composer, pupil and later friend of Franz Liszt.

📻 The concert will begin at 8:30 p.m. CEST and you can hear it live on Polish Radio Channel 2 (Dwójka) and Radio dla Ciebie:
🎧 Polish Radio Channel 2 online: https://www.polskieradio.pl/8,dwojka
🎧 Radio dla Ciebie online: https://www.rdc.pl/player

We also invite you to listen to the concert at the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Warsaw. Free admission 🎶.

📷 Requiem on the 173rd anniversary of Fryderyk Chopin’s death, photo: D. Golik / NIFC.

10/11/2024

Join us for an enchanting evening at the upcoming concert featuring the renowned pianist

ROMAN ZASLAVSKY, PIANO

HILL AUDITORIUM at the WOODRUFF ARTS CENTER
Saturday, October 12, 7 PM

PURCHASE TICKETS: https://allevents.in/atlanta/80001279479046

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST AND THE PROGRAM:
http://www.chopinatlanta.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7XysK5Ho8k

10/10/2024

Official page of the Chopin Society of Atlanta

09/30/2024

We are delighted to announce that the Chopin Society of Atlanta has received a grant from the Fulton County Board of Commissioners/Fulton County Arts & Culture to support the Chopin Academy of Atlanta. Thank you! The program, which took place on June 17-23, 2024, was a great success. For the first time in our program, the participants had an opportunity to perform with an orchestra comprised of local musicians and students. We are proud of the outstanding young artists and look forward to seeing you and the new talents next year.

09/25/2024

ROMAN ZASLAVSKY PIANO RECITAL IS COMING SOON

Hill Auditorium at the Woodruff Arts Center
October 12, 7 PM

PURCHASE TICKETS: https://allevents.in/atlanta/80001279479046

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST AND THE PROGRAM:
http://www.chopinatlanta.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7XysK5Ho8k

Roman ZaslavskyRoman Zaslavsky brings his masterful touch to works of Rachmaninov and Prokofiev and explores the fire, passion, and dichotomies of these two ...

09/22/2024

Tickets for the 19th Chopin Competition will be available online at https://www.ebilet.pl/klasyka/koncert/konkurs-chopinowski, as well as stationary, at the ticket offices at the Fryderyk Chopin Museum, 43 Tamka Street in Warsaw. Sales will begin exactly one year before the Competition, on 1st October 2024 at 12:00 noon CET.

Auditions in October will last 3 weeks. On October 20th, 2025, the new winner of the Chopin Competition will be announced. A day later there will be an awards gala and the first of three concerts of the winners.

Competition schedule:
19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, October 2nd-23rd, 2025, Warsaw.
Concert Hall of the National Philharmonic

Inaugural concert: 2nd October 2025.

STAGE I: 3rd-7th October 2025 (morning session at 10 a.m. and afternoon session at 5 p.m.)
STAGE II: 9th-12th October 2025 (morning session at 10.00 a.m. and afternoon session at 5.00 p.m.)
STAGE III: 14th-16th October 2025 (morning session 10.00 a.m. and afternoon session 5.00 p.m.)
FINAL: 18th-20th October 2025 (evening session at 6 p.m.)

1st Prize-winners’ Concert: 21st October 2025
2nd Prize-winners’ Concert: 22nd October 2025
3rd Prize-winners’ Concert: 23rd October 2025

Schedule of ticket sales:
1st October 2024, 12:00 p.m. - Auditions of the first, second, third stages, finals, second and third concert of laureates
September 2025 - Inaugural concert and 1st prize-winners’ concert

The price list for tickets can be downloaded at: https://nifc.pl/en/home/aktualnosci/konkurs/139/.

The pass is valid for all competition auditions, except for the prize-winners’ concerts.

Limit of a single transaction in the system: 10 tickets and 2 passes.

Discounted tickets (-30%) are available to schoolchildren, students (up to 26 years of age), EU pensioners with a valid document entitling them to a discount.

During the competition performances, children aged 8 and over are allowed in the concert hall. Those disturbing the silence will be asked to leave the hall.

Paid admission to the competition auditions and laureate concerts for wheelchair users will be available by prior contact via email: [email protected].

Approximately 10 minutes before each competition audition, paid tickets will be sold only if seating is available in the hall.

Tickets returned by 30th June 2025 will be paid for at 100% of the ticket price.

From 1st July 2025 it will not be possible to return tickets.

🖼 Piotr Alexewicz, 18th Chopin Competition, October 2021, Warsaw. Photo: W. Grzędziński / NIFC

09/22/2024

Music, it is a spark that ignites growth, creativity, and happiness. Music plays an essential role in enriching your life and shaping who you are. Skills that are with you forever and that help shape your life.

09/18/2024

ROMAN ZASLAVSKY PIANO RECITAL IS COMING SOON

PURCHASE TICKETS: https://allevents.in/atlanta/80001279479046

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST AND THE PROGRAM:
http://www.chopinatlanta.org/

Sat Oct 12 2024 at 07:00 pm, THE CONCERT IS SPONSORED BY THE ELŻBIETA AND KRZYSZTOF KRAWCZYŃSKI FUNDRoman Zaslavsky gained an international recognition after winning the Primer Gran Premio at the renowned “José Iturbi” International Piano Competition in Valenci

09/12/2024

"CHOPIN IN ART" CONTEST 2024

An art contest for students K-12 that encourages children to express their impressions of Chopin's music through a visual medium.

THEME: "CHOPIN AND HIS WARSAW"

DEADLINE to submit artworks: October 20, 2024

Imagine a city full of art and music, where every corner hums with the notes of a piano. This is the world of Fryderyk Chopin, the great composer who grew up in Warsaw. As you create your artwork for the “Chopin and His Warsaw” competition, think about how Chopin’s music might have danced through the streets, parks, and grand buildings of his beloved city.
Picture the lively salons where Chopin might have performed or the elegant palaces where his compositions could have filled the air. Let your imagination paint the scenes where Chopin’s mazurkas blend with Warsaw’s vibrant life.

Fryderyk Chopin's Warsaw: https://go2warsaw.pl/en/fryderyk-chopins-warsaw/

Please follow the general guidelines at http://www.chopinatlanta.org/youth.html

09/09/2024

Join us for the upcoming concert

ROMAN ZASLAVSKY PIANO RECITAL

Saturday, October 12, 2024, 7 PM
Hill Auditorium at The Woodruff Arts Center

PURCHASE TICKETS: https://allevents.in/atlanta/80001279479046

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST AND THE PROGRAM:
http://www.chopinatlanta.org/

Roman Zaslavsky: Ingenious Opposites Vol.1 – Robert Schumann & Franz Liszt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezkj7K6JHDw

Roman Zaslavsky (piano)Roman Zaslavsky understands how to contrast the two ingenious opposites Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt side by side, on one recording...

08/30/2024

Join us for the upcoming piano recital performed by

ROMAN ZASLAVSKY

PURCHASE TICKETS: https://allevents.in/atlanta/80001279479046

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST AND THE PROGRAM:
http://www.chopinatlanta.org/