Saturday evening I enjoyed a Chopin piano recital at Chopin Concert Hall. The modest hall is located in Old Town near Main Market Square. It was easily accessible via tram, and I’ll be returning to explore the area further during daylight. It’s home to Krakow Philharmonic Hall and is rich in cafés, theaters, and music venues.
“Frederic Chopin is a national hero and a key cultural figure in Poland’s fight for independence. Much of the composer’s work was inspired by traditional Polish dance music and written against the backdrop of national resistance to occupation from neighbouring countries. Although Chopin left Poland at a young age and spent much of his life in Paris, he was a key figure in establishing Poland’s cultural identity.”
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“Frederic Chopin’s music will always remain the best introduction to Poland.”
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When performed so beautifully, listening to Chopin’s music is a thrilling and mesmerizing experience. The fantastic pianist, Dr. Pawel Kubica, played a flawless repertoire of Chopin’s best known etudes, nocturnes, mazurkas, and polonaises:
- Ballad No. 3 in A-Flat Major, Op .47
- Mazurka in G Minor, Op 24 No. 1
- Polonaise in A Major, Op. 40 No. 1 (Military)
- Prelude to D-Flat Major, Op. 28 No. 15 (Raindrop)
- Waltz in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 64 No. 2
- Revolutionary Etude Op. 10 No. 12
- Grande Valse Brillante in E-Flat Major Op. 18
- Mazurka in C-Sharp Minor Op. 50 No. 3
- Nocturne in B Major Op. 62 No. 1
- Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor Op. 66
- Polonaise in A-Flat Major Op. 53 (Heroic)
Talented Kubica graduated from the Cracow Academy of Music. He performs concerts in Poland and abroad and has won many awards and recorded multiple CDs.
It was a memorable evening! Next week, I scheduled a daytrip to Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, the infamous former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp. More later…