Paderewski reviews
Dang Thai Son and Philharmonia Orchestra perform Paderewski's Piano Concerto in A minor and Danses polonaises
The centenary of Polish independence, which propelled Ignacy Jan Paderewski into highest political office, is inspiring something of a retrospective of his music. Polish National Opera will be putting on a major staging
Plowright adds shine to Polish centenary
With the centenary of Polish independence this year, we are likely to hear more of Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), the virtuoso pianist-composer who was a signatory to the Treaty of Versailles and served as Poland’s first prime minister. His magnificent Piano Concerto (1888) has never quite disappeared and virtuosos have recorded it; outstanding versions include those by Earl Wild, Barbara Hesse-Bukowska, Kevin Kenner and Nelson Goerner, and perhaps significantly the work appeared (played by Piers Lane) on Vol. 1 of Hyperion’s now epic Romantic Piano Concerto series.