Paderewski: Essays & Poems
Edited by Maja Trochimczyk
51 Poems ~ 4 Essays ~ Chronological Life Timeline ~ 255 pages
Price: $32.00
Publisher: Moonrise Press
ISBN: 978-1-945938-88-7
To Order: Amazon.com
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Paderewski: Essays & Poems, written and edited by Maja Trochimczyk is a book dedicated to a polish pianist, composer, statesman and philanthropist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1840-1941). Dr. Trochimczyk transcribed over 50 poems about Paderewski, penned in English by American, British, Irish, and Australian poets, mostly in 1890-1940. These poems are the subject of her essays from 2001 and 2025, analyzing the changing images of the pianist, from a virtuoso, through a seraph & and a divine messenger, a heroic Polish patriot, to an immortal, spiritual master. A discussion of the idealization of the pianist as an archangel by his female audiences (2010) is followed by a new essay dedicated to the Brighton Album assembled mostly in 1890-1898 by one of Paderewski’s ardent female fans. This richly illustrated volume includes a calendar of Paderewski’s life and career, and lists of his writings, speeches, & music compositions, and a bibliography.
ADVANCE PRAISE:
As a relative novice in the field of classical music, I have received a college-level education by reading Maja Trochimczyk’s superb anthology: Paderewski: Essays and Poems. This seminal work is an in-depth exploration of Paderewski’s poetry, prose writings, orchestral compositions, speeches, and political and social impacts. The editor further enhances the work by providing an extensive life-chronology of her subject. Considered a “transcendent genius” in his time, Paderewski’s, work, and accomplishments continue to nourish and enrich contemporary culture even into the present day.
–Michael Escoubas, author of Monet in Poetry and Paint
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Maja Trochimczyk is a Polish American music historian, poet, translator, editor, and photographer. With an M.A. in musicology from Warsaw University, Poland, and Ph.D. from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, she published nine books on music and Polish culture, & nearly 60 chapters and peer-reviewed articles about Polish composers (Chopin, Szymanowski, Paderewski, Lutoslawski, Górecki, Bacewicz), and other topics. An award-winning poet, President of the California State Poetry Society, & the Editor of California Quarterly, she wrote and edited eleven poetry volumes.
FROM THE BOOK:
Lines to an Artist (Ignacy Jan Paderewski)
On His Playing …
by A.F. Bates, 1928
A spark from the sun
A bolt from the blue –
A brief glimpse of heaven –
Your playing – and you –
Like waves in the moonlight,
Flowers gemmed with dew,
An ideal world dawning –
Your playing – and you.
Like flames in the darkness,
Stars fiery blue –
Life’s joys, griefs and ecstasies,
Elle est votre jouit –
To Paderewski – Sovereign – Pianist (1)
(Sonnet)
by A.F. Bates, 1928
I bow to thee, incomparable Pole
Thou art a flawless glass wherein we scan
The melancholy which we call Chopin,
Beethoven passionate, tumultuous soul
They cannot die, no bells for them shall knoll.
Whoever cheats mortality, they can
Supreme themselves against the doom of man
More thro’ thy special genius, round and whole
Tonight, a million indeed eyes have seen
Thy hands, consummate past a living man’s
Subtly portray in mastery serene
Beethoven, only patient genius scans
Master, with tremulous Schubert I have been,
Mine eyes have seen thy glory and Chopin’s.
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