Chopin competition shows the ‘new’ old is back again

Classic instruments trend

There was a time when everything old was, let’s say, not too much appreciated. It was recognized as unfashionable, not fresh, and boring – the list is long. New, modern, trendy, the best – revolutionary – it was something exiting. Even finally it became a sort of continuity, like everything is… Trend of modernization is still running and probably never stops, because it is – a progress but ‘old fashioned’, steadily but continuously, became more and more attractive, even – trendy. And such trend is getting somehow stronger.

Music as a magic mirror of life is not free of common trends. The fashion for old music is not so loudly heard as ‘heavy metal’, but exists constantly. It is nice that also among young people... (I don’t complain it makes me happy…) First we start to be delighted with already known music, and then we start to search for unknown works from known or just rediscovered, old but unknown composers. Finally we start to discover the taste of original old instruments, the way of using it and – original old places where that music was born.

There were established plenty of ensembles, chamber groups, symphony orchestras or Operas troupes dedicated to old music. The next step was a cycle of concerts, special festivals and nowadays even competitions of young musicians performing on old instruments: original or perfect copies of instruments used by composers of certain époques and their contemporaries.

Just on Tuesday, Sept 4 at the Concert Studio of Polish Radio in Warsaw, began the 1st Int’l Chopin Competition on historical pianos. How is it? Int’l Chopin Piano Competition is one of the oldest in the history of new formula of music competition held since 1927. Every five years with a break during the WW II it reached its 17th edition in 2015. Winners on the podium were such persons as Martha Argerich, Krystian Zimerman, Maurizio Pollini and on two others – Rafał Blechacz (2010) and Seong-Jin Cho (2015). The Chopin Competition offered them strong pass to all stages in the world.

Owerkowicz

Prestige

I limited the list of winners to contemporaries because the list of all competition winners and eminent pianists would be too long for an article. Such famous winners worked for prestige of the event and opposite – prestige of the event immediately worked for rank of its winners. It is also the only one monographic competition dedicated to works of one composer – Frederic Chopin. Also the juries, comprising famous professors and previous winners gave prestige for the project. Top pianos producers, as Steinway, Yamaha, Kawai, and at last Fazioli, offered for such purpose their best models of concert pianos.

Just the instruments are the main difference between traditional Chopin Competitions and this new one, just started. The young pianist at the age between 18-35 years will play for the first time on the instruments of the Chopin era. They were built differently and it determines its sound, different from modern black giants, prepared for modern huge concert halls.

On the stage there were historical marks of pianos, as French Pleyel and Erard, English Broadwood, Viennese Graf and Polish Bucholz, all known and appreciated during Chopin’s time. There are 19th century originals or perfect copies made by the best master, Paul McNulty). It is Chopin Institute collection and some rented from private collectors. ‘Chopin collection’ is one of the biggest in the world and only one – playable.

The idea of the event is along the above mentioned trend of performing ‘old music’ from Baroque, Classical or Romantic eras on instruments from certain époque and in the style obligatory at certain time.

First edition of the Historical Chopin’ Competition is much more exclusive: it will present 30 young pianists from around the world. Traditional ‘Concert Piano Chopin’ because of its popularity gathers hundreds of candidates from many tens of countries and lastly was forced to hold ‘correspondence hearing’ stage and full ‘pre-competition’, organized a few months before the main event at Warsaw National Philharmonic. Other differences between two Chopin Competitions are repertoire: new historical competition program includes works of J.S. Bach and one apiece from pre-Chopin era of Polish composer.

The initiator and organizer of new competition, Deputy Director of National Chopin Institute (NIFC), wellknown critic Stanisław Leszczy ski says: This is a natural consequence of systematical presentation music on historical instruments, in style characteristic for first half of 19th century. Since thirteen years ago it has found a place at Int’l Music Festival ‘Chopin and His Europe’ in Warsaw, organized by NIFC. (Leszczy ski is also initiator and organizer of that renowned Festival.)

Fascination

We don’t reach instruments from époque because of the musicologist analyzes reasons but because of fascination of their sound. Those young pianists are interested in it. Pianos from Chopin time open completely new possibilities understanding his music. This is the question of diving into sound aura of that époque, tasting sounds, their colors, allowing us – we hope – to hear original attributes of Chopin melodiously.

Idea of Piano Competitions was born at the end of 19th century. Before there were fashionable, let say – piano – duels between two, rarely more, known pianists. The first ever recognized Piano Competition was Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1927. Chopin himself preferred chamber (room, salon) performances of pianos size and their construction was growing with size of modern concert halls. The contemporary competitions are established adequately to such halls and pianos.

The competition not only gives the room to challenging himself but also motivates young musicians to expand their repertoire. However, in case of historical instruments this is also a way to wake up interest of certain époque, its style and stylish instruments.

The organizer of ‘Old Chopin Competition’ from the beginning had planned that his new idea will be parallel with famous already, running almost from century ‘average’ Chopin Competition. The new ‘Old’ was established as an experiment, but, maybe, music world will find the taste of this and ‘Old Chopin’ will appear on the concert calendar also regularly every five years. Nevertheless what happened in the future it will be presentation and inspiration for listeners, waking up their sensitivity for old pianos, color of sounds, such was the original Chopin inspiration.

Old pianos were really handmade than every sample is different from the other. Also every year brought some changes, modernized production. It makes amazingly large range of variety in sound. The pianists would have a big problem with choosing referable and most suitable for them model. In Chopin music sound is the most delicate and important matter.

Present

It is very important and unusual that a participant would change and choose pianos not only for the next stage but also present his program during one stage on few different pianos the most suitable for him and – even certain composition. (It looks like redressing for every appearance! Isn’t it?)

On the Chamber Hall stage of National Philharmonic in Warsaw every day five different pianos possible will be available for use, albeit the choice of the contestant. Decisions will be awarded by the jury in the form of points, except the basic marks for interpretation and performance, because a candidate’s choice will tell the judges much about musicality, intuition and knowledge of participant.

The experiments with historical instruments competition is also an attempt to discussion of ‘instrumental fetishism’. Fetishism has nowadays become the concern on value of technic, fluency, perfection, losing some elements so important during Chopin era and general 19th Romantic century. Instead of beating records of speed in Chopin Etudes we will enjoy the sound and a form of beauty. Maybe old instruments are the best for it?

For me it is like a difference between boat race of old yachts and speed boats, isn’t it? (Even the difference of the level of noise is similar.)

PS. Just last weekend the results of a competition The Best ‘Piano Sailors’ were declared. The winner of 1st prize (15,000 euros) was the Polish pianist Tomasz Ritter. (He said he likes the best to play for himself. NB: He has also won the A. Rubinstein Competition.) The second Prize (10,000 Euros) was won by two pianists from Japan Naruhiko Kawaguchi and from Poland Aleksandra Swigut and 3rd Krzysztof Ksiazek, who was also a winner of the ‘big’ Chopin Competition in 2015. Let success come ‘Music Under Sails’.

Editor’s Note: Cezary Owerkowicz is the chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Philharmonia and talented pianist. He regularly organises concerts by well-known musicians for the benefit of music lovers and to widen the knowledge of music in Kuwait. His e-mail address is: cowerkowicz @yahoo.com and cowerkowicz@hotmail.com