Witold Malcuzynski
Encyclopedia
Witold Małcużyński was a distinguished Polish
pianist who specialized in the works of Frédéric Chopin
. His playing was marked by great passion and poetry.
. In 1936, he received an invitation to study under Marguerite Long
and Isidor Philipp
in Paris
(France
). He won the third prize at the Third International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1937. At the same time, he met his future wife, the French pianist Colette Gaveau.
When World War II
began, he was in France
. There, he joined the artistic-propaganda section of the Polish Army and visited military camps. After the capitulation of France, he and his newly wedded wife escaped in a sealed traincar to Portugal
, where he met the conductor Grzegorz Fitelberg
, who offered him a tournée in South America. Małcużyński went to Argentina
in October 1940. In April 1942 he relocated to the United States
. Essential to his American career was the violinist Yehudi Menuhin
, who initially helped him with management issues. After the war, he moved to Switzerland
.
He was a member of the jury of the International Chopin Competition in 1960 and 1970 and the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
(Belgium
) in 1960.
He was conferred an Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. He died in 1977 in Majorca, Spain
, and was buried in the Powązki Cemetery
, Poland.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
pianist who specialized in the works of Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
. His playing was marked by great passion and poetry.
Biography
Małcużyński was born in 1914. He was the older brother of Karol Małcużyński, a Polish politician and journalist. He began playing piano at the age of 5, starting regular lessons four years later. Eventually, he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory. Originally, he intended to study law but switched to music, studying under Józef TurczyńskiJózef Turczynski
Jozéf Turczyński was a Polish pianist, pedagogue and musicologist who exercised a powerful influence over the development of piano teaching and performance, especially in the works of Frédéric Chopin, during the first half of the 20th century...
. In 1936, he received an invitation to study under Marguerite Long
Marguerite Long
Marguerite Long was a French pianist and teacher.Marguerite Marie-Charlotte Long was born in Nîmes. She studied with Henri Fissot at the Paris Conservatoire, taking a premier prix in 1891, and privately with Antoine François Marmontel...
and Isidor Philipp
Isidor Philipp
Isidor Philipp was a French pianist, composer, and distinguished pedagogue of Hungarian descent. He was born in Budapest and died in Paris.-Biography:...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
). He won the third prize at the Third International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1937. At the same time, he met his future wife, the French pianist Colette Gaveau.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began, he was in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. There, he joined the artistic-propaganda section of the Polish Army and visited military camps. After the capitulation of France, he and his newly wedded wife escaped in a sealed traincar to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, where he met the conductor Grzegorz Fitelberg
Grzegorz Fitelberg
Grzegorz Fitelberg was a Polish conductor, violinist and composer. He was a member of the Młoda Polska group, together with artists such as Karol Szymanowski, Ludomir Różycki and Mieczysław Karłowicz....
, who offered him a tournée in South America. Małcużyński went to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in October 1940. In April 1942 he relocated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Essential to his American career was the violinist Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
, who initially helped him with management issues. After the war, he moved to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
He was a member of the jury of the International Chopin Competition in 1960 and 1970 and the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
The Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, a founding member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions has been, since its foundation, considered the world over to be one of the most prestigious and most difficult. It is devoted to violin , piano , to composition and to singing...
(Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) in 1960.
He was conferred an Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. He died in 1977 in Majorca, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and was buried in the Powązki Cemetery
Powazki Cemetery
Powązki Cemetery , also known as the Stare Powązki is a historic cemetery located in the Wola district, western part of Warsaw, Poland. It is the most famous cemetery in the city, and one of the oldest...
, Poland.
Selected discography (CD)
- 1989 Witold Małcużyński Plays Chopin (Polskie Nagrania)
- 1993 Witold Małcużyński - Fantasies-Nocturnes-Scherzos (Allegro Corporation)
- 1993 Malcuzynski Plays Chopin - Grand Polonaise, Volume 2 (Allegro Corporation)
- 1994 Malcuzynski: Artist Profile (Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2/Piano Sonata No. 3/Waltzes/Mazurkas) (EMI Classic)
- 1999 Witold Małcuzynski - Chopin-Rachmaninov (Dante)
- 2000 Witold Malcuzynski Plays Chopin, Liszt and Szymanowski (Piano Masters) (Pearl)
- 2001 Witold Malcuzynski - Brahms-Beethoven-Chopin (Aura Classics)
- 2001 Witold Malcuzynski Plays Great Romantic Piano Music (2CD) (Royal Long Players)
- 2003 Witold Małcużyński Brahms-Franck-Bach-Busoni (Polskie Nagrania)
- 2006 Witold Małcużyński - Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor op.15 (Polskie Nagrania)
- 2007 Witold Małcużyński - Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2; Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 (nagr. 1946-1949) (Guild)
- 2007 Witold Malcuzynski Intermezzo (Fabula Classica)
- 2010 Witold Małcużyński - Chopin (digipack) (Polskie Radio)
Sources
- Roger Hauert & Bernard Gavoty. "Malcuzynski", Great Concert Artists Series, Kister, Genève, 1957.
- Skarbowski, Jerzy. "Witold Małcużyński - pianista potężny", Poradnik Muzyczny, n° 7/8, 1989.
- Jeżewski, Krzysztof. "Witold Małcużyński - W trzydziestą rocznicę śmierci", Głos Katolicki, n° 26, Paris, 15-22.7.2007
- Narodowy Instytut Fryderyka Chopina - Witold Małcużyński
External links
- http://malcuzynski.galeon.com/