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The
history of pianists
playing Chopin is rich with names such as Horowitz, Askenazy, Pollini,
Ohlsson, Rubenstein, Rachmaninoff, Argerich, Pogorelich, Zimmerman,
Cortot, and Arrau. And yet one name, usually neglected or forgotten
by the classical listener, is Adam Harasiewicz (b.1932). The pianist,
legendary in his native country of Poland and across Europe, won
the prestigious and lofty First Prize in the 1955 International
Chopin Competition, beating both Vladimir Askenazy and Fou Ts'ong
- highly regarded pianists themselves. From his victory to the present,
Harasiewicz has dedicated his professional career to playing the
music of Chopin, even playing before the UN in 1960 to inaugurate
the Year of Chopin (the 150th anniversary of the composer's birthday).
When
first listening to a set of pieces such as the Preludes, or Nocturnes,
or even Polonaises, a listener is usually subjected to even tempi,
mild individuality, and moderate technique: in short, average performances.
Standard renditions of this repertoire deluge the classical market
every year, by performers both celebrated and recondite. Harasiewicz
far departs from the "usual" recordings, bringing to the music a
vision unparalleled in originality, virtuosity, imagination, and
erudition.
Harasiewicz's
playing is difficult to describe: he achieves an effective synthesis
of every style I have heard so far. He has the balance of Arrau
- both left and right hands are always discernable, every note,
every harmony is well displayed. He has the intelligent sensibilities
of Askenazy - every note sounds like hours of thought went into
it. Musical notions are mature, and well-developed. But he is sonically
dangerous like Kissin - his bass ROARS, his treble *~*sparkles*~*,
and the whole range in between is well-defined.
He
is dramatic like Horowitz - he shows a wide field of emotions, from
full rage to lugubrious tragedy, from buoyant happiness and unutterable
joy, to oppressive melancholy and delicate passion - he displays
all and many more. He is the most complete pianist in this sense,
for many pianists fall into the trap of applying Chopin's music
to their own vision - Argerich is lustful and wildly frantic in
each piece, even Nocturnes; but humanity, as Harasiewicz
demonstrates, is more than one emotion- it is an entire wealth of
them, and he applies his own peerless and flawless technique to
the pieces, not the other way around.
His
piano tone itself is gorgeous - and versatile. He can play softly,
with a warm and swirling sound. He can play sharply, with a piercing
sound. He can play with bell-like tones that glimmer and glisten
like raindrops. Every sound conceivable is possible in his artistic
palette!
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Complete
Preludes
(including Op.45 and Op.posthumous)
Complete Nocturnes
(including both op.posthumous)
Philips
442 266-2
|
Let's
start with his Preludes. Each one is given a unique personality: no
two replicate any mood. The 1st reminds me of a Parisian cafe, with
the climactic crashes like champagne glasses ringing in cheers. The
2nd, in stark contrast, in like an ominous announcement of war: the
raw and cutting undermelody punctuated with gunshot-like declarative
statements by the right hand.
The
3rd is, to me, the Song of the River: the left hand is the fastest
I have heard, yet smooth and flowing, with the right hand melody
like sprays of water flying atop the rippling water. And the 4th
is like a view of a mountain tomb in the cold rain, with the right-hand
lyrically telling a tragic story, reaching a pinnacle, then descending
into 3 funereal chords closing the piece.
The
5th is like a Tree of Songs, with two revolving textures like the
light and shadows among the swaying leaves. The 6th, like a cello-player,
alone and mourning, playing out his bitter anger and sadness on
his instrument while rain falls. The 7th is like a simple Polish
dance, as danced by a young girl just beginning to learn to dance.
Each
Prelude follows suit, expressive and imaginative without being too
risky to be unbalanced. The towering 24th is absolutely breathtaking
- a shattering, thunderous bass ostinati becomes the foundation
for a defiant and raging melody, with monstrously difficult glissando
scalar passages seemingly carelessly tossed off, yet clear dramatic,
and precise. The death knell of the ending, with the three canon
blasts, is the best I've heard. More sonorous than Pogorelich, more
final than Argerich, more furiously intensive than anyone else,
Harasiewicz truly masters the music.
|
Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2.
Vienna Symphony Orchestra under Heinrich Hollreiser.
Recorded Oct 1958.
Philips 422 272-2
[71'50"] budget-price. |
His Chopin
Concerti, too, are undeniably penetrating works of art, punishing
and powerful in the way that Harasiewicz combines sheer unadulterated
might with concerned lyricism, spinning rubato, and gorgeous piano
sound coupled with quick and furious orchestration.
I'll
begin with his First Concerto: the orchestra begins as if the piece
were a symphony, treating the dual themes with equal impact. Harasiewicz
enters at 4'04", with the famous crushing raging chordal passage,
so noble and so defiant. His arpeggiations climb thoughtfully and
deftly into the highest registers, and then the lightening harmonic
scalar passages comes rippling down the keyboard. Very few pianists
give this sort of treatment; with a staple of the Romantic repertoire
as this, usually most concerti are played thunderously throughout,
with a few token quiet sections, as Maurizio Pollini, or with extreme
poetic insight usually not coupled with overwhelming power, like
Murray Perhia.
Only
the very few can reconcile both elements into the work. Harasiewicz
plays the bass notes resoundingly, and the treble is clear and bell-like.
I often admire the forward-looking aspects of Chopin's work, how
ahead it was of its time, so I am glad when pianists, such as Harasiewicz,
accent the chromatic aspects of the piece, the dissonant as well
as the assonant.
He plays very tragically, often bypassing possibly sticky saccharine-lined
moments for the deeper drama at work in the piece. In the end of
the first movement, the left hand is given some violent trill-like
figurations that complement a wide, scalar theme that the right
hand plays. Harasiewicz is the first performer I have ever
heard to accent these left-hand figurations, which are loud and
drilling, underpinning the sweeping right hand with a turbulent
and ferocious authority.
In
the second movement he allows the sweet and melodic bass line to
ring loud in complement to the sad and fluent line of the right
hand, so fluid and vocal. He is at all times emotionally expressive,
never letting a chance at developing an emotion go untouched. The
piano solo section near the end of the movement reminds me very
much of dreaming by midnight moonlight, as Chopin himself intended.
The
third movement opens quickly, with exotic figurations by strings
and woodwinds, the piano stating a dance-like declarative theme
which is advanced rapidly by Harasiewicz, who plays flawlessly,
with technical wonder yet strong and vital imagination. The piece
ends with satisfaction, an epic.
Chopin: Piano Concerto No.2. With the National Philharmonic
Orchestra of Warsaw under Kazimierz Kord.
Includes performance by Martha Agerich of Piano Concerto
No.1.
Laserlight 14-061 "Live" recordings. |
There
are two versions of Harasiewicz playing the 2nd Concerto, one on Laserlight,
his winning performance in the 1955 Competition, and on three years
later with the Vienna Philharmonic. I found his early performance
and later performance (there are more in the Philips vaults) quite
different, yet unified. The early one is stunningly fresh and elephantine
in scope - he plays hugely, with absolutely mind-bogglingly fast runs
and volume in parts. His later recording, more mature in interpretation,
is colossal in piano tone, where he overpowers even a loud orchestra
in several key areas. In fact, I thought that this Concerto, as played
by Harasiewicz, was given the same treatment as a Rachmaninov Concerto!
And
yet many of his masterpiece recordings lay in the vaults, collecting
dust, not to be released soon. After contacting Philips, and learning
that indeed only about half of his repeater is available in any
format currently, I can only hope that world-wide attention will
bring those vaunted recordings to the public eye, which will surely
savor the rich playing and lilting tone he brings to the music he
loves so well.
But
from my myriad Chopin recordings, I believe I know a superior pianist
when I hear one, and Harasiewicz is it. He embodies everything the
composer would have wanted: crystal sadness, brutal fury, mechanical
precision, blinding virtuostic, and a very large expressive tonal
vocabulary. Imaginative and of the highest artistic integrity, Harasiewicz
is all I could ask for in a Chopinist, and more.
Summary
of Recommended Harasiewicz Discography:
All music
by Chopin
- Complete
Preludes and Complete Nocturnes (including posthumously published
works). Philips 442-266-2
-
Miscellaneous works for piano: Barcarolle, Berceuse, Waltz No.1,
Op.18, Impromtu No.4, Mazurka No.37, Op.59-2, Nocturne No.5 in
F#, Op.15-2, Mazurka No.5 in B-flat, Op.7-1, Etude No.3, Op.10,
Scherzo No.2, Op.31, Scherzo No.3, Op.39, Polonaise No.3, Op.40,
Polonaise No.6, Op.53, Nocturne No.13, Op.48-1, Waltz No.6, Op.
64-1. Philips 422-282-2
-
Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2. Vienna Symphony Orchestra/Hollreiser.
Recorded Oct 1958. Philips 422 272-2 (Out of print).
-
Complete Etudes, Op. 10 and 25. Philips 420-062-4 (Out
of print).
-
Miscellaneous piano works: Sonata No.2, Op.35, Nocturne Op.62-1,
Ballade Op.47-3, Polonaise Op.53, Mazurkas Op.63-2 and 63-3, and
Scherzo No.4, Op.54. Discover DICD 920180.
- Laserlight
14-064 is a compilation of performances by winning Chopin
Competition pianists. Harasiewicz here plays the 3rd Impromptu,
Op. 51. and the Prelude in C# minor, Op. 45.
-
Laserlight 14-061 is two live winning Concerto performances
- Argerich playing a heavily cut First Concerto, and Harasiewicz,
under the National Philharmonic Orcestra of Warsaw with conducter
Kazimierz Kord, playing an uncut 2nd Concerto.
1998
©
Evan Stephens
Readers' Comments
From: Igor Uchitel (iuchitel@hotmail.com / Tuesday, October 5, 1999 at 10:02:16)
A great review!This is a good reminder of a pianist who I reckon
is the greatest Chopinist around{and I do't forget the likes of Ashkenazy,Argerich and Perahia who are special in there own ways}
His performance of the Preludes is peerless,in a highly competitive field{Cortot,Rubinstein,Ashkenazy,Argerich,Pogorelich
and Shelley are among the many great performers of those works
on record}
And I was happy to discover that Harasiewicz's performances of the Waltzes and Polonaises has been issued on CD{Philips Duo}
Needless to say,his playing is wonderful,if a trifle less perfect
than his Nocturnes and Preludes.Hopefully,we'll be able to get more Chopin played by this very special artist
From: carl (carlspost1@hotmail.com / Sunday, February 11, 2001 at 11:48:54)
Congratulations on a excellent review!
I have been searching for something like this for ages.
I also believe Adam Harasiewicz to be the greatest Chopinist to date. My comment (or question) is - where is he now? Is he still performing! Is he still alive for that matter!?
I am a pianist student and was hoping to find out where abouts he is living and if he is teaching.
Any information would be extreamly appriciated.
Again thankyou for such a good article. Carl from Australia
From: Caine Alder (islinens@ypc.net / Wednesday, February 28, 2001 at 11:58:59)
Enjoyed your article on my favorite Chopinist: Harasiewicz. I assume you are aware of his Pony CD of new Chopin to his discography? Please write to me ASAP.
From: Dariusz Œmierzchalski (www.wp@ekospec.pl / Wednesday, April 11, 2001 at 03:02:54)
I have read this article very carefully. I am Adam's cousine's son so I have had an occasion to hear Him playing for a family at home. But this what I've heard was the same as in the big concert hall. He played the way that everything became music. I can say that nothing was the same, even when He played the same part again. I am proud, that I have met Him and I am happy that I can meet Him again. Sorry for my english, but I do not use it every day. I am sorry that I can not describe everything I feel.
From: carl (carlspost1@hotmail.com / Sunday, May 6, 2001 at 08:34:50)
Hello,
Could anyone possibly tell me if Adam also has a teaching career, and if so where abouts?
Yhankyou.
From: Dr. Marko Kleiber (DrPhil@MarkoKleiber.de / Wednesday, May 9, 2001 at 01:59:56)
Thank you for this fine recognition of Mr. Harasiewicz. Listening to the new CD of the Chopin Sonatas, Scherzos and Ballades I searched the interent, this is how I found your page. I fully agree with your praise and hope that you don't mind me linking to your words from my (german language) homepage at http://www.markokleiber.de/html/musik.html
From: james pullés güitrón ( / Sunday, June 24, 2001 at 13:51:38)
From: james pullés güitrón (jamespullesguitron@hotmail.com / Sunday, June 24, 2001 at 14:10:22)
Congratulations! I think Adam Harasiewicz is a real musical poet, a wide-range artist, superb pianist of the polish school. When I listened to his Barcarolle, the Preludes, the Sonatas, I was firmliy convinced that he is the real Chopin player. His colour is an elegant one; a masterly colour, a well-defined personality; not only the explosive, fully sound, but also the controlled technique, the soft, warm tonal palette...
We all want to aquire more of his recordings... labels, please!
From: james pullés güitrón (jamespullesguitron@hotmail.com / Sunday, June 24, 2001 at 14:22:43)
Sorry, another time. I forgot to mention I am from Mexico. I would like to receive more information of Adam Harasiewicz. Please write me to my e-mail.
From: Jean-Luc RAZAFIMBELO (RAZAFIMBELO.Jean-Luc@NOOS.FR / Sunday, August 19, 2001 at 04:08:23)
I will never forget the first time i listened Adam HARASIEWICZ. It was a common program for Heliodor Records (annex from Deustche Gramophon), One face for Wladimir ASHKENAZY, one for Adam HARASIEWICZ. I listened this record in 1971. I was 16 Years old.After , one year later in June 1972 for my birthday, i got a record from Universo serie from Philips the total version from CHOPIN 19 Waltzes by Adam HARASIEWICZ. My own classic music record was the 14 CHOPIN Waltzes by Dinu LIPATTI(EMI COLUMBIA) after in 1970, A good Chopin recital by Barbara HESSE-BUKOWSKA, the CHOPIN 24 Preludes By Edward AUER (chopin's laureate competitor in 1965 with Arturo Moreira-Lima), The first Concerto for Piano by Nikita MAGALOFF, The 24 Preludes By Cor DE GROOT, 6 polonaises by Witold MALCUZYNSKI, the 24 Etudes by Werner HAAS. After in bought the total anthology by Adam HARASIEWICZ, and the same by Nikita MAGALOFF, i vynil version. Now, I will buy the collection in CD. My last records are in cd's Inétgrales from CHOPINS Mazurkas by Alexandre UNINSKY, (laureate for this piano competition for FRANCE in 1931)The records are from PHILIPS import. His posthumous recording. I have other records from Witold MALCUZYNSKI about CHOPIN'S sonatas, Four BALLADES, Waltzes. So the list should be long to enumerate. . I will never forget his last Concert in PARIS, at Radio Concert-hall (for Adam HARASIEWICZ. It was sensationnal. Each day, i listen one recod from this pianist. I like soon , his BRAHMS interpretation inthe universo serie( economic collection from PHILIPS)
From: Petbear (petbear_brian@yahoo.com.sg / Wednesday, April 24, 2002 at 11:36:50)
Hi, I am new to piano music,now exploring to those 1st prize winners of the Chopin Int'l Competition. I hv heard live recordings from the competition of Yundi Li, Agerich, Ohlsson and Harasiewicz, I agree to what you hv said in your review, Harasiewicz is really a Chopinist. Among the 4winners I hv listened , only Yundi Li has the very close style and tone texture as Harasiewicz.
From: Babak (babak_taati@yahoo.com / Monday, August 26, 2002 at 12:04:55)
He has got THE BEST performance of the polonaises
From: Don Satz (dsatz@hotmail.com / Thursday, August 29, 2002 at 22:44:56)
I've been listening to versions of Chopin's Preludes from Argerich, Arrau, Barto, Cortot, Moiseiwitsch, and Kissin. I find each of them much better than the Harasiewicz version. Given the praise from the reviewer, it's as if we are listening to two different performances. From my view, Harasiewicz rarely digs deeply into Chopin's psychology. He seems to play the music rather than experience it - good performances well below the top level.
From: kitty ahmed (kitty@makima.net / Saturday, February 8, 2003 at 06:29:06)
long ago i had harasiewicz's recording of the 2 chopin piano concertos (on phillips) but they have been lost for years. does anyone know of a place where i may be able to get another copy on cd? his recordings are my absolute favorites and this search has gone on for ages...
thanks for any info.
kitty
From: Philippe (phyared@inco.com.lb / Sunday, June 8, 2003 at 16:57:03)
Doe someone know whether Harasiewicz's recording of Chopin's first sonata, Bolero, Tarentella and other pieces has been reissued on CD?
From: shahryar (shahsha113@yahoo.com / Wednesday, January 7, 2004 at 06:58:18)
He is the complete pianist. He can revel in the keyboard for its own pianistic sake, representing to us the instrument's range and power, but he can also go beyond piano playing as we are led by his art to the secret chambers of the creative imagination
From: Raymond Parker (ramaparmat@aol.com / Saturday, April 10, 2004 at 06:21:23)
Having listened to the collected Phillips recordings of Chopin as performed by Adam Harasiewicz, this writer is in total agreement with Mr. Evan Stephens review. Adam Harasiewicz's recordings of Chopin are captivating. Especially enjoyable are his interepretations of the Sonata in B minor, the Ballades and the Scherzos. Years ago (in the 1960's), I heard his performance of Chopin's E minor Concerto from a recording at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. It seems that this recording is now available and I would like to have a copy of it. I was just so very impressed with the pristine clarity and lapidarian precision of the performances. The artful commitment and interpretation, for me are unforgettable, especially in the first movement. I was disappointed to learn that his recording of the Etudes is out of print. I have not heard them; also, I would like to know if there is an available recording of the Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise Brilliante. My Harasiewicz collection is incomplete without the etudes, the concerti, and the Andante Spianato and Polonaise . . . Did Harasiewicz ever record the other concerted works? the Krakowiak Rondo, Polish Airs, and Variations on La ci darem la mano?
From: Lev Gordin (gordinlev@freenet.de / Wednesday, June 16, 2004 at 03:27:28)
Thank You for that wonderful information!!!
From: Lev Gordin (goprdinlev@freenet.de / Wednesday, June 16, 2004 at 03:30:33)
Please check this link ;)) There is one more recording of Chopin's 2-nd concert
http://www.nifc.pl/icich/show.php?m=7&type=1&id=905&e=ok
From: randy (randy_hour@yahoo.com / Saturday, June 19, 2004 at 14:23:31)
There have been and there will be thousand of pianist but there is only one harasiewicz in the world
From: BJ Berman (bjberman4@adelphia.net / Friday, July 16, 2004 at 14:41:55)
I heard the Vienna recording in 1963 on WFLN Phila. I bought it 1/2 hr later at the Bryn Mawr College Bookstore with two of his recitals. He spoiled me forever for all the renowned Chopin players and other world stage pianists out there.
I am a professional classical violinist and each year I listen to more hours of Adam Harasiewicz than all my favorite violinists and string quartets combined.
When people ask about my training with regard to tone, phrasing, and continuity I always include him although I have never even heard him live, a great misfortune.
He is the only musician I know who hears and projects both the sense and the feeling of the underlying sentence structure that classical music uses and Chopin particularly well, another language from all music theory and composition training. This review of his work is superb and I would love to correspond with the author, if possible.
Incidentally, it was only four years ago that I learned how to pronounce his name, Har-r-a-sheh(like the e in "wet")vitch.
For those interested in the non-classical fields, get a recording of Don Shirley, another one of "those" names. The saying goes that "Nobody does what Don Does.".
Thanks for the review and the chance to comment on this true great among artists.
Let me end with another quote from Sam Hsu this time, the last student to graduate Juilliard under Van Cliburn's teacher. He is a great pianisnt and teacher in Phila., himself, and a great imitator of other pianists styles, quite a gift. After listening to one of Harasiewicz's Mazurkas he tried to imitate him also. When it didn't work he said "It's because I am trying to adapt my style to his, but he is speaking his native language." Many thanks to Sam.
BJ Berman
6547 N Academy Blvd
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
From: Priscilla (rechtzodiegaat@wanadoo.nl / Monday, November 8, 2004 at 04:46:26)
Dear Sir, Madam,
I would be very pleased if it could by possible to mail me for the following informations about the very great Chopin interprete Adam Harasiewicz or he is still alive and/or he gives lessons too and in which Conservatory or private. I saw him a long time ago in Amsterdam Concertgebouw as well as in the Hague and it was for me very fantastic because that was for me the real way to play Chopin. Because I like to hear or he will be able to give a Mastercourse perhaps in Holland into 2005 or 2006 (The Hague or Leeuwarden)And I like to know too or there will too DVD's Adam Harasiewicz. I real do hope from you soon as possible. with friendly greetings to Adam Harasiewicz from me. Priscilla van den Dop.
From: Mariela Tarnowska (marielatm@uol.com.br / Tuesday, January 25, 2005 at 07:36:08)
Your description (if I may call it so) of Adam Harasiewicz filled me with joy. Unfortunately I only heard him live once, but it was a night that I shall never forget and I believe that evryone who had the luck of being there has also not forgotten: it was in SALZBURG in 1958, Adam was a very young & handsome man, he was on his European tour escorted by very
big "nannies"??? The concert was fantastic and the marvellous thing was that it never ended... the public refused to leave, many of us were polish, I think he felt it. It came to the point where the lights of the theatre were put out in the hope that we would finally leave, but nobody moved and Adam Harasiewicz went on playing for a long time in the dark. It was unforgetable!
Now I would love to have some news from him: where is he based, could I e-mail him directly. I live in São Paulo, Brasil but occasionaly I travel to Poland. Expecting to hear from you soon, Mariela Tarnowska Mastrogiovanni
From: Jacek (Jacek.Kisynski@gmail.com / Tuesday, February 1, 2005 at 13:27:34)
Adam Harasiewicz is alive - he is a member of jury of The Fifteenth International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition (Warsaw, IX-X 2005).
From: Marta (tigris19@t-online.de / Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at 19:07:33)
thank you for this very good review on A. Harasiewicz, who (like for most of you) is the best Chopin-interpreter I EVER heard and nothing comes like it. Up to that point that I cannot even really deeply enjoy many other great pianists playing Chopin, because it doesn't seem right... Thanks for the info for the Competition, I was wondering if he was still alive.
From: H.Hampel (h.hampel@surfadsl.net / Tuesday, October 25, 2005 at 00:09:21)
On Sunday, I watched to the finals of the Chopin Competition in
Warsaw on TVP Kultura (10862 MHz Astra 19,2 H,2200). Harasiewicz was of course among the jurors. I remember his victory at the Competition in 1955.
The entire event was broadcast on the radio and I listened to it
together with my parents, and enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately, I never attended a live event with him.
This time, 21-year old Rafal Blechacz won the competition.
From: Robert Turnbull (rsturn@terminus.net.au / Tuesday, December 6, 2005 at 22:09:43)
It is good to see Adam Harasiewicz being recognised. One of my first (borrowed) records as a 15 year old in Western Australia in the 1960s was his recording of the Chopin Etudes, on Philips Gold Label. As a young piano student at the time I was fascinated by this recording and used to listen, following the score, with disbelief at the wonderful clarity and sonority of his playing. I have loved and listened to various peformances of those fabulous Etudes for decades and am grateful that Mr Harasiewicz introduced me to these masterful works. I hope that Philips will reissue this fine performance on CD.
From: www.colondrano.com (chris@colondrano.com / Sunday, January 15, 2006 at 18:50:37)
Anyone have any comments on the Naxos renditions of the Etudes?
From: Pieter Hagen (pghagen@cs.com / Monday, March 6, 2006 at 23:18:30)
With great pleasure i read the article about Chopin specialist Adam Harasiewicz. I totally agree with his view. For me he is the best Chopin player i ever head. I specially like his recording of the walzes on philips. They are played with great clearness and masterly technique. In the Dutch magazine "pianowereld" it was announced that mr. Harasiewicz (who is now 73 years of age and living at Salzburg) will give some recitals in the Netherlands. The first one was going to take place at 5 March at The Hague, but was cancelled at the last moment. For me this was a great disappointment, as i never heard him play live. But it seems that he will give some more performances in May at Drachten (12/05) and Den Bosch, and in June 2006 also at Leeuwarden. I try to find out the missing dates, and will put these on this site later on for the admirers.
Pieter Hagen, Amsterdam
From: Pieter Hagen (pghagen@cs.com / Wednesday, March 8, 2006 at 22:57:50)
As a result of my investigations about the 2006 concerts and masterclasses of mr. Harasiewicz, please find hereafter the list with locations and dates where he is said to perform later on this year (2006):
7th May Theater aan de Parade, Den Bosch
12th May De Lawei, Drachten
24th-26th June De Harmonie, Leeuwarden (pianofestival)
1st-8th Sept. Kleine zaal Concertgebouw (Masterclasses, which is not final yet !!)
Pieter Hagen / Amsterdam
From: Richard Thorn (charnockrichard@aol.com / Monday, April 24, 2006 at 04:21:36)
What can I say...when I was in 10 or 11 my father taught me to read music using some sheet music and a Harasiewicz recording of Chopin's Ballade in A flat major..I will never forget both as they were a perfect introduction to music making both from a compositional and performance point of view.
With the maturity of many years...Iam now 43, I have heard Horowitz, Zimerman, Pollini in the concert hall and many others ..I think Harasiewicz has delivered many honest, well balanced, and heartfelt performances. He is a rare interpretive talent that speaks with a voice the majority can understand. Excellent dynamics and phrasing, superlative delivery and a genuine empathy with the composer make for a heartfelt ecperience between performer and listener.
From: Marysia de Klerk (marysia@dodo.com.au / Saturday, May 6, 2006 at 12:27:46)
How delighted I was to find Adam Harasiewicz on the web. I fell in love with his Chopin interpretations in Holland – Laren early 1960 – 1962 , I was a student nurse and very much inspired by Adam to learn music. I bought all his recordings.
Now I am in Australia (since March 1965) in the bush. I have searched for more recordings on CD’s but to no avail. I would dearly love to have his work. Would anyone know if there is any available?
Thank you Adam!
With my fondest regards,
Marysia de Klerk
From: ujwala venkatesh (hoskotevenkatesh@cox.net / Saturday, May 20, 2006 at 09:37:49)
I would request if someone can give me some information where i can get a copy of the cd of chopin 2nd sonata by Adam Harasiewiez. Thanks. ujwala.
From: Richard Dias (richardpdias@hotmail.com / Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at 16:18:32)
I just bought the complete Chopin by Harasiewicz on Decca for a very low price, 10 cds, roughly 30 US dollars. I think the reference number is 442 8746. I have lots of Chopin Cds, but thought this was exceptionally good playing and hence found your article on the web.By the way, I also want to recommend Michele Boegners Nocturnes recording on Calliope. She plays an 1830s Pleyel (Chopin`s favourite piano). I prefer the sound of "original" pianos, but the interpretations are the best I`ve heard. Does anyone else know them?
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