“The Piano in Polish Collections”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhKB5lb2NQk
The Institute of Music and Dance launches its new vortal www.piano.instruments.edu.pl devoted to historical
pianos in Polish instruments collections. The portal presents 100 historical pianos, unique instruments dating
back to the 19th an early 20th century.
The portal was presented at the Warsaw Philharmonic during the 17th International Chopin Piano Competition.
The website was launched to ennoble the Competition.
The content of the website includes
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100 historical pianos
Instruments from the largest Polish collections
Grands, squares, uprights, pianos and hybrids
Elegant Errards and Pleyels, forgotten instruments by Budynowicz, Cyfrowicz, Zdrodowicz, Wiszniewski
Fryderyk Chopin last piano, Zygmunt Noskowski’s piano
Treasures of Polish culture and amazing monuments of European culture
Living testimony to our musical past…
You will find all of the above at www.piano.instruments.edu.pl.
The vortal presents 100 historical pianos, unique instruments dating back to the 19 th an early 20th century
exhibited in the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute, Andrzej Szwalbe Collection at the Ostromecko Palace, and
the Museum of Industrial History in Opatówek.
All these instruments are a material testament to our musical past. They document the role of the piano in
everyday life, as well as the achievements of the national and foreign piano-making industries. Each decade of
the 19th century is documented with instruments built in accordance with the dominant taste and fashion of
the era; among them we will find tremendously elegant grand pianos favoured by Fryderyk Chopin, Zygmunt
Noskowski’s instrument with which the composer was presented by the nation, numerous grand pianos by the
nearly forgotten polish companies (many pianists are amazed that these instruments have survived until
today), as well as curiosities such as a piano for children which “grows” together with the performer.
The website contains rich comparative materials, including brand new photographic documentation (1000 high
resolution photos). The catalogue cards, the history of the piano and descriptions of factories present verified
terminology which may serve as a reliable basis for further research. A number of filters have been introduced
which allow users to browse the database, including instrument type, date of production, manufacturer, and
collection. Descriptions are supplemented with audio and audio-visual recordings. The website is available in
two language versions, in Polish and in English.
Invited to collaborate with the Institute of Music and Dance was professor Beniamin Vogel, eminent
instrumentologist and historian of musical instruments. The young generation of instrumentologists is
represented by Joanna Gul (Institute of Musicology, University of Wrocław). The text on the reminiscences of
folk instrumental practice in Chopin’s piano works was contributed by professor Zbigniew Przerembski. The
website is curated by musicologist Agata Mierzejewska. Photographs were provided by Waldemar
Kielichowski, while Studio Robot subblied the project’s web design.
“The Piano in Polish Collections” is the second incarnation of www.instruments.edu.pl (after “Polish Folk
Musical Instruments”) run by the Institute of Music and Dance. Everyone interested in musical instruments may
also follow comments and posts on our blog at www.blog.instrumenty.edu.pl
The Project has been implemented by the Institute of Music and Dance from the funds of the Ministry of
Culture and National Heritage.