Famous pianist at the music school. Rafał Blechacz's exceptional recital in Szczecin

A great cultural event on Friday evening in Szczecin. The recital of the outstanding pianist Rafał Blechacz was an artistic feast for music lovers. The ZPSM concert hall was filled to the brim with audience.

The highlight of the recital was undoubtedly Fryderyk Chopin's Piano Concerto in E minor, Op. 11. The Romantic composer reigned supreme in the entire repertoire of the evening, which should come as no surprise, because Blechacz, as the winner of the prestigious International Chopin Competition in 2005, masterfully extracts lyricism and anxiety, harmony and melody, as well as the elusive poetic nostalgia from Chopin's works. The audience reacted with both emotion and enthusiastic euphoria to the masterful interpretations of an artist who has won the highest titles in many international piano competitions. An artist whose performance is sought by the most famous concert halls in the world, such as New York's Carnegie Hall, London's Royal Albert Hall, Vienna's Wiener Musicverein, or Amsterdam's The Royal Concertgebouw.

The event in Szczecin would not have been possible without the instrument that the Zespół Państwowych Szkół Muzycznych on Staromłyńska Street purchased a few months ago. It is a piano from the famous Steinway & Sons brand, famous for its high quality. Rafał Blechacz performs exclusively on these instruments.

Friday's very rich repertoire recital, the pianist began with works by Chopin. In the first part, he presented a dynamic and expressive interpretation of the Barcarolle in F sharp major, Op. 60, and then performed the Ballade No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47, considered a romantic masterpiece, presenting virtuosity and sensitivity. The next item on the program were three Chopin mazurkas, Op. 50, with elements of various textures, including polyphony, in which the notes of the oberek and kujawiak can be heard. This part also included a tripartite composition by Franz Schubert, Impromptu in E flat major, G flat major, A flat major, and at the end of the first part, the famous Moonlight Sonata in C sharp minor, Op. 27 by Ludwig van Beethoven. One could feel that concertizing and contact with the audience is Rafał Blechacz's element. The audience showed their admiration for the artistic skill of the performer with ovations.

The second part featured the aforementioned Piano Concerto in E minor, Op. 11 by Fryderyk Chopin – one of two written by the composer. During Friday's recital, the audience heard it in a chamber version, as the orchestral part was performed on the second piano by pianist Natalia Zaleska. The piece combines the features of Chopin's works: virtuosity, purity of playing, poetry, dynamics, in which subtlety intertwines with drama. Rafał Blechacz presented all of these Chopin shades, phrases and motifs in his interpretation. The audience rewarded the artist with great ovations, repeatedly demanding encores, in response to which the artist performed, among others, Fryderyk Chopin's waltz. After the concert, a meeting with music lovers took place. The pianist admitted that he derives the greatest satisfaction from concerts and communion with the audience. Asked if he feels tired from performing mainly Chopin's pieces, the maestro replied firmly that he does not. He added that the ways of performing this composer's works can be so diverse that when he records several versions of a given work on a disc, the greatest difficulty for him is choosing the one, most interesting interpretation that will stay with the listeners for many years.

The concert at ZPSM was possible thanks to the support of the Marshal of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, the Mayor of Szczecin. Kurier Szczeciński was the media patron of the event.

Elizabeth Kubera