… or, to give him his full name, Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a truly astonishing man: virtuoso pianist, composer, patriot, statesman, philanthropist, orator, film star,
Hang on! Film star???
Well, after a fashion. In 1937 Paderewski appeared as himself in the British made film Moonlight Sonata. Here’s a clip from it; it’s a bit(!) mawkish for contemporary tastes, but good fun and gives us a chance to hear the elderly pianist/composer perform his own Minuet in G.
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If you’re feeling up to it and you want to watch the whole film – it starts with Paderewski in a very unlikely looking concert hall playing Chopin’s A-flat Polonaise – click on the link below:
Course materials:
plus those (useful!) hardy perennials:
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The Art of Listening 