Chamber music, performed in bourgeois and aristocratic salons, was a primary form of entertainment and served important social functions in the 19th century.
Performer Biography
Małgorzata Kubala, the coloratura soprano on this album, is a faculty member at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and holds a doctorate in vocal arts.
Recording & Production
This recording is based on a historical publication by Gebethner & Wolff, which erroneously attributed Luigi Bordèse's mazurka arrangements to Paulina Viardot-García.
Composer Biography
Paulina Viardot-García, a renowned vocalist, learned Polish to study Fryderyk Chopin's original songs, demonstrating her deep admiration for his music.
Instruments
The recording uses a Pleyel piano from 1842, identical to the one Fryderyk Chopin used during his stay in Nohant, from the collection of Andrzej Włodarczyk.
Notable Performances
Chopin and Paulina Viardot-García performed her vocal transcriptions of his mazurkas together multiple times, including at his last public appearance in London.
Composition History
Paulina Viardot-García, a close friend of Fryderyk Chopin, transcribed several of his mazurkas for voice and piano with his approval.
