Jagiellonian patronage
The Dean of the Jagiellonian University's Faculty of Philology - prof. El¿bieta Górska - decided on the 9th of February 2016 to patronize our "Chopin the Ungrateful" project. We are happy that the Jagiellonian University - Poland's oldest university - has in this way acknowledged the academic value of our project.
The project currently consists of two parts: Part 1 of the project - a live event - will take the audience on a journey to those places that Jane W. Stirling herself took Chopin to. It is a combination of narration by Marek Kucharski, illustrated with photographic and video material, readings of Chopin's letters, and music of Chopin's works performed live by Anna Dêbowska and concluded with a short recital of Anna playing selected pieces that are about to appear on her new album, which is Part 2 of the project. The CD is, in fact, an audio-recorded musical expression of the gratitude we all have for the woman that saved the bulk of Chopin's legacy.
The album is in four parts. Part One - For Frédéric Chopin - includes three works that Jane W. Stirling practiced under the supervision of Chopin: Polonaise in C sharp minor op. 26 No. 1, Nocturne in F major op. 15 No. 1, and Ballade in A flat major op. 47. Part Two - For Jane Stirling - includes two Nocturnes op. 55: in F minor No. 1 and in E flat major No. 2, dedicated by Chopin to his special pupil. Part Three - For Frédéric Chopin and Jane Stirling - includes a compilation of Chopin's works (Polonaise-Fantaisie in A flat major op. 61, Nocturne in D flat major op. 27 No. 2 and Ballade in F minor op. 52) never performed by Jane W. Stirling, selected by Anna Dêbowska to express her admiration for Chopin's genius and the gratitude, we Poles should have for this incredible woman, for what she did for Chopin, the gratitude that Chopin seldom expressed. The final part - Mourning - includes Prelude in C minor No. 20 op. 28, which Jane Stirling repeatedly performed to herself after Chopin's death, perhaps to relieve her sorrow.
Click here to watch the trailer in English.
Click here to watch the trailer in Polish.
Click here for further information on the project.
