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UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Myth and Appropriation: Fryderyk Chopin in the Context of Russian and Polish Literature and Culture Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/09b3q63z Author Lin, Tony Hsiu Publication Date 2014 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Myth and Appropriation: Fryderyk Chopin in the Context of Russian and Polish Literature and Culture By Tony Hsiu Lin A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Slavic Languages and Literatures in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Anne Nesbet, Co-Chair Professor David Frick, Co-Chair Professor Robert P. Hughes Professor James Davies Spring 2014 Myth and Appropriation: Fryderyk Chopin in the Context of Russian and Polish Literature and Culture © 2014 by Tony Hsiu Lin Abstract Myth and Appropriation: Fryderyk Chopin in the Context of Russian and Polish Literature and Culture by Tony Hsiu Lin Doctor of Philosophy in Slavic Languages and Literatures University of California, Berkeley Professor Anne Nesbet, Co-Chair Professor David Frick, Co-Chair Fryderyk Chopin’s fame today is too often taken for granted. Chopin lived in a time when Poland did not exist politically, and the history of his reception must take into consideration the role played by Poland’s occupying powers. Prior to 1918, and arguably thereafter as well, Poles saw Chopin as central to their “imagined community.” They endowed national meaning to Chopin and his music, but the tendency to glorify the composer was in a constant state of negotiation with the political circumstances of the time. This dissertation investigates the history of Chopin’s reception by focusing on several events that would prove essential to preserving and propagating his legacy. Chapter 1 outlines the indispensable role some Russians played in memorializing Chopin, epitomized by Milii Balakirev’s initiative to erect a monument in Chopin’s birthplace Żelazowa Wola in 1894. Despite their political tension, Russia and Poland came together in the common cause of venerating Chopin. Chapter 2 examines two instances of the Russian-Polish cooperation: Chopin centennial celebrations in 1910 and 1949. These celebrations featured speeches and commemorative concerts that later became the norm. Chapter 3 considers the International Chopin Piano Competition, founded in independent Poland in 1927. As one of the earliest international musical contests of its kind and scale, the Chopin Competition effectively turned Chopin from a national into an international figure. Furthermore, the public nature of the competition led to the engagement of the entire society, involving spectators and the press. Besides the three main chapters, two Interludes survey the representations of Chopin and his music in Russian and Polish literature. In addition to literature, this dissertation analyzes works of visual art and music to consider the process of mythmaking and its implications. 1 For my parents i TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements iii Notes on Quotes, Transliterations, and Translations iv List of Illustrations v Introduction vii Chapter 1. Music Crossing National Boundaries: The Role of Russia and Russians in the Cultivation and Presevation of Chopin’s Legacy 1 Interlude 1. Chopin and Russian Writers: Miatlev, Fet, Severianin, Pasternak and Akhmatova 33 Chapter 2. Chopin Glorified: Chopin Centennial Celebrations, 1910 and 1949 47 Chapter 3. The Institution of the International Chopin Piano Competition and Its Social and Cultural Implications 98 Interlude 2. Chopin in the Works of Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz: Lato w Nohant (1936) and Two Poems 139 Coda. Chopin in the 21st Century 156 Bibliography 159 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I want to thank the members of my dissertation committee. Anne Nesbet has been a model of combining academic interest with musical passion. She made numerous helpful suggestions that improved the dissertation tremendously. From the beginning of my graduate career, David Frick has inspired me with his scholarly rigor and erudition. Discussions with Robert P. Hughes, who possesses a remarkable knowledge of both music and Slavic literature and culture, are always a source of great satisfaction. James Davies has been very generous with his time and unfailing support. Before I began graduate studies, I remember Richard Taruskin’s reference to Berkeley’s Slavic Department as a second Music Department. I have taken this reference to heart and devoted a significant part of my studies to the relationship between music and literature. My interests have been refined and nourished over the years by the faculty at Berkeley. In addition to my dissertation committee members, I want to warmly thank Luba Golburt, Olga Matich, Eric Naiman, Richard Taruskin, Ronelle Alexander, Irina Paperno, and Anna Muza. Many professors come to my concerts regularly, and I truly appreciate their taking an interest in my musical endeavors. Lessons with Betty Woo have provided constant enjoyment. Prior to Berkeley, I am lucky to have studied with some of the finest professors at Northwestern University. I want to thank Irwin Weil for introducing me to Russian literature and culture. His love for the subject and the way he engages his students have been nothing but awe- inspiring. I also want to thank Clare Cavanagh, whose class on twentieth-century Polish literature opened my eyes and, more importantly, my heart to Polish culture. My research has been generously supported by the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad grant. I want to thank Marina Kaul in Moscow and Zbigniew Skowron in Warsaw for being my hosts. I wish to thank Izabella Butkiewicz and Mariusz Wrona at the Narodowy Instytut Fryderyka Chopina for generously providing me access to the Institute’s rich collections. Likewise, thanks are owed to Magdalena Głodek for her assistance at the Bibliotheque Polonaise in Paris. I also received a research grant from the Europa-Universität Viadrina, and I want to thank Werner Benecke for his guidance while in Frankfurt (Oder). This dissertation would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of my friends in Berkeley and all over the world. Few words can express my debt to Justin Snider, whose intellectual curiosity and work ethic are peerless. Christopher Sullivan, Justin Alley, Sergey Maximoff, Emily Frey, and Polina Dimova have been wonderful companions. I also want to thank Carl Onak for reading over my chapters and refining my argument with his scientific precision. Discussions on Russian literature and culture with Ivan Pechenezhskiy have been extremely stimulating. In Poland, I wish to sincerely thank Łukasz Jonak and Adam Kania for putting up with my numerous questions on the nuances of the Polish language and helping my Polish get to where it is today. Last but not least, I want to thank my parents, who sacrificed much to provide me a first- rate education. This dissertation is dedicated to them. iii NOTE ON QUOTES, TRANSLITERATIONS, AND TRANSLATIONS I have made minor changes to older Russian texts to reflect modern orthography. Transliterations follow the Library of Congress system, except when an anglicized name has been well- established (e.g. Dostoevsky, Tolstoy). All translations are my own unless otherwise noted. iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Introduction Figure 1: Władysław Szpilman playing for the Nazi officer, from the movie The Pianist (2002) Figure 2: President Bolesław Bierut giving Warsaw mayor Stanisław Tołwiński the urn containing Chopin’s heart on October 17, 1945 Figure 3: Teofil Kwiatkowski, Portret Chopina (1849) Figure 4: Walenty Wańkowicz, Portret Mickiewicza (1828) Chapter 1 Figure 1: Chopin Monument in Żelazowa Wola Figure 2: The score of Rimsky-Korsakov's Pan Voyevoda (1903). On top of the page we see "Памяти Фредерика Шопена" (“To the memory of Fryderyk Chopin”) Figure 3: The Ceremony in Żelazowa Wola Figure 4: Mikhail Vrubel’, Portraits of Composers (1890) Figure 5: Slavic Composers (1871-72) by Il’ia Repin Figure 6: same picture, focusing on Chopin (left), Nikolai Rubinstein and Moniuszko Figure 7: The first Russian biography of Chopin (1864) Chapter 2 Figure 1: An invitation to the church service at the Holy Cross Church and the evening concert Figure 2: Mickiewicz statue unveiled in Warsaw on December 24, 1897 Figure 3: La mort de Chopin (1885) by Félix-Joseph Barrias Figure 4: 1910 Proclamation of the Fryderyk Chopin Monument Building Committee in Warsaw Figure 5: Jan Ciągliński, Scherzo in B minor (1909) Figure 6: Paderewski speaking at the unveiling of the Grunwald monument in Kraków Figure 7: The program at the 1910 Lwów celebrations Figure 8: Portrait of Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1891) by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema Figure 9: Paderewski’s speech in French translation (1911) Figure 10: A participant of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising playing a Chopin concert Figure 11: Resolution (dated March 20, 1948) to declare 1949 the Year of Chopin Figure 12: Mieczysław Oracki-Serwin, Polonez As-dur Chopina w kuźni Huty Kościuszko (1952) Figure 13: Francisco Mora, Fryderyk Chopin prowadzący lud do walki (1949) Figure 14: Władysław Jahl, Fryderyk Chopin grający Etiudę Rewolucyjną (1949) Figure 15: Tribute of Mexico, The Artist and The Patriot of Poland Figure 16: Detailed plan (dated June 17, 1948) for Chopin Year concerts Figure 17: Chopin’s 1830 farewell concert re-created in