At Drummohr House

On 12 May 2024 in Drummohr House, Scotland, Anna Dębowska and Poland’s soprano Katarzyna Oleś-Blacha restaged the concert F. Chopin originally gave on 7 July 1848 at the residence of Lord Falmouth, London. The audience at Drummohr House more than appreciated the performance, rewarding the musicians with a deafening standing ovation. Thus, Anna, as part of the Jane Stirling Project, has restaged all the public concerts Chopin gave in the UK in 1848.

Spoken word on the history of Drummohr House was given by the owner of the house Finlay M. Lockie and on the background of the concert by Marcin Jaroszek.

On 7 July 1848 Chopin was accompanied by his friend Pauline Viardot and her cousin Antonia de Medni, with whom he had performed in the Pleyel Salon in Paris. As usuall, preparations for the concert were not easy. It was difficult to obtain from Chopin precise information regarding what he was going to play, which is the reason why parts of the programme were vague with just suggestions of the compositions to be performed. Other compositions performed inclided Pauline Viardot’s arrangements of several mazourkas by F. Chopin as well as a number of songs by her father.

Program

ANDANTE SOSTENUTO ET SCHERZO (Op. 31) ……………………… Chopin
MAZOURKAS DE CHOPIN, arrangees par Madame Viardot Garcia
Madame VIARDOT GARCIA et Mlle, DE MENDI
ETUDES (19,13, et 14) …………………………………………………… Chopin
AIR, “Ich denke dein” ………………………………………………. Beethoven
Madame VIARDOT GARCIA
NOCTURNE ET BERCEUSE ………………………………………………. Chopin
RONDO, “Non Piu mesta” …….(Cenerentola)………….. Rossini
Madame VIARDOT GARCIA
PRELUDES, MAZOURKAS, BALLADE, VALSES …………………….. Chopin
AIRS ESPAGNOLES, Madame VIARDOT GARCIA
et Mlle, DE MENDI