Past into Present – Stirling 2021

On 8 October 2021 at 6.30 pm at Holy Trinity Church in Stirling, Anna Dębowska restaged Chopin’s matinée musicale originally held on 4 October 1848 in the Hopetoun Rooms, Edinburgh. The event included Chopin’s Valses, Mazourkas, Nocturnes, and his other compositions which he performed during his last public performance in Scotland – some say, his last public performance at all.

The programme of the concert, just like the original one, was vague, as Anna intended to restage the concert replicating Chopin’s bizarre habit of deciding on the specific compositions to be performed just before entering the stage or already on it. 

Programme:
Andante et impromptu – F. Chopin
Etudes – F. Chopin
Nocturnes et Berceuse – F. Chopin
Grande Valse Brillante – F. Chopin
Andante précédé d’un Largo – F. Chopin
Prelude, Ballade, Mazourkas et Valses – F. Chopin

The original concert by Chopin was peculiar in its character as it was a solo recital, a none-too-common occurrence at that time. The performance was well received due to the „delicacy of his [Chopin’s] touch, and the consequent beauty of tone.” The Edinburgh Courier noted that „[Chopin’s]  playing  [had]  less effect in a hall of considerable size.” and added that „as a performer of chamber music he [had] no equal.” Although the perception of Chopin by his contemporaries across the English channel may seem a bit disappointing, one cannot disagree that Chopin composed music best sounding in smaller venues. It seems as years passed by. his music now receives appropriate recognition, inter allia, thanks to pianist such as Anna Dębowska whose performance do carry a meaning, and so it did in Holy Trinity Church in Stirling.