R.I.P. Polish harpsichordist Elisabeth Chojnacka (1939-2017)

Started by Scion7, May 29, 2017, 05:52:52 PM

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Scion7

May 29, 2017, 05:52:52 PM
She recorded over a dozen albums of Classical music - I have a couple.
There are some live performances of her on YT.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Crudblud

#1
May 29, 2017, 11:39:03 PM
Sad to hear this. Greatly enjoyed her recordings of Ligeti's harpsichord pieces.

Turner

#3
May 30, 2017, 03:34:28 AM
For some decades, she was the leading and inspiring performer of contemporary harpsichord music, playing with a dazzling degree of virtuosity and recording for Erato and others.
I thought she was maybe 10 years younger than she really was.

CelluloidBiker

#4
December 11, 2023, 01:46:35 PM
I just picked up a beautiful vinyl pressing of Chojnacka's l'Avant-garde du Passé (1982), which I would recommend to anyone with a remote interest in harpsichord music, modern or otherwise. As the title implies, it consists mostly of forward-looking harpsichord pieces from "the past" (here, the late Renaissance/early Baroque period). Her lengthy hypnotic version of "Upon La Mi Re" is worth the price of admission alone.

I don't think the album has ever been reissued digitally, but you can hear it on YouTube:
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