Topics of this Prelude:

Federico Foglizzo, Pavia
Raoul von Koczalski plays Chopin on piano rolls
The aim of this presentation will be to retrace the fundamental points of the research, dedicated to the collection, rediscovery and valorisation of the Chopin piano rolls by Raoul von Koczalski (1885–1948). The rolls have been considered as witnesses of unpublished interpretations that are very significant for expanding his discography. Furthermore, they are equally important for demonstrating their significance for research on the performance practice of Chopin’s compositions thanks to the direct line of the Chopin tradition with Carl Mikuli (1821–1897), Chopin’s pupil and Koczalski’s teacher from 1893 to 1896. A brief biographical introduction and a complete list of his roll recordings of Chopin compositions will be presented. The results derived from the analysis of his performances will also be summarised. This research uncovered previously unknown interpretations, such as the Piano Concerto in E minor op. 11, the Grand Rondo de Concert (or Krakowiak) op. 14 and a significant number of Mazurkas. The result of this research is significant both scientifically and musicologically, but also for the possibility of performances in concert halls and recordings to be shared online and on CD (which is in preparation and will be published soon).

Federico Foglizzo is a musicologist and pianist. He currently studies piano with Roberto Prosseda at the “Francesco Venezze” Conservatory in Rovigo and attends the Master’s degree course at the University of Pavia (Cremona). He graduated “cum laude” in Musicology in September 2024 with a Bachelor’s
thesis on the rediscovery of the Chopin piano rolls of the Polish pianist Raoul von Koczalski with Professors Pietro Zappalà and Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger. Since 2022, he has curated concert programmes for various Italian and international music festivals. He has also reviewed international festivals and piano competitions

John Rink, Cambridge
Learning from Koczalski: A Comparison of Recordings
This presentation focuses on Chopin’s celebrated Nocturne in E-flat major Op. 9 No. 2, first published in 1832. In the years that followed, Chopin jotted down an unusually large number of ossia-like variants in student scores and elsewhere, some of which feature in recordings by the Polish pianist Raoul Koczalski, who studied with Chopin’s pupil Carl Mikuli. In the talk I provide examples of Chopin’s variants and discuss their significance; this serves as a prelude to consideration of excerpts from four of Koczalski’s recorded interpretations – one of which was released on a Triphonola piano roll, while the others are acoustic or electric. Broaching the (complex) notion of ‘fidelity’. I suggest that the piano-roll recording might reflect artistic ambitions on Koczalski’s part different from those underlying the other surviving recordings. Some final comments encourage a fundamental rethinking of the familiar but problematic dichotomy between ‘letter’ and ‘spirit’ that faces performers among others.

John Rink is Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge. He has published extensively in the fields of musical performance studies, nineteenth-century music (especially Chopin), analysis, and digital musicology. He directed the AHRC Research Centre for Musical Performance as Creative Practice along with the three projects at Chopin Online.

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