Halina Czerny-Stefanska
Encyclopedia
Halina Czerny-Stefańska was a Polish pianist.
She studied piano under her father, Stanislaw Szwarcenberg-Czerny, as well as with Alfred Cortot
at the École Normale de Musique in Paris, and later with Józef Turczyński
and Zbigniew Drzewiecki
in Warsaw. She was a joint First Prize winner at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1949, sharing this prize with Bella Davidovich
. Her repertoire was restricted to few composers other than Frédéric Chopin
and even her Chopin repertoire was not large. For example, she did not play the Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor
live until 1951, and she never played the F minor concerto at all, as she did not like it.
She was proven to be the real pianist in a recording of the E minor concerto that was misattributed to Dinu Lipatti
. The recording was released in 1966 by EMI, and on the 1971 British release was a note to the effect that, although the name of the conductor and orchestra were not known, there was no doubt the soloist was Lipatti. The BBC broadcast the recording in 1981, and a listener wrote in, noting the similarities between it and a Supraphon recording from the early 1950s with Czerny-Stefańska under Václav Smetáček
. Tests revealed these were one and the same recording. The so-called Lipatti recording was withdrawn.
Halina Czerny-Stefańska was a juror in many piano competitions including the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition
, the International Tchaikovsky Competition
, and the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition
. She was also a juror at the International Chopin Piano Competition for many years.
Her daughter, with husband Ludwik Stefanski (1917–1982) is Elzbieta Stefanska-Lukowicz (b. 1943), a harpsichordist and professor at the Academy of Music in Kraków
, Poland.
Halina Czerny-Stefańska died in Kraków on July 1, 2001.
Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major Op. 19; Edvard Grieg, Piano Concerto in A Minor Op. 16. Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jan Krenz, Conductor. Musical Heritage Society (MHS 1101, undated)
She studied piano under her father, Stanislaw Szwarcenberg-Czerny, as well as with Alfred Cortot
Alfred Cortot
Alfred Denis Cortot was a Franco-Swiss pianist and conductor. He is one of the most renowned 20th-century classical musicians, especially valued for his poetic insight in Romantic period piano works, particularly those of Chopin and Schumann.-Early life and education:Born in Nyon, Vaud, in the...
at the École Normale de Musique in Paris, and later with Józef Turczyński
Józef Turczynski
Jozéf Turczyński was a Polish pianist, pedagogue and musicologist who exercised a powerful influence over the development of piano teaching and performance, especially in the works of Frédéric Chopin, during the first half of the 20th century...
and Zbigniew Drzewiecki
Zbigniew Drzewiecki
Zbigniew Drzewiecki was a Polish pianist especially associated with the interpretation of Chopin's works, who was for most of his life a teacher of pianists. His pupils include several famous pianists of the 20th century, and his influence was therefore very pervasive.Drzewiecki was born in Warsaw...
in Warsaw. She was a joint First Prize winner at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1949, sharing this prize with Bella Davidovich
Bella Davidovich
Bella Mikhaylovna Davidovich is a Jewish Soviet-born American pianist.Davidovich was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, into a family of musicians and began studying piano when she was six. Three years later, she was the soloist for a performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1. In 1939, she moved to...
. Her repertoire was restricted to few composers other than Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
and even her Chopin repertoire was not large. For example, she did not play the Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor
Piano Concerto No. 1 (Chopin)
The Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, is a piano concerto written by Frédéric Chopin in 1830. It was first performed on 11 October of that year, in Warsaw, with the composer as soloist, during one of his "farewell" concerts before leaving Poland....
live until 1951, and she never played the F minor concerto at all, as she did not like it.
She was proven to be the real pianist in a recording of the E minor concerto that was misattributed to Dinu Lipatti
Dinu Lipatti
Dinu Lipatti was a Romanian classical pianist and composer whose career was cut short by his death from Hodgkin's disease at age 33. He was elected posthumously to the Romanian Academy.-Biography:...
. The recording was released in 1966 by EMI, and on the 1971 British release was a note to the effect that, although the name of the conductor and orchestra were not known, there was no doubt the soloist was Lipatti. The BBC broadcast the recording in 1981, and a listener wrote in, noting the similarities between it and a Supraphon recording from the early 1950s with Czerny-Stefańska under Václav Smetáček
Václav Smetácek
Václav Smetáček was a Czech conductor, composer, and oboist.He studied in Prague among others with Jaroslav Křička, conducting with Metod Doležil and Pavel Dědeček, musicology, aesthetics, and philosophy at Charles University...
. Tests revealed these were one and the same recording. The so-called Lipatti recording was withdrawn.
Halina Czerny-Stefańska was a juror in many piano competitions including the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition
Leeds International Pianoforte Competition
The Leeds International Piano Competition informally known as The Leeds takes place every three years in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1961 by Marion, Countess of Harewood and Fanny Waterman, who is today its Chairman and Artistic Director. The competition was first held in 1963...
, the International Tchaikovsky Competition
International Tchaikovsky Competition
The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow, Russia for pianists, violinists, and cellists between 16 and 30 years of age, and singers between 19 and 32 years of age...
, and the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition
Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition
The Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition is an international classical music competition for pianists and violinists that has operated in France since 1943. It was created by the pianist Marguerite Long and the violinist Jacques Thibaud...
. She was also a juror at the International Chopin Piano Competition for many years.
Her daughter, with husband Ludwik Stefanski (1917–1982) is Elzbieta Stefanska-Lukowicz (b. 1943), a harpsichordist and professor at the Academy of Music in Kraków
Academy of Music in Kraków
The Academy of Music in Kraków is a conservatory located in downtown Kraków, Poland.-History:The Academy, until 1945 as a conservatory under the name Cracow Conservatory or Conservatory of the Music Society, was founded in 1888 by the eminent Polish composer Władysław Żeleński thanks to artistic...
, Poland.
Halina Czerny-Stefańska died in Kraków on July 1, 2001.
Recordings
Frederic Chopin 24 preludes Op. 28, Ace of Diamonds SDD 2146 (Telefunken)Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major Op. 19; Edvard Grieg, Piano Concerto in A Minor Op. 16. Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jan Krenz, Conductor. Musical Heritage Society (MHS 1101, undated)