Paderewski Essays & Poems written and edited by Maja Trochimczyk is a book dedicated to a Polish pianist, composer, statesman and philanthropist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1840-1941) who gain international fame not only as a celebrated virtuoso pianist, but also as an architect of Poland's regained independence (1918, after 123 years of partitions). The richly illustrated volume consists of three parts. For the first part, "Paderewski Poems," Dr. Trochimczyk transcribed 52 poems about Paderewski, penned in English by American, British, Scottish, Irish and Australian poets, mostly in 1890-1940. The majority of these poems are from Paderewski personal correspondence preserved in Paderewski Archive at the Archive of Modern Records in Warsaw Poland. They have not been published before.
Among the well-known poets of the Gilded Age and the Interwar Era who wrote about Paderewski were California's first poet laureate Ina Coolbrith; Alabama poet laureate Kate Slaughter McKinney; A.F. Bates (probably Katharine Lee Bates, the author of "America the Beautiful?); Irish-Indian writer, philosopher, and convert to Hinduism, James Cousins; editor of the Century Magazine, Richard Watson Gilder; editor of the New York Times, John Houston Finley; co-founder of the Sierra Club and of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Robert Underwood Johnson; and Paderewski's biographer Charles Phillips, among many others.
The second part presents four essays about Paderewski by Dr. Trochimczyk. Two of these studies, written in 2001 (published in Polish Music Journal, Vol. 4) and in 2025 are dedicated to the textual and contextual analysis of the poems, The first describes a variety of poems about Paderewski that viewed him either as a musician or statesman, a Polish patriot. The second, traces the changing image of the pianist, from a virtuoso, through a divine messenger, comparable to a seraph or archangel, to a heroic Polish patriot, and finally to an immortal, spiritual master, akin to Ascended Masters of Theosophy, who lead their faithful disciples on the path of spiritual ascension into enlightenment. In Paderewski's case, that path is outlined by the sound of his piano, reverently heard in the world's concert halls.
PADEREWSKI ESSAYS & POEMS - TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part I. Paderewski Poems —1
1. “Impressions of a Paderewski Recital”—Anonymous—3
2. “A Scotch Tribute”—Anonymous—4
3. “To Paderewski”—Anonymous (1924)—6
4.“To Paderewski”—Anonymous (1925)—7
5. “Lines to an Artist (I.J.P. ) On His Playing”—A. B.—8
6. “To Paderewski—Sovereign—Pianist (1)” —A. F. Bates—9
7. “To Paderewski—Sovereign—Pianist (2)” —A. F. Bates—10
8. “Genius”—Dorothy Hull Beatty—11
9. “I Am Music”—Berton Bellis—12
10. “Paderewski Plays the Moonlight Sonata”—Arthur Bryant—15
11. “When Paderewski Plays”—Will George Butler—16
12. “Polonia Resurgata”—Adolphe de Castro—18
13. “Paderewski”—Myrtle E. Cone—19
14. “Paderewski”—Ina Coolbrith—20
15. “Paderewski Plays at Lausanne Cathedral” —James H. Cousins—21
16. “When Paderewski Plays”—Flora Fain Crist—22
17. “To Paderewski”—Mary Francis Crosby—23
18. “Paderewski”—Dorothy Dudley—24
19. “The Golden Bear”—Charles Mills Gayley—25
20. “[Untitled]”—Sara Groenevelt—26
21. “Paderewski at Troy”—John Huston Finley—27
22. “To Paderewski”—John Huston Finley—28
23. “How Paderewski Plays”—Richard Watson Gilder—29
24. “The Portrait of Paderewski”—“Halka”—31
25. “When ‘Padi’ Comes to Town”—George W. Hootman—32
26. “To Paderewski, Patriot” —Robert Underwood Johnson—34
27. “[To Paderewski, Untitled]”—Josephine & M.—35
28.“Paderewski”—Jessica H. Lowell—36
29.“Sonata Appassionata”—Lucia Clark Markham—38
30. “Lines to Monsieur Paderewski on Hearing Him Play at the Brighton Pavilion”—M.E.A. —40
31. “Paderewski”—Kate Slaughter McKinney—41
32. “Great Master”—Ester Jacoby Merrill—42
33. “Sonnet to Paderewski”—Alice May Moir—43
34. “The Maestro”—Juliet C. Olin—44
35. “Immortal”—William Kimberly Palmer—45
36.“Ignace Paderewski (1940)”—Einar Atair Paulenton—46
37. “Poland and Paderewski”—Charles Phillips—47
38. “To Paderewski After Years"—Ernest Powell—49
39. “Jan Ignace Paderewski”—Procter—50
40. “To Paderewski’s Dog”—Jean Hennepin Render—51
41. “When Paderewski Came to Town”—Grantland Rice—52
42. “When Paderewski Plays”—Windsor V. Richberg—53
43. “Paderewski”—Josephine Rita Sargeant—54
44. “Mr. Ignace Paderewski, Morges, Switzerland” —B. Sterling—55
45. “Chanson d’e te (Song of the Summer)” —William Struthers—56
46. “The Last Pure Chords of a Chopin’s ‘Berceuse’” —William Struthers—57
47. “Paderewski”—Elisabeth Tousey—58
48.“Paderewski in Gold”—Maja Trochimczyk—61
49. “To Paderewski. A Sonnet”—Elva W. Williams—62
50. “What Paderewski Taught Me about Being” —Kath Abela Wilson—63
51. “Poland’s Resurrection”—Anthony Zaleski—64
Essay 1. Paderewski in Poetry: Master of Harmonies or Poland's Savior—69
Essay 2. An Archangel at the Piano: Paderewski’s Image and His Female Audience—105
Essay 3. A Paderewski Album from Brighton, England, 1890-1914—152
Essay 4. Romantic, Sublime, Heroic, Immortal: Paderewski in English-language Poetry—178
Part III. About Paderewski—209 (Edited by Maja Trochimczyk)
Paderewski—A Calendar of Life—210
Paderewski’s Writings—239
Paderewski’s Compositions—243
Paderewski Archives and Musea—249
Selected Bibliography—249
"Three Paderewski Plays" by Kazimierz Braun is a collection of theatrical works dedicated to the life, career, and impact of a famous Polish pianist, composer, statesman, and philanthropist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1840-1941). "Maestro Paderewski" is set as a play for one actor, illustrated with Paderewski’s music, and presented as the virtuoso pianist-composer’s reflection on his career in music and politics. It previously appeared in the first volume of Braun's Dramaty Zebrane. Collected Plays published in 2024 in Polish and English. The other two plays were included in a bilingual edition of Dramaty Zebrane. Collected Plays, vol. 4 in 2025.
The play "Paderewski's Children" focuses on the patriotic activities of Lieutenant (later Colonel) Jan Chwalski – a poet, playwright, and the handler of the Paderewski puppet, during the creation of Polish Army in Canada in 1917 (it later became the Haller's Army and fought alongside Americans against the Germans in WWI). The play is in two parts and ends during World War II. Finally, "Paderewski's Return" is set in 1922 and presents the dilemma of the aging pianist’s return to the stage after a decade when he was dedicated solely to political activities and struggle for Poland’s independence. The book includes an introductory essay by the author, and general information edited by Maja Trochimczyk: lists of Paderewski's compositions and writings, and a selected bibliography.
This book is a companion volume to “Paderewski Essays & Poems” edited by Maja Trochimczyk, with 52 newly discovered English-language poems about the virtuoso pianist (written in 1890-1941 and in 2020s), as well as four studies of his life and music, a detailed calendar of life, and lists of his works and writings by Maja Trochimczyk.
THREE PADEREWSKI PLAYS - TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 1. The Life and Work of Ignacy Jan Paderewski – by Kazimierz Braun
Page 19. Maestro Paderewski — by Kazimierz Braun
Page 47. Paderewski’s Children — by Kazimierz Braun
Page 109. Paderewski’s Return — by Kazimierz Bran
Page 171. Paderewski’s Writings — by Maja Trochimczyk
Page 177. Paderewski’s Compositions by Maja Trochimczyk
Page 184. Paderewski’s Archives and Musea — by Maja Trochimczyk
Page 185. Selected Books and Studies about Paderewski — by Maja Trochimczyk
Prof. Kazimierz Braun is a director, writer, and scholar. For many years, he was artistic director and general manager of professional theaters in Poland. He directed in Poland, the United States, Canada, Ireland, Germany, and other countries. He taught at Polish and American universities. He published over eighty books, including several volumes on theatre history and theory, as well as novels, dramas, and poetry. His plays have been staged in Poland, USA, Canada, and Ireland. His honors include Literary Award from the Union of Polish Writers Abroad in London, and recently the Golden Award for eminent filmmakers from the Helena Modjeska Art & Culture Club.
https://modjeskaclub.blogspot.com/2025/09/kazimierz-braun-receives-2025-golden.html
Dr. Maja Trochimczyk is a Polish American music historian, poet and translator, the author of 22 books, 30 book chapters, and 28 peer-reviewed research studies, as well as hundreds of poems and essays, including six research studies dedicated to Paderewski. With two master’s degrees from Poland (a M.A. in musicology from Warsaw University, Poland, and a M.A. in sound engineering from Chopin University of Music in Warsaw), and Ph.D. from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, she published nine books on music and Polish culture, & numerous research studies about Polish composers (Chopin, Szymanowska, Paderewski, Lutosławski, Górecki, Bacewicz, etc.), and other topics. She presented her work at over 90 international conferences. An award-winning poet, President of the California State Poetry Society, & the Editor of California Quarterly, she wrote and edited eleven poetry volumes, including five poetry anthologies, starting from Chopin with Cherries: A Tribute in Verse (2010) celebrating the 200th birthday of Fryderyk Chopin with 123 poems by 92 poets. She wrote six research studies about Paderewski, his music, and his image in poetry.
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