ZBIGNIEW DRZEWIECKI (1890-1971)
Polish pianist

Zbigniew Drzewiecki was a great pianist, as you will hear below, and another of those inimitable Polish interpreters of the works of Chopin, those who took every note seriously.  He was also one of Poland's finest teachers and, after the death of Jozéf Turczyński, was considered to be the greatest in the land.  The list of those who studied with him is full of names many of you will recognize and includes: Ryszard Bakst, Felicja Blumental, Halina Czerny-Stefańska, Adam Harasiewicz, and Fou Ts'ong.

Although he had not been a pupil of one of the best known names of the time, he did complete his studies with Marie Prentner, Leschetizky's assistant at that great teacher's school in Vienna.

Zbigniew Drzewiecki was not an internally known pianist performing primarily in Vienna, Berlin and Prague, and all over Poland.  But we are fortunate to have a few Polish recordings of his playing.  These are limited to five of the Chopin Nocturnes and the Polish Fantasy by Paderewski.

There are also two fine recordings of Bach concerti for three and four pianos, offered as a curiosity, performed by Zbigniew Drzewiecki and several other esteemed Polish pianists. 

Chopin  Four Nocturnes

4 in F major, Op 15 ~1
5 in F♯ major, Op 15 ~2
6 in G minor, Op 15 ~3
20 in C♯ minor, Op posth

recorded in the early 1950s