Three Paderewski Plays

＂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. ＂Paderewski’s Children＂ focuses on the patriotic activities of Lieutenant (later Colonel) Jan Chwalski - a poeta, 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. ＂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, & 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 and Poems＂ edited by Maja Trochimczyk, with over sixty newly discovered English-language poems about the virtuoso pianist (written in 1890-1941 and in 2020s), his essays on Chopin and Tempo Rubato, 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.