Cyprian Kamil Norwid
Cyprian Kamil Norwid, September 1821– 23 May 1883) is a nationally esteemed Polish poet, dramatist, painter, and sculptor. He was born in the Masovian village of Laskowo-Gluchy near Warsaw.
Norwid is regarded as one of the second generation of romantics. He wrote many well-known poems including Fortepian Szopena("Chopin's Piano"). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprian_Norwid
Frederyk Chopin
Chopin was born 22nd February 1810 in Poland to French Parents and died on 17th October 1849 aged only 39.
He was a composer, virtuoso pianist and music teacher and was known as the poet of the piano. He came from a musical family and composed his first work aged only seven.
In 1830 an uprising was started in Poland to try to become independent of Russia. The rebellion failed and like many other Polish people, Chopin left his home country and settled in Paris.
He suffered with bad health from an early age and did not like giving performances in concert halls to large audiences and only ever did so 30 times in his life.
He did however give a few concerts in the UK in 1848. One of these performances was in the Gentlemen’s Concert Hall in Manchester on 28 August. He insisted on playing even though he was very ill at the time.
Chopin’s Memorial in Manchester
There were many events all over the world to celebrate Chopin’s bi-centenary and The Polish Heritage Society in Manchester conceived the idea of a monument. Manchester has had a large Polish community for a long time, which has increased significantly since Poland joined the European Union in 2004.
The bronze statue includes material dating from 1831, the year of the November Uprising by Poles against the Russian Empire. The 2.5 metre wide statue sits on a natural stone plinth two metres high.
It was sculpted by Polish sculptor Robert Sobocinski and shows Chopin playing at a Grand Piano whilst his lover Baroness Aurore Lucile Dupon looks on. The open lid of the piano is in the form of a battle scene from the uprising in 1830.
If you approach the statue from the rear then the back of the the figure of Baroness Dupon is actually in the shape of an Eagle. This is symbolic of the Eagle from Poland's coat of arms.
The Quotation
Although he lived half of his life outside Poland he still very much regarded himself as Polish. On the rear of the statue is a plaque commemorating his bi-centenary and the quote from Polish poet Cyprian Konstanty Norwid "He was a Varsovian by birth, a Pole by heart and a citizen of the world by his talent...". A Varsovian is a resident of Warsaw, the city where Chopin lived whilst he was still in Poland.
As part of the 2010 worldwide celebrations, on 8th February, the space shuttle Endeavour carried a copy of Fryderyk Chopin's manuscript of Prelude in A major Op. 28 No. 7 along with a recording of a special concert of the Polish composer's music played by Karol Radziwonowicz and the Sinfonia Viva Orchestra.
In addition a short film was made to honour the flight and Chopin. It had a prelude and a spoken introduction using the words from the Norwid quote. http://www.washington.polemb.net/index.php?document=873
The quote on the Manchester memorial statue is written in both English and Polish. The full test of the plaque is as follows.
Fryderyk Chopin 1810 – 1849
Varsovian by birth, Polish by heart, citizen of the world by talent... C. K. Norwid
This monument commemorates the bi-centenary of the birth of
Polish musical genius Frderyck Chiopin.
It also marks the contribution of the Polish people who settled
in this city following tumultuous upheavals of the twentieth century
and acknowledges the warm welcome they received.
It celebrates the great friendship between the British and Polish
Communities in the Northwest.
“Rodem Warszuwlunin, servum Polak, a taleniem swiata obywatel...” C. K. Norwid