Magdalena Baczewska
Magdalena Baczewska is a world class pianist and harpsichordist from Poland who now resides in New York City. She is also a lecturer and Director of the Music Performance Program at Columbia University in New York City. Born in to a musical family, Magdalena began her musical journey at the young age of five with formal piano lessons from Jadwiga Gorecka - the widow of Polish composer Henyrk Mikolaj Gorecka. The Polish school system recognized her talents early on as she attended a specialized primary and secondary school for music. After being discovered at a master class, Magdalena continued her schooling in the United States with Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Mannes The New School For Music as well as a Doctoral degree from The Manhattan School of Music.
As a performing artists, Magdalena has performed in many of the world's finest music halls such as: Carnegie Hall, Beijing's National Center For The Performing Arts, San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall, Paris' Salle Cartot and many others. Some of the Orchestra's she has worked with include: The San Francisco Symphony, China National Symphony, Macao Symphony and more. Magdalena is a Yamaha endorsed artist and currently records on the Paraty record label. Magdalena has the distinction of being the first person since Roslyn Tureck in 1977 to perform J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations twice in the same evening - once on the piano and once on the harpsichord. I recently talked with Magdalena about her career after witnessing a wonderful performance of hers at Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton - Long Island - New York.
R.V.B. - Hello Magdalena, This Is Robert von Bernewitz from Long Island... how are you?
M.B. - Hi! Thanks for calling.
R.V.B. - Are you enjoying this beautiful sunny day in New York?
M.B. - I am, but I am in Boston right now.
R.V.B. - What brings you to Boston? Are you performing?
M.B. - No. My husband has a national sleep conference and decided to tag along and check out a few museums.
R.V.B. - Very nice. Boston is a very nice city. I gather you and your husband have no problem sleeping?
M.B. - Hahaha! No not really. Hahaha. (Her Husband is a sleep specialist)
R.V.B. - Your performance at Southampton Library was wonderful. It helped when you described the piece before you performed it. It helped prepare the listener for what they were about to hear. You played flawlessly and with confidence, and it was really nice.
M.B. - Thank you so much. I appreciate that.
R.V.B. - What was Poland like for you as a little girl and what was your first exposure to music?
M.B. - I grew up with a family of musicians. My mom is a pianist, who concertized quite a bit when I was a little girl. She gradually turned to teaching, and she still teaches at the Szymanowski Academy in Katowice, my home town. There was always piano music at home. My father was a singer and we had rehearsals taking place at home. We always talked about music. There were plenty of books and encyclopedias around, and they were things that I took for granted. My mom was the greatest encyclopedia of all. I could ask her anything about any composer, any musical term or any piece that I was interested in, and she would just shout out the answers... while preparing lunch.
R.V.B. - Some people have issues taking lessons from their parents. Did you take lessons from your mother?
M.B. - I actually never did. My mother knew that it wasn't a good idea. They sent me to private lessons at age of five. My teacher was a widow of a composer who was very well known, by the name of Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki. He became quite famous for his Third Symphony, which was has made top of playlists, even in the pop music genre. I was lucky enough to study with his wife. She was, and still is an incredible person. I still see her when I go back to Poland. Her name is Jadwiga Gorecka. She instilled love and respect for music in me. She worked very close with my mom on my musical education. My mom knew that It would be better off sent to a 3rd person. I still remember my 1st lesson very well. She immediately spoke about the beauty of sound as I was just trying to put my fingers on the keyboard. She taught me about listening. It's something that I don't see in early-stage teaching very often and I've come to appreciate very much.
R.V.B. Do you bring that concept to your students?
M.B. - Yes... always. It's very easy to get tactile and mechanical on the piano. With a wind instrument, you absolutely have to breathe in order to play it. It forces you to pay attention to the instrument. On the piano, it's easy just to rattle things away and use the keyboard as a typewriter. This will differentiate a player from an artist.
R.V.B. - Did your grade school have a music program?
M.B. - Yes. Growing up in Communist Poland, I was part of a school system that had music at its core. There was a specialized primary and secondary music school. Most other subjects were secondary. A lot of the kids who graduate will go on to have musical careers. For those who did not, it may have not turned out very well. For example, my science backround isn't as solid as other kids’. It was great for me. When I came to Mannes College at the age of 18 in New York, I was able to place in the 4th year of ear training and theory immediately, because of the education I received in Poland.
R.V.B. - Is there any reason that you chose Mannes?
M.B. - I was very lucky to meet Professor Jerome Rose. He came to Warsaw when I was 16. I was a beneficiary of a foundation that helped talented children at that time. They invited me to participate in the master class that he had taught. I played Scriabin's 2nd sonata for him and we immediately clicked on a musical level. I still remember that class. The expression and the intensity that he communicated to me. After that lesson, Prof. Rose asked me if I wanted to study with him. It was a terrifying thought because I was only 16 and I had no friends on this continent. That's how I ended up at Mannes.
R.V.B. - You continued your studies at Manhattan School of Music with Constance Keene?
M.B. - Constance was a true Grande Dame... a great lady. She had an extremely dry sense of humor. She was an incredible musician. I was lucky to study with her but unfortunately it was towards the end of her life when her health was deteriorating. Sometimes she would be too weak to even speak and other times she would sit down at the piano and demonstrate something on the instrument that just sounded like you were going 100 years back in time. It had the aesthetic of the golden age of the piano. Her sound was so rich and I can still hear it ringing. She was also a great fashion lover. I remember showing up for my first lesson wearing embroidered pants. I sat down at the piano and played my first piece. When I was finished she said "Don't think I haven't noticed your slacks!" Hahaha
R.V.B. - Hahaha
M.B. - We both shared the love for fashion. We shared stories and news... little gossips of fashion.
R.V.B. - So because of your Polish backround - I just wanted to share that I have a Polish backround also. My grandmother lived in a Polish community in Riverhead - I'm sure you turn to Chopin for heritage reasons. Are there other composers that you may have enjoyed as a child that you still admire through today?
M.B. - Sure... they're not just Polish. I have developed a love for the music of Karol Szymanowski. I recorded his music, along with Chopin’s on my last CD. That music has been part of my life since childhood. Other Polish composers include Paderewski, who was not only a great pianist but was also a great statesman, as he became the prime Minister of Poland. I took to the music of J.S. Bach, very early on. I was always curious about how to figure out a score that doesn't have too many indications on how to perform it. 19th century music has a lot of instructions on it to the performer - from the composer - in the form of slurs, dynamics, and often describes the colors that the composers want you to produce. The music of Bach contains mostly just notes. As a child, I was always fascinated how differently people could perform it. I was also exposed to the interpretations of Glenn Gould. While at Mannes, I also started playing the harpsichord, to further my knowledge of the Baroque era. I find the baroque aesthetic incredibly attractive. On the harpsichord I play the music of Bach, Rameau, Couperin and other French masterworks. I play the Italian pieces by Frescobaldi and his student Froberger. It is not something that every pianist does. It gives me a unique perspective on music. I love to attend performances of early music. Last night I attended an oratorio by an Italian composer that I never heard of. The piece hadn't been performed since 1688. It was called Santa Rosalia. It was performed at the Trinity Church on Wall Street.
R.V.B. - The harpsichord has different action than the piano. Do you have to alter the way you play on it because of the different feel to the instrument?
M.B. - That's a great question... yes. There is definitely a lot of adjustment. It's like lifting different weights in your arms. The action of the harpsichord is much lighter. The key mechanism can only be on or off. There is no easing into the key. The string is excited by a plectrum, so the sound is made immediately. The phrasing and articulation are completely different than the piano. It took me many years to develop the complete independence of the two styles. When I sit at the harpsichord I switch to my harpsichord touch. It took a long time to develop. The keys are much narrower or shorter. The traditional harpsichords have two manuals... two keyboards. A lot of times the hands will be playing on two different levels. If you play both set of keyboards and the same time, you can make louder dynamics. The sound decay is much quicker on the harpsichord. You have to use different means to produce expression. I did something two years ago - many friends told me I was crazy - was to perform the Goldberg variations by J.S. Bach in one evening... on both the double manual harpsichord and the piano. It was quite an experience practicing for it. I was working on this giant piece for a couple of hours on the harpsichord... using stops and various colors... different articulations... then after a break, sitting down and playing the same piece... in a completely different manner... with a completely different touch... on the modern piano.I still consider myself a student of the harpsichord. I have taken a few lessons with Arthur Haas, who is a Professor at Stony Brook. I also studied in Italy with his French student Pierre Hantaï. At the Manhattan school, I was lucky to work with Kenneth Cooper. He is a great harpsichordist and he was also my thesis advisor.
R.V.B. - In the performance halls that you've performed at in your career, there are different sizes and different acoustics to each room. Are there any adjustments needed to perform in different sounding rooms?
M.B. - Oh sure. It's similar to speaking a group in a room. If you are speaking to a small group of friends, you would not choose large gestures. Your friends would probably think something is wrong with you.
R.V.B. - Hahaha
M.B. - The larger the hall, the more one has to be clear with the intensions. I like to compare it - with my students - to stage makeup. The bigger the audience, the more makeup you have to wear, so they can see your eyes. For an intimate audience - like we had last week in Southampton - I like to think that we are in a music parlor back in the 19th century. The time where music was shared at homes. I like to create a homey atmosphere where we are all just gathered casually around the piano. That is not possible in a hall of 5,000 seats.
R.V.B. - How did you start your professional career out of college?
M.B. - At Mannes, we had a lot of opportunities to perform. There were various festivals that were organized by the Chair of the piano department. I was exposed to audiences in and outside of New York... quite early. I attended piano competitions which also provide a lot of exposure. I did have a moment of doubt when I was in the midst of my Doctoral studies. I looked around and though of how many people there are in New York. How many musicians are going to have degrees and struggle to make any kind of living. For 4 years, I accepted an administrative position at Yamaha Artist Services. It provided myself with a sense of security. After those four years - having learned quite a lot - I also learned that my heart was with music... especially in a classroom. That led me to a job as a professor at Montclair State University in New Jersey. I worked there for many years and gained a lot of experience. I had fantastic colleagues. That really made me happy. Sharing the passion of teaching and also performing. That's where I felt I was at home. My administrative experience did not go to waste. I ended up using it in my current job at Columbia University. My tasks are kind of tri-fold. I'm expected to keep a role as a high profile performer. I also teach music history and I run a program that gathers around 350 students. The program is for not music majors but for people who love to play music. My administrative experience from Yamaha turned out to be very helpful for this.
R.V.B. - You are able to balance your practice time with your educational duties. Is that a challenge?
M.B. - It is always a challenge. One always feels guilty for not having practiced. The work on a musical instrument is never really done. Music outgrows us so much that we can never say that we've mastered something completely. Time management is certainly a challenge. Luckily I have the summer months to catch up a little bit. Right now I am learning new repertoire... pieces that I always wanted to play. Right now I can spend more time on that, than with the students in the classroom. I devote my time to the students during the school year.
R.V.B. - What are some of your favorite performances that you have had up to this point in your career?
M.B. - It ranges. Some of them are memorable because they were exotic. I gave a performance in front of thousands of people with the composer Tan Dun, at the Beijing National Center for the Performing Arts... the famous “Egg.” Tan Dun invited me to do a concerto based on his Martial Arts Trilogy. It was a concerto for piano, orchestra and film. It was an exciting experience. The Chinese are so eager to learn more about classical music and are avid concert goers. Every time I returned to China I saw a similar reaction. It was very refreshing to play for an appreciative audience. They are very new to classical music. After the Cultural Revolution, they are waking up to the classical music trend. They're extremely good at it. Right now there are 40 million children learning just the piano in China. It's a wonderful new generation that's growing up there. Some other performances had fewer participants. My husband and I run music salons together, out of his medical office in Manhattan. He has a piano in it. I present short programs of 20 to 30 minutes for a very select small audience. They can see the performance up close. It's a short program of music, and it's followed by a cocktail and conversation. I remember these very fondly. These attract audiences who normally aren't as affected by the music - they hear it in large concert halls where there seat is a block away from the performer. Here they are literally able to be hit with the greatness of music up close. I feed off the energy and it makes the performances memorable.
R.V.B. - Do you ever go back to your hometown in Poland and perform?
M.B. - I did perform once with my family. I have two twin sisters that play violin and viola. We did a family concert in my home town of Katowice. That was a lot of fun. It was a repeat of a concert that we did together at Weil Hall, in Carnegie Hall, in 2003. It was a sold out show. That was the only time that my family came to visit.
R.V.B. - I wanted to ask you about the title of your doctoral dissertation. Is that "The search for Bach's cantabile"a question that can ever be answered?
M.B. - It's mostly a rhetorical question. Unless we wake up the composer from the dead, to ask him what he really had in mind, we'll never know. My hunch was that Bach was a very well educated young man and was very well aware of the art of rhetoric. The purpose of music at that time was to educate and move the listeners. I took that path to try to find the true meaning of cantabile singing and communicating style. It's a very different cantabile that we know from the 19th century opera. I'm still looking for the definitive answer... if it ever exist. I take the approach of rhetoric and the art of oratory. I buried myself in books for three years of research. Having written that piece, I now see more and more performers - and scholars referring to that cantabile in that context. I think that my instincts were right but maybe more needs to be written on the subject.
R.V.B. - What are you proud of in your place in music?
M.B. - That's a very good question. I never really think of what I'm proud of. As a musician, I come from the perspective of being humbled by the great past composers... and present. I'm proud of being able to share it. I feel fortunate more than proud to be able to share music through performing and also through teaching. Seeing the young generation of millennials who are buried in their smart phones, but still very much care and very much respond to the beauty of the music. To be able it to communicate with them on this level is very important to me. If I'm proud of anything, it would be that.
R.V.B. - You mentioned Jerome Rose before... I see you and him are involved in the International Keyboard Institute & Festival?
M.B. - I have been involved since it's inception in 1998. This year will be the 19th season. I started out as a student. Later I became a performer and an adjunct faculty member. Since 2007, I have been teaching. It has been great fun to be on the other side. I owe so much to Jerome Rose and I think of him as a father figure... on this continent.
R.V.B. - You have another concert coming up shortly in Europe with Columbia University?
M.B. - Yes. The Reid Hall in Paris. It's a global center of Columbia University. I perform a recital there every year – it is a concert for Columbia University alumni students and well as summer school students. It's one of the high points of my summer. A few days earlier, I will be at a beautiful place in Italy called Villa Bossi. A Renaissance villa where a harpsichord maker, Guido Bizzi has his workshop. It's a candy store situation for me. I can try out various historic instruments. I will be playing a recital there as well.
R.V.B. - Are you doing the same recital that you did in Southampton?
M.B. - Yes I will be performing the same repertoire. Starting in September I will present a new repertoire. I will be performing in Atlanta, Miami and Columbia University's Italian academy. It will be a whole different program.
R.V.B. - Very nice. The people are in for a real treat. Thank you very much for taking this time with me. You have a wonderful career going on and you are extremely talented.
M.B. - It's been a pleasure. Thank you so much.
Interview conducted by Robert von Bernewitz
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For more information on this Magdalena Baczewska visit her site www.magdalenanyc.com
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