LATE ADDITION: with news of Warren Mailley-Smith’s recital in Marlborough in June 2016.
The young British pianist Warren Mailley-Smith is performing all Chopin’s solo piano works over an eleven-month series of recitals at St John’s Smith Square in London.
Warren Mailley-Smith’s third recital in the series, taking place on November 27, will include five of Chopin’s Mazurkas and the Polonaise No 2. Robin Nelson of Avebury, a former head of music at the College, will be giving a pre-concert talk on ‘Chopin and The Mazurka’.
And he will not be alone – a troupe from the Mazury Dance Company of the Polish YMCA in London in their colourful costumes will be demonstrating the real Mazurka rhythms and steps.
Warren Mailley-Smith says it is clear that the folk traditions of Poland provided significant inspiration for Chopin: “As I perform Chopin I feel the rhythms of Polish dances resonating throughout his work. The performance by the wonderful Mazury dancers will provide an extra dimension for the audience and set a powerful visual context for my recital.”
James Sherlock who was was to give the last Brilliant Young Pianists reecital of the current season, has had to withdraw. In his place Warren Mailley-Smith will be performing the programme of the final recital of his ambitious Chopin series at St Peter’s Church on June 19.
You can read the first two instalments of Robin Nelson’s Memoirs of a Music Man on Marlborough News Online.