Annapolis Pianist Previews Fifth Installment of 'Extreme Chopin'

Polish composer Frédéric Chopin took a lifetime to produce roughly 250 musical works, and Annapolis-based pianist Brian Ganz aims to be the first musician to perform the works in their entirety -- in just ten annual performances.

“Chopin’s music is the language of my soul, and I have dreamed since childhood of someday performing all of his works,” Ganz said in a 2012 issue of Washington Life Magazine. “One of my lifelong goals has been to study every single note Chopin composed.”

The idea of preparing and performing a composer’s complete repertoire may not seem daunting at first, but considering Chopin’s pieces range in duration from 45 seconds to 30 minutes, it becomes clear Ganz’s endeavor is no small task.

Ganz got to work in early 2011 and performed the first installment of his “Extreme Chopin” project in February 2012 at the Strathmore Music Center in North Bethesda. Now Ganz is set to perform his fifth all-Chopin recital, entitled “The Art of the Mazurka,” at the Strathmore on Feb. 7 at 8 p.m.

Exploring the theme of a mazurka -- a folk dance native to the region outside Warsaw, Poland, where Chopin grew up -- the performance will feature a total of 17 pieces: three sets of mazurkas, Op. 24, 50 and 59; Polonaise in F sharp minor, Op. 44; three Waltzes, Op. 64; two Nocturnes from Op. 15; and the Rondo a la Mazur, Op. 5.

“Chopin’s mazurkas are in many ways his most beguiling works,” Ganz said in a press release. “One finds in them the widest range of emotions, from a soulful longing filled with nostalgia and mystery to the sheer joy of movement in sound. Something about the dance compelled Chopin in a way that no other form did.”

“If I ever had to take one set of Chopin’s works with me to a desert island, it would be the mazurkas,” Ganz added.

As the February debut approaches, Ganz will hold a preview of “The Art of the Mazurka” on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis. There, Ganz will perform selections from the recital, play audience requests and answer questions about the “Extreme Chopin” project.

Admission to the preview performance is free, but attendees are encouraged to make a donation to the church. For more information visit http://www.uuannapolis.org or call 410-266-8044.

To purchase tickets to the full performance of “The Art of the Mazurka,” visit the National Philharmonic’s website or call 301-581-5100.

Pictured: Gatz, exalted after a performance. Photo Credit: Jay Mallin

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