It was organized by the local weekly Tygodnik Powszechny to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth.
The weekly describes the exhibition as a narrative tale about an artist of a world calibre who stunned audiences from St. Petersburg to New York, an inventor who was ahead of his time and whose legacy was of a global scope.
According to the weekly, a wide range of commemorative events is planned during The Hofmann Year, lasting between January 20, the 150th anniversary of his birth in Kraków, and February 17, 2027, the 70th anniversary of the pianist’s death in Los Angeles. They include a performance of Hofmann’s symphonic poem, a work which was once conducted by such great conductors as Leopold Stokowski and Frederick Stock but has fallen into oblivion in later decades. A commemorative plaque will be unveiled at the house on Kurniki Street where he was born.
Hofmann was a child prodigy who made his public debut at the age of six and appeared as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic at nine. Two years later, he made his New York debut. He settled in the United States in his early twenties. He served as the director of the Curtis Institute of Music from 1926 to 1938. He is universally hailed as one of the greatest interpreters of Chopin, Liszt and Romanic composers.
In a ranking of the best pianists of all time compiled by the BBC Music Magazine several years ago, Hofmann was in 19th place, with the monthly writing: “Revered as one of the supreme pianists of his day, Hofmann’s effortless technique permitted a kaleidoscope of tonal colourings and expressive guises ranging from aching tenderness to heaven-storming pandemonium”.
In an obituary published on February 18, 1957, the New York Times wrote: “Mr. Hofmann was a monarch among pianists – one of the few phenomenally gifted virtuosos of his generation. All the qualities that make for superlative artistry were inherent in him – a technical mastery that enabled him to explore every device peculiar to the keyboard, matchless emotional intensity, tone-coloring without peer. His playing always was guided by a profound perception of beauty. There have been few real child prodigies”.
An exceptionally gifted man, Hofmann had more than sixty patents to his credits, his inventions including windscreen wipers, shock absorbers, air springs, paperclips, an adjustable piano stool, an electronic watch and numerous construction improvements to his grand piano.
(mk)