Sir Andrzej Panufnik famously mentioned that he communicated in music not phrases, however his autobiography, Composing Myself, which was printed in 1987 conveys the exceptional drama of Panufnik’s life. It’s now being re-issued by the ever-enterprising Toccata Press as a part of a two-volume version of Panufnik’s full writings. The brand new version consists of detailed annotations, an introduction from Simon Callow and a ultimate chapter by Camilla, Girl Panufnik detailing the composer’s momentous return to Warsaw in 1990 (having defected to the West in 1954, he refused to return to his native Poland till democracy had been restored).
There was a launch for the brand new version of Composing Myself on the Polish Fireplace Membership (Ognisko Polskie) on Friday, when there was an opportunity to listen to Girl Panufnik and her kids, Roxanna (a composer) and Jem Panufnik (graphic artist, DJ and composer of electronica), in dialog with Martin Anderson of Toccata Press in addition to the possibility to listen to a few of Andrezj Panufnik’s music.
We heard pianist Lucas Krupinski play two actions from Andrzej Panufnik’s Hommage a Chopin; initially a vocalise from 1949, in 1966 Andrzej Panufnik organized it for flute and chamber orchestra, and we heard it in an association for solo piano by Andrzej Panufnik’s daughter Roxanna. Then Krupinski was joined by cellist Kacper Nowak for Dreamscape, initially a vocalise for mezzo-soprano and piano from 1977.
Full particulars of the brand new version of Sir Andrzej Panufnik’s autobiography, Composing Myself from Toccata Classics.
