Manuscript of the cis-moll etude by Frederic Chopin arrives in Poland
Thanks to an initiative of the Ministry of Culture, PKN ORLEN S.A. and PKO BP, a working manuscript of the cis-moll op. 10 nr 4 etude by Frederik Chopin returns to the composer's native land.
The 173 year old manuscript was bought at an auction at Sotheby's in London. It has today been ceremonially transferred by the benefactors to the Frederik Chopin Museum in Ostrogskis Palace in Warsaw.
- We are proud that such a symbol of Polish culture has taken its rightful place in one of the national museum collections - said Igor Chalupec, the CEO of PKN ORLEN.
Cis-moll op. 10 nr 4 etude - along with the other 10 pieces from opus 10 - was published in Paris by Maurice Schlesinger on 6th June, 1833. This working autograph (the one to be edited remains unknown) contains four pages, three of which are full of writing. On the third page the composer noted down the day of the etude's creation: "Paris, 6th Aug., 1832". The notes also contain corrections made with the composer's hand.
The document reached Poland after long journey through the collections of several owners in various countries. In spring 1841 Chopin gave the autograph of the Etude to his Vienna student Friederica Mulle, later named Streicher, who lived between 1816 and 1895. In November 1908, the manuscript appeared at an auction at J. A. Stragardt in Berlin, and it was then presented for sale in V. A. Heck's antique shop in Vienna. After some time, it found its place among the rich collection of Louis Koch. Then for many years, until 1962, it was the part of the Rudolf Floersheim collection in Aarau.
The next owner of the etude was probably the American collector from California, Dr Mathew Malerich. From where it went to Sotheby's, where it was bought by Polish sponsors.
This is the first Chopin autograph bought for the collection of the Frederik Chopin Museum, after an eleven year break.
The purchase was financed by the Ministry of Culture, PKN ORLEN and PKO BP. This three page manuscript was the most expensive of over twenty manuscripts from great composers offered during this auction.
As a leader in the economy, PKN ORLEN is also an active participant in social life supporting Polish culture and trying to participate in events which are important for society, one of which is undoubtedly bringing back to Poland this manuscript by Poland's greatest composer.
