Chopin and Polish Stamps

This post is about the pianist Frederick Chopin and his many depictions on Polish stamps. Some people have a strong association with a country and appear repeatedly on postage stamps. Chiefly, such figures are national political figures: Washington on U.S. postage stamps, Lenin on stamps from the USSR. Cultural figures can similarly become such an overwhelming presence in a country and a source of pride that they attain this status. Composers can attain such a status, such as Bach in Germany. Another example is Chopin in his native country of Poland. His portrait or name appears on stamps from that country across ten decades. I see no reason he won’t continue to be celebrated by Poland and honored with postage stamps well into the future.

Frederick Chopin

Frederick Chopin (1810-1849) grew up in Warsaw. His father was French and moved to Poland as a young tutor children of the aristocracy. Chopin’s mother played the piano and may have been the reason that both young Frederick and his older sister studied the instrument. It became apparent very early on that Chopin was a child prodigy. He began composing and performing in public at the age of seven. Beginning in 1823, Chopin was a student at the Warsaw Lyceum. There he continued to study piano, but also took courses in music theory and composition.

After hearing a concert performed by violin virtuoso Nicolo Paganini, as a result it is thought that Chopin was inspired to write his first Etudes. These masterpieces, among his other compositions, began to bring him to the attention of the music world of western Europe.

Chopin left Poland in 1830, at the age of twenty, with the intention of touring Europe. However, Poland was soon to see a violent uprising, and he could not attain the appropriate travel papers. He was allowed into France and made his way to Paris. Consequently, he never would return to Poland.

Over the next eighteen years, Chopin continued to write extraordinary piano music (all of his compositions include the piano in some way). He became a part of the important artistic circles of Paris. He would rarely perform in public, but instead preferred intimate salons. His demure style was no competition to the bombastic virtuoso pianists who were then in vogue and he preferred to play for friends and supporters. Instead, he made his living through lucrative publishing deals that assured his compositions would be known all over Europe.

Chopin died at the age of 39 from tuberculosis. Nevertheless, in his short life he had a big affect on the music world and the developing romantic style. At the present time, Chopin remains a beloved composer by musicians and music lovers alike. Poland continues to celebrate the genius of Chopin and has featured him on many of their postage stamps.

Poland’s Chopin Stamps

Chopin first appears on a Polish postage stamp from 1927. The stamp was one of four commemorative stamps depicting famous Poles. 1927 also saw the first International Chopin Piano Competition. It was organized by the pianist and teacher Jerzy Żurawlew. The competition also took place in 1932 and 1937. World War II delayed the next event until 1949.

However, Poland was quick to honor their pianistic hero after the war. In 1947, the following stamp was made, one of my favorites for sure.

Relaunch

Poland relaunched the competition in 1955 and it was held every five years from then until 2015. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 competition will occur in 2021.

In 1954, Poland created a set of three postage stamps featuring Chopin and an open grand piano, although confusingly they say 1955. The three stamps feature the same design, but are in three different colors for three different denominational values.

A pair of stamps was also issued in 1955 to celebrate the competition. These stamps have a decidedly neoclassical scheme, presenting Chopin as a classical Greek statue. Polish graphic artist Czeslaw Slania is responsible for the design of this pair.

Anniversary Stamps

The 150th anniversary of Chopin’s birth occurred in 1960. Once again, Poland released two stamps of very different designs for this important national date. Unifying them was a large name in block print at the bottom: Chopin. Both stamps also have his birth and death dates.

Chopin Piano Competition Designs

In 1970, Poland commemorated the International Piano Competition with an abstract stamp design. The unusual design references a piano keyboard at the bottom, with what looks like a reference to the black keys on a piano. At the top of the stamp, meanwhile, is a nearly illegible signature of the famed composer.

Perhaps due to the 1970 abstract design, the 1975 postage stamp that commemorated the ninth Chopin Piano competition was a simple stamp with a reproduction of a Chopin portrait. It seems other stamps would continue to alternate between a somewhat realistic presentation, and others that would be quite abstract like those below.

Other

Enjoy this performance from the 2015 Chopin Piano Competition First Prize winner Seong-Jin Cho.