Frederic Chopin Research Articles

Particularities of Chopin’s use of sustaining pedal

More than other composers, Frederic Chopin made use of careful sustaining pedal notation throughout his creations. One of the problems arising from what the interpretation of his music is concerned is the correct pedalling, often lightly regarded by many pianists, who use the pedal exaggeratedly, thus changing the expression of Chopin’s music. The large number of alterations that were made to his manuscripts prove the importance of the pedal for Chopin, although his notations are not always respected by the companies publishing his scores. This article intends to draw attention to the importance of the interpretation of his scores following the pedal notations made by Chopin and offers comparative examples for a better understanding of pedalling, to acquire the closest possible interpretation to the Chopin’s style.

Review of The Chopin Games: History of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in 1927–2015. Edited by Paweł Majewski; translated by Tomasz Zymer

Review of The Chopin Games: History of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in 1927–2015. Edited by Paweł Majewski; translated by Tomasz Zymer

Climate in the Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in the First Half 19th Century: The Case of Frederic Chopin

Abstract Background The famous Polish composer Frederic Chopin (1810–1849) suffered almost all his short life from pulmonary tuberculosis. Physical treatment and climate therapy are the only aspect of Chopin’s disease history that has not yet been thoroughly studied. The etiology of tuberculosis in Chopin’s time was not yet known, so physical means and changes in climate in the first half of the 19th century were the most important part of the physicians’ therapeutic arsenal in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Objectives are to study the use of physical methods and climate therapy in the treatment of Frederic Chopin. Methods Scopus, WoS, MedLine, and PubMed data-bases, electronic archives were searched without time restriction for information on the use of physical methods and climate therapy in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in the first half of the 19th century in Europe. The analysis was also made of Chopin’s letters and the work of his most respected biographers in order to identify information about physical therapy in his treatment. Results Chopin’s disease had been actively progressing since 1835. According to the proper 19th-century tuberculosis treatment plan which was set out in the treatises of prominent European physicians, Chopin was treated with physical means: blister plasters, cupping, creosote inhalations, sulfur baths, opium and belladonna plasters. Changing the climate in winter (southern France or Italy) was also a standard recommendation. In October 1838, Chopin, who was still recovering from another seasonal exacerbation of pulmonary tuberculosis, took a trip to Mallorca, where he spent the winter. Conclusions Chopin had the advanced stage of consumption, which was already regarded at that time as a contraindication to climate change. The destination was also unsuitable for patients with pulmonary tuberculosis: winter climate of Majorca, characterized by high humidity and strong winds, negatively affected Chopin’s health. The disease was manifested by fever, hemoptysis, shortness of breath and exhaustion, which indicated tuberculosis intoxication and destruction of lung tissue. Chopin’s trip to Majorca 1838/1839 will forever go down in the history of climate therapy as an example of the negative consequences of ignoring contraindications to climate change.

Technologically Mediated Experiences of Visitors to the Frederic Chopin Museum: Postphenomenological Perspective on Touchscreens Affordances

Nowadays, technology plays an important role in supporting museum visits and enhancing overall museum visit experiences. An increasing number of studies have evaluated the potential of digitally mediated cultural heritage experiences. However, there is still a lack of a deeper understanding of how mediation devices influence the museum visit experiences and visitors’ behaviours. This article focuses on the mediating role of digital screens in the museum space, examining visitors’ activity and experience through their encounters with touchscreens at the Frederic Chopin's Museum in Warsaw, Poland. This article presents and makes use of a recent approach in the philosophy of technology, initiated by the American philosopher Don Ihde, called postphenomenology, as well as the theory of affordances. By conducting observations and interviews with museum visitors, the study shows that touchscreens, and digital technologies themselves, are not only functional but also shape the visitor's perception and expectations. This study shows that touchscreens are an embodiment technique and play a role of the touch-substitute for museum visitors.

Music of Frederic Chopin in the Works of the Rock Group MUSE

The article examines constant interactions with the musical legacy of academic classical composers, in particular, Frederic Chopin, representing one of the chief stylistic features of the British rock group MUSE. References to Chopin’s piano music appear in three compositions: United States of Eurasia (+Collateral Damage) (2009), Prelude (2012) and Blockades (2018). The works of the Polish Romantic composer are shown to have been borrowed in various ways: as direct quotes, in somewhat modified form, as well as allusively and indirectly. The understanding and appreciation of Chopin’s legacy by the group members evolves over time from the symbolisation of Light, Ideal, and Humanity to the discovery of other dramatic and even tragic facets of the composer’s art, which are much more relevant to the challenges of our time. For the creative development of the group MUSE, such a shift in emphasis was decisive: with the disappearance of the idealised (previously personified in the music of Chopin) from the sphere of rock music-making, the optimistic life-affirming principle is also displaced. When incorporated more organically into the multi-coloured sound picture of contemporary man’s existence, the music of the Polish Romantic composer paradoxically reveals the dangers and impasses of the modern world.

Simulating Chromatic Harmony in Romantic Era Music using Diophantine Approximation

The Romantic period of music is known for its intricate and emotionally expressive harmonic style. Nevertheless, recreating authentic melodies of the Romantic period in contemporary compositions poses a considerable challenge for composers and musicians. In this paper, we present a method for simulating chromatic harmony in Romantic Era music through the use of Diophantine Approximation. Inspired by the works of renowned composers of that period, such as Richard Wagner, Franz, Liszt, and Frederic Chopin, my transitional model was constructed to preserve the essence of the preceding melody as the harmonic progression unfolds. The model helps with the creation of harmonic progressions that contain the nuances of the preceding harmonic structure and musical style, providing composers with a novel way to explore a wide range of musical possibilities. Experimental validation involving human hearing shows that the model is successful in imitating authentic Romantic-era harmonic structures. This finding suggests that the model is a promising tool that could inspire contemporary composers to create almost authentic chromatic harmonic progressions.

Teknik Permainan Appogiatura Piano Pada Lagu “Waltz In A Minor, B.150, Op.Posth” Karya Frederic Chopin

This research aims to determine the techniques for playing appogiatura piano in the song "Waltz in a minor, B.150, Op.Posth" by Frederic Chopin. The author uses descriptive qualitative methods. The object of this research is the score for Waltz in a minor, B.150, Op.Posth" by Frederic Chopin. The data analysis techniques used are data reduction, data presentation, and data conclusions. The results and discussion of this research are Frederic Chopin's "Waltz in a minor, B.150, Op. Posth" which is a solo performance that uses playing techniques such as Appoggiatura and is equipped with techniques such as mordent, trill, triplet-quintuplet, and legato, as well as dynamics so that what is produced in part A1, wants to describe a sad atmosphere because of the legato technique which makes it lilting, then in part B with appoggiatura and legato techniques wants to describe a cheerful atmosphere as if there is hope, supported by a Major chord at the beginning, variations melodies, and lots of appoggiatura, triplet-quintuplet ornaments as sweeteners. Next, section A' again depicts a sad atmosphere, but the modulation to A Major makes hope even more visible. But in section A2, the sweet dance atmosphere, the hopes built in sections B and A' return to an atmosphere of sadness which then in the Coda section ends with an ornamental trill at the end of the song so that it can depict an atmosphere of decline.

Diagnostics of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in the First Half of the 19th Century: The Case of Frederic Chopin

The renowned Polish composer Frédéric Chopin (1810—1849) suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis for most of his life, ultimately succumbing to it at the age of 39. Throughout his life, Chopin received treatment from by prominent European physicians who possessed advanced knowledge and diagnostic methods of their time. The aim of this study was to gain an objective understanding of the capabilities of diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis in Europe during the first half of the 19th century, based on a partial reconstruction of Chopin’s medical history. We have studied: the correspondence of Frédéric Chopin and his relatives, the memoirs of his contemporaries, the works of the most authoritative Chopin’s biographers, and treatises on the diagnosis of lung diseases by leading doctors of the first half of the 19th century.It has been established that during that time, the true nature of tuberculosis was not yet understood. Consequently, the ideas in medical science regarding the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease were far from accurate. Chopin’s doctors believed that tuberculosis was linked to a hereditary or acquired predisposition. However, in France the technique and methodology of physical examination (percussion and auscultation) had already reached a high level of refinement. Detailed descriptions of physical signs indicating bronchial obstruction, lung tissue consolidation, and damage were found in medical treatises. Due to various objective and subjective factors, many practicing physicians did not use percussion and auscultation at all, or had insufficient skills in these techniques. Meanwhile, the most advanced European physicians were capable of diagnosing the infiltrative and cavernous forms of tuberculosis, based on a complex of the specific signs revealed during the medical history taking and physical examination.

Weaving fates. Fryderyk Chopin – Viktor Kosenko

Statement of the problem. The relevance of revising the picture of artistic life of the first decades of the 20th century in Ukraine from modern scientific positions does not require additional argumentation. This is equally necessary as for the sound palette of the time, and as for the biographical characteristics of composers creativity, which really are full of lacunas. In the process of a detailed study of Viktor Kosenko’s creativity, various allusions to the lifework of his favorite composer, Fryderyk Chopin, become quite noticeable. Thus the question arises: are we not dealing, alongside the incomprehensible play of fate, with a certain subconscious desire of the Ukrainian composer to “reconstruct” the events of the past? Recent research and publications. A typologically justified comparison of the Ukrainian composer with the Polish genius, in the context of professional activity solely, appears in the work by O. Komenda (2020: 266) devoted to the phenomenon of the creative personality. The publications of the last time include the reconstructions of V. Kosenko’s biography initial period and the descriptions of his preserved personal archival fund, carried out in the process of organizing the corresponding catalog (Mudryk, 2016; Volosatykh, 2021; Ivanova, 2019). M. Tomaszewski’s monograph “Chopin: Man, Creativity, Resonance” (2005) gives interesting materials for comparing the heroes of our study according to various parameters, as well as the illustrated popular science book by A. Brożek and J. Jadacki (2010). Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The purpose of the study is to expand established ideas about the life and work of V. Kosenko, to introduce the composer’s creativity into the context of European musical culture, to overcome its sometimes outdated and somewhat primitive perception. In the first time, the thoughts on numerous points of intersection, tangential aspects, “mirror reflections” of creative activity and everyday life of two artists are proposed. Reaching the tasks set the complex interdisciplinary and cultural approaches, the historical and comparative methods were used. Results and conclusions. In general, the drawn parallels and analogies deepen and emphasize the contextual connections of Kosenko’s work, highlight the basic components of its “genetic code”, its continuity with the Western European romantic tradition (as well as sensitivity to the further evolution of the post-romantic situation); at the same time, they demonstrate the deep affinity of the spiritual constants of the Polish and Ukrainian national worlds. Overcoming the distorted outdated perception of V. Kosenko’s creativity and personality, considering them in a pan-European context based on modern scientific approaches are the promising directions for the musicologists’ further work on the reproduction of an up-to-date panorama of the artistic life of Ukraine in the first half of the 20th century as of a full-fledged component of world artistic and cultural processes.

Elemental imaging approach to comparative analysis of historical inks. Proof of concept based on non-invasive examinations of the Chopin manuscript as a case study

This work presents an indirect method of investigating the elemental diversity of historical inks. The manuscript of Fryderyk Chopin's Impromptu in A flat major, Op. 29 was examined as an example of the proposed approach for testing documents containing different inks. Preliminary in situ X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements carried out it the museum storage room provided qualitative reference data for the object. Then, selected areas on the item were examined with indicator papers soaked in 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Bphen). The reaction with the ligand enabled the immediate colorimetric detection of Fe(II) in the form of magenta Fe(Bphen)3 complex. The overall condition of the manuscript with regard to the risk of ink corrosion was assessed in this way. More chemical information were obtained by the proposed elemental imaging-based approach to evaluate chemical heterogeneity of the used indicator paper samples using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The recorded data were visualised in the form of elemental distribution maps. The Fe enriched areas indicated Regions of Interest (ROIs) to approximate composition of the inks from the manuscript. All calculations were done solely for the data mathematically singled out from these areas. The varying proportions of AI, Mn, Co and Cu relative to Fe correlated with the ROIs of the composer's handwriting, editor's notes and stave lines, demonstrating the applicability of the proposed approach for comparative studies.

A Fantasy about Sonata Form: Re-Examining Chopin’s Fantasy, Op. 49

Fryderyk Chopin’s Fantasy in F minor, Op. 49 (1841) is considered a pinnacle of the composer’s oeuvre. Invoking the so-called stylus phantasticus, the Fantasy is presumed to betray something of Chopin’s legendary free improvisations, and includes the expected diversity of musical material in different metres, keys and tempi. Yet the work also evinces a quasi-Classical regularity, alluding to several set forms. Strikingly, while commentators such as Halina Goldberg, John Rink and Jeffrey Kallberg have explored hermeneutic, topical and formal ramifications of certain sections of the piece, few scholars have attempted a comprehensive structural analysis of the Fantasy. One exception is Carl Schachter, who parses the Fantasy from a Schenkerian standpoint and proposes a rotational basis for the return of themes. However, Schachter’s interpretation does not fully explain the piece’s reliance upon fifth relations, which seems to have more conservative, Classical origins. In this paper, I explore how Chopin’s Fantasy may be seen to exhibit a stylised sonata allegro form, in which both first and second subjects are split into two parts in different keys. As such, I apply the concept of tonal pairing, championed by such authors as Robert Bailey and Peter Smith, to a seminal work of Chopin, shedding further light on Chopin’s inventive manipulation of Classical sonata form. I will also discuss elements of cyclic form as discussed by Schachter, and devices by which Chopin strengthens or weakens the sense of telos. I conclude that a loose sonata form is the predominant mode of motivic and tonal organisation in Chopin’s Fantasy, Op. 49, and that many of the seeming departures from this form can be accounted for as transitions or instances of teleological genesis.

Pogorelich at the Chopin: Towards a sociology of competition scandals

Controversies are a regular feature on the international classical music competition circuit, and some of these explode into scandals that are remembered long afterward. This essay draws from the sociology of scandal to identify the conditions that predispose classical music competitions to moral disruption and to examine the cultural process through which a scandal attains legendary status. The case considered in depth is the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition and the controversy surrounding Ivo Pogorelich’s elimination from the 10th Competition in 1980. Through an analysis of media coverage in Polish and English, I show how the scandal was discursively constructed through two interpretive frameworks: the collective memory of previous controversies at the Chopin Competition, and a generational divide. I also trace the legacy of the scandal over the decades that followed. Following Durkheim, I argue that controversies at classical music competitions should not be taken as an indication of their decline. Rather, scandals – especially legendary ones – can have positive effects for competition organisations and the wider social world of classical music, as long as they do not become chronic.

Émigrés on an émigré: Poetic portraits of Chopin

This article is devoted to analysis of the mechanisms behind the creation of the cultural image of Fryderyk Chopin in selected verse by twentieth-century Polish poets in exile, such as Kazimierz Wierzyński, Jan Lechoń, Stanisław Baliński and Czesław Miłosz. Verse (and excerpts from autobiographic texts) by those poets helps to forge and renew the ‘Chopin legend’ in various ways, through references to the most important moments in the composer’s biography and selected features of his music. From analysis of this verse, we learn that these poets looked at Chopin and his music primarily through the prism of the role assigned to them by history – similar to the role in which Chopin had tried to find his bearings a hundred years earlier on his departure from Poland. The attitude adopted by émigré writers towards Chopin and his music, representing one of the most important symbols in Polish culture, is not unequivocal. Its distinct affirmation is accompanied by reflection on the conditions and limitations of émigré mythology. The poems discussed show the significant currency in émigré circles especially of that aspect of the Chopin legend which refers to the image of a distant and enslaved homeland. That currency distinguishes the émigrés from their peers back home, who wished to see a different symbolism in Chopin and his music, especially one that was free from conventionalised patriotic references. This last observation may also be referred to the analysed poem by Miłosz, which from the proposed comparative perspective comes across as the reverse of the other works discussed in the article. An interesting perspective could no doubt be opened up by comparative studies of a broader scope, showing how this theme functioned and was functionalised in the output of foreign writers, within the constellation of other cultural, social and historical relations.

The evolution of performance style in the history of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw

The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw was inaugurated in 1927, in part out of the desire to promote an authentic performance practice in relation to Chopin’s oeuvre. Among the main concerns were the establishment of, and strict adherence to, the original authoritative text and an authentic performance aesthetic. The debate over those issues has been at the heart of the artistic mission of the Competition ever since. As the Chopin Competition indeed exercised immense influence on the performance style of Chopin’s music during the twentieth century – an influence that has continued into the twenty-first century – this paper examines the evolution of that style through Competition performances. Has the performance style evolved at all? If so, to what extent? Starting with the 5th Competition, in 1955, the year in which the Competition audio archives were started, the author discusses selected performances by most of the winners of the First Prize. Also discussed are performances by some of the pianists who did not win but whose contributions were important in terms of their influence on Chopin performance practice. Besides addressing the question of whether the evolution of Chopin performance style is encouraged, discouraged or even possible at a Competition whose main goals include establishing and preserving an authentic performance practice, the paper questions whether that goal can ever be achieved. Also discussed is the place of the Competition in relation to the changes in Chopin performance style in the piano world outside the Warsaw Competition. In the introduction, the author briefly considers some of the characteristics and challenges of the unique style of Chopin as understood through most recent achievements in musicology, cultural studies, editing, research, performance, piano pedagogy and music criticism. He also describes the main principles of the so-called ‘Polish School’ of Chopin interpretation and its impact on the development of what is currently the principal way of performing Chopin. The article is supplemented by an online playlist comprising audio excerpts of some of the discussed performances.

Transfer of meaning from the educator to the student in piano interpretation within the framework of the constructionist perspective

This research analyzes the concept of meaning from a constructionist perspective. From this perspective, while trying to determine how meaning is constructed and conveyed in piano interpretation, the study determined three different categories of meaning as a framework. One can list these categories as aesthetic meaning, symbolic meaning, and pragmatic meaning. In the aesthetic meaning category, music is essentially analyzed in terms of its formal qualities, that is, its immutable characteristics as indicated on the note. Researchers who analyze music based on this category often argue that music carries its meaning. The second category, symbolic meaning, refers to the symbolic meanings attributed to music in relation to the cultural context to which it belongs. Within the framework of this category of meaning, people also consider music in terms of its aesthetic qualities, but the focus is the meanings attributed to music by individuals or societies. The third and final category, pragmatic meaning, is directly related to how one uses music. Within the framework of pragmatic meaning, people base music analysis on the functional uses of music, and they analyze the other two categories accordingly. Here, in line with the brief definitions of the categories of meaning, this study examines the construction and transfer of meaning in piano interpretation with examples from selected works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Beethoven’s No. 23 Piano Sonata “Appassionata” is characterized by the concept of contrast based on the fate motif; Chopin’s Op. 31, No. 2 Scherzo is characterized by serenity and calmness; and Rachmaninoff’s Op. 33 Etude No. 8 is characterized based on fairytale-like storytelling. These examples, interpreted according to the requirements of notation and edition, do not vary fundamentally because there is no information on the notes that contribute to the interpretation and explain the subject of the piece. However, the information we have about the composers’ works has shown us that more meaning can be attributed to the work beyond the interpretation suggestions on the notation. These attributed meanings act as a suggestion for the interpreter. However, since interpretation is directly related to the individual’s qualities, these examples of suggestive meaning do not have a given and fixed structure; they vary from person to person.

AIRPORT SECURITY MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF FIRE PROTECTION ON THE EXAMPLE OF CHOPIN AIRPORT IN WARSAW

Airport security management is a rapidly evolving process which results in new regulations,new procedures or equipment and the acquisition of new skills for aviation personnel. The fireprotection of Chopin Airport in Warsaw serves as an example intended to show a pattern ofactivities of entities responsible for safety that clearly strive for perfection, and are comprised bythe safety management process, which can be replicated by other institutions. The essence of thearticle is to identify the key factors that determine the safety of an airport on the example ofChopin Airport in Warsaw. The article presents the results of own research. The analysis of expertinterviews conducted with airport personnel responsible for security and officers of the StateFire Service showed the reality of airport security management from the perspective of the entityresponsible for it. New directions of change and areas for improvement were thus acknowledged.The result of the interviews is the development of the authors concept of the improvement of toolsused within the Safety Management System at Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport.

Cheong Images of Chopin in the People’s Republic of China

Just as Poland capitalises on the worldwide popularity of Chopin’s music to export him as a cultural commodity, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has embraced Chopin as patriotism personified, a high-profile ‘cultural worker’ in exile who agonised over the crushing of the November Uprising in Poland in 1831. It was likely Fou Ts’ong winning third prize at the Fifth International Chopin Piano Competition in 1955 that triggered the PRC’s strategic promotion of Chopin. Unlike Fou, who had benefitted from the tutelage of Zbigniew Drzewiecki at Warsaw’s State College of Music (the present-day Fryderyk Chopin University of Music), Li Yundi, the first Chinese pianist to be awarded first prize at the International Chopin Piano Competition, in 2000, was trained at Shenzhen Art School. Understandably, this success story could not fail to boost the PRC’s claim on Chopin. The special case of Chopin in the PRC is even more striking when we shift our focus from charismatic performance platforms to Chopin’s treatment within academic circles. Through a critique of selected papers about Chopin published by People’s Music and Music Research, the PRC’s leading music journals, this study reveals how and to what extent Chopin was claimed and promoted above other Western classical composers, arguably to serve, first and foremost, ideological ends. With the onset of the decade-long Sino–US ambassadorial talks in 1958, held in Warsaw’s ‘Chopin Park’, as one main focus, the timeframe of this study is delimited to cover the period from the founding of the PRC in 1949 to c.1979, when the PRC established formal diplomatic relationships with the United States.

Towards diversity in language education through “Teaching and researching English for Specific Purposes” – a book review

This is a review of Teaching and researching English for Specific Purposes by Elżbieta Lesiak-Bielawska published in 2018 by Księgarnia Akademicka in Kraków. Elżbieta Lesiak-Bielawska holds a PhD degree in linguistics and works in Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, where she conducts English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses for music students and future doctors. Her research interests focus on foreign language learning and teaching, in particular investigating individual differences, blended instruction and the specificity of teaching ESP, the issue that she pursues in the book reviewed here. The publication is directed to foreign language teachers. Its main goal is to present an overview of theoretical perspectives and empirical studies that have influenced the development of ESP teaching practices. It is crucial to emphasize that teaching languages for specific purposes, with priority given to English, seems particularly important nowadays; a dominant position of English in a globalized world of academia and business makes this kind of language instruction extremely useful. In relation to the ERL framework, the book addresses the research issues discussed in the Language and Schooling strand as well as the Language and Culture strand. When studying English for Specific Purposes, e.g. English for Medical Purposes or English for Business Purposes, be it in a formal setting or in a more natural context, a learner prepares him/herself to enter new social communities, which will involve experiencing new cultures. In this way, learning ESP becomes a socio-cognitive phenomenon. I believe that any new contribution to theoretical and empirical debates on the complex nature of ESP teaching will be of interest to those involved in this foreign language instruction.

Colette Gaveau-Małcużyńska – portret pianistki

The article is an attempt to sketch a portrait of the talented French pianist Colette Gaveau (1913–1987), winner of the first prize of the Paris Conservatory in 1932, participant in several international music competitions, including the 3rd Piano Competition Frederic Chopin in Warsaw in 1937 and the Eugène Ysaÿe, which took place in Brussels in 1938. A breakthrough event in the life of young Colette Gaveau was the marriage with the Polish pianist Witold Małcużyński (1914–1977) in October 1939. Due to the warfare of World War II, Gaveau-Małcużyńska left France with her husband, first to Portugal and then to Argentina. The Małcużyński family did not return to Europe until 1945. Colette Gaveau-Małcużyńska was a faithful and patient companion in the life and successes of one of the most outstanding Polish pianists of the second half of the 20th century.

‘Passions’ Around the Second Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (1932)

The article is devoted to Polish-Soviet cultural contacts in the interwar period. Author examines the preparation and holding of the II Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in the context of the development of Soviet cultural diplomacy. The article touches upon such issues as the role of VOKS in establishing cultural ties, the importance of the competition for the foreign policy of the USSR. The author pays great attention to the participation of Soviet representatives in the organization of the competition and their attitude to this event. The article is based on archival documents, the main sources were the reports of Soviet representatives and their correspondence. The author comes to the conclusion that the political aspect of the second Chopin competition was one of the most important for the Soviet side. The Soviet leadership, as the author of the article shows, gradually realized the importance of soft power to create a positive image of the USSR in the international arena.