Paderewski's last will and testament

Ignacy Jan Paderewski was described by his contemporaries as the greatest pianist since the times of Liszt. He performed with great success in the major concert halls of the world, arousing listeners' admiration. His name became synonymous with success both in artistic and financial terms. The extent of Paderewski's possessions was legendary. His ‘royal-like' income, recorded in the Guinness Book of Records, was mentioned in the press and was a topic of gossip and casual talk in salons and concert halls. Therefore, it is not surprising that after the artist's death, the fate of his material legacy aroused enormous interest. Paderewski's last will and testament was the subject of speculation for years. The inheritance proceedings that took place in the 1950s and 1960s also aroused considerable controversy. Readers interested in the topic should refer to the information presented in the introduction to the book entitled Za kulisami wielkiej kariery. Paderewski w dziennikach i listach Sylwina i Anieli Strakaczów 1936-1937 [Behind the Scenes of the Great Career: Paderewski in the Diaries and Letters of Sylwin and Aniela Strakacz, 1936-1937]; ed. Małgorzata Perkowska-Waszek, Anne Strakacz-Appleton, Krakow 1994), and the study by Małgorzata Perkowska-Waszek entitled Testament Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego – fakty i mity [The Last Will and Testament of Ignacy Jan Paderewski: Facts and Myths].

 

 M. Perkowska-Waszek pt. Testament Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego – fakty i mity