by Wladyslaw Szpilman (Author)
The 75th Anniversary Edition of the memoir that inspired Roman Polanski's Oscar-winning film, with a new introduction by Szpilman's son, Andrzej
On September 23, 1939, Wladyslaw Szpilman played Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp minor live on the radio as shells exploded outside--so loudly that he couldn't hear his piano. It was the last live music broadcast from Warsaw: That day, a German bomb hit the station, and Polish Radio went off the air.
Though he lost his entire family, Szpilman survived in hiding. In the end, his life was saved by a German officer who heard him play the same Chopin Nocturne on a piano found among the rubble. Written immediately after the war and suppressed for decades,
The Pianist is a stunning testament to human endurance and the redemptive power of fellow feeling.
Author Biography
WLADYSLAW SZPILMAN was born in 1911. He studied the piano at the Warsaw Conservatory and at the Academy of Arts in Berlin. From 1945 to 1963, he was Director of Music at Polish Radio, and he also pursued a career as a concert pianist and composer for many years. The film adaptation of his memoir The Pianist won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival as well as three Academy Awards. He lived in Warsaw until his death in 2000.
Number of Pages: 240
Dimensions: 0.6 x 8.2 x 5.5 IN
Illustrated: Yes
Publication Date: December 31, 2019
