The vernissage of the exhibition of musical manuscripts "Beethoven and the Idea of Freedom" was held on Wednesday, April 2, in the Jagiellonian Library. The ceremony was attended by a number of eminent guests, including the Rector of the Jagiellonian University, Prof. Wojciech Nowak, his predecessors, Prof. Franciszek Ziejka and Prof. Karol Musioł, the Director of the Jagiellonian Library, Prof. Zdzisław Pietrzyk, Elżbieta Penderecka, and Krzysztof Penderecki. The preview was accompanied by a piano recital by Hinrich Alpers, featuring Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata" by Ludwig van Beethoven.

The exhibition features manuscripts from the collection of the former Prussian State Library in Berlin, including Leonore opera sketches and the Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven, Mozart's B-major Piano Concerto KV 595 and The Abduction from the Seraglio, as well as works by J. S. Bach, D. Buxtehude, F. Busoni, and L. Cherubini. A number of valuable manuscripts by Polish composers from the Jagiellonian Library collection will also be displayed, including the autographs of F. Chopin, S. Moniuszko, M. Szymanowska, M.K. Ogiński, W. Lutosławski, A. Panufnik, and K. Penderecki.

The exibition is part of the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, which has been organised annually by the Ludwig van Beethoven Association, founded and headed by Elżbieta Penderecka. The first edition of the festival took place in 1997 in Kraków, where it was held during the following seven editions. In 2004 the event was moved to Warsaw.

Opening hours:

Monday - Friday: 10.00 am. – 5.00 pm.
Saturday - Sunday: 10.00 am. – 2.00 pm.
Good Friday (18 April): 10.00 am. – 1.00 pm.
19 – 21 April - closed
Tuesday (22 April): 10.00 am. – 3.00 pm.
The exhibition will be open until 22 April.

The admission is free!

Fot. Anna Wojnar