Re: The Pianist

[George Robinson <grcomm...>]

In the interests of self-promotion, I enclose a link to my review of The 
Pianist, which appeared in Jewish Week when the film opened. (Just for the 
record, my academic training was as a film critic and it's still what I do best 
and most enthusiastically.)

http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=7144

George (But I play a music critic on TV) Robinson
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Shirona 
  To: World music from a Jewish slant 
  Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2003 11:37 AM
  Subject: The Pianist


  After seeing Roman Polanski's "The Pianist" (a powerful and upsetting film) - 
I looked up Wladyslaw Szpilman, the late Jewish/Polish composer/pianist who's 
autobiographic account of surviving  WWII in Warsaw is the basis of this film . 
 He was a prolific classical composer, before and after the war (he stayed in 
Poland until his death in 2000) - but also wrote some 500 songs, 150 of which 
are considered the "evergreens" of Polish popular music...and 40 children's 
songs for which he received awards... Is anyone familiar with his music and 
songs? 

  I couldn't help wondering though - how could he stay in Poland after the 
entire Jewish population was wiped out, and the Poles proved themselves to be 
just as savage and eager to get rid of the Jews as the Germans... Was he such a 
musical celebrity in Poland that being Jewish, in his case, didn't matter?

  Shirona
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
  Singer, Songwriter and Teacher of Jewish Music
   Visit my website at    www.shirona.com
  Listen to my music at www.mp3.com/shirona
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *