The repertoire of these gatherings was filled with solo and chamber music. Piano paraphrases and transcriptions of popular operatic arias or other pieces were often performed, songs were sung, and a growing body of chamber literature was created specifically for this kind of music-making. At that time, favorite arias and symphonic excerpts were frequently performed in intimate settings, in the privacy of private homes. Composers wrote works that could easily be performed in smaller rooms, with a limited number of musicians in mind. This type of music had to be accessible, yet refined enough to satisfy the discerning tastes of salon audiences.
The 2025 festival project is designed to evoke the atmosphere of the romantic salon of the past, with all its richness and diversity of musical forms and genres. As the festival’s patron, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy—a seasoned chamber musician—left behind outstanding works for small ensembles, these will feature in every festival concert and will be presented within a broader musical context.
Works by Polish composers will also be included. Among them are Józef Krogulski, a composer of symphonies and chamber music, and Antoni Nowakowski, whose works, though not as widely recognized as Chopin’s, were popular in musical circles of the time. The festival will become a musical salon which, in the intimate atmosphere of the Chopin Manor, will tell the story of Romantic music and its cultural contexts—particularly highlighting the patron’s legacy and promoting valuable Polish composers of the 19th century.
