Janotha, Natalia (EN)

Janotha Natalia Maria Cecylia, *8 June 1856 Warsaw, †9 June 1932 Hague, Polish pianist and composer, daughter of Juliusz. As a child, she was taught to play the piano by her father; she made her debut at the age of 12 in Warsaw at a concert for the construction of a monument to S. Jachowicz, where she performed Mendelssohn’s Rondo capriccioso and Liszt’s Au bord d’une source. She studied music at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin with W. Bargiel (counterpoint) and E. Rudorff (piano) and in Cologne with F. Weber (harmony); she continued her piano studies with K. Schumann. In December 1874, she performed one of Mendelssohn’s piano concertos in Baden-Baden in the presence of Empress Augusta. Then she gave concerts at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Bremen, Cologne, Frankfurt and Berlin, sometimes performing with J. Joachim and K. Schumann, as well as in the Netherlands. On 22 March 1878, she played in Warsaw, where she performed Beethoven’s Concerto in G major with cadenzas by K. Schumann for the first time. In the summer of that year, she went to London on behalf of the sick K. Schumann; she played as part of the Monday Popular Concerts (with W. Neruda, A. Piatti, J. Joachim), at philharmonic concerts and several times at the English royal court. Until 1914, she performed almost annually in St. James’s Hall or Cristal Palace and toured other cities in England. From January 1883, she stayed for several months in Krakow as a guest of M. Czartoryska, who introduced Janotha to the tradition of performing Chopin’s works; both pianists performed together, performing Brahms’ Variations for 2 pianos. In Krakow, Janotha played at several concerts of the Musical Society, presenting, among others, Schumann’s works. In 1885, she was appointed court pianist of the imperial court in Berlin. Around 1890, she stayed in the Tatra Mountains (she climbed, among others, Gerlach) and soon composed a cycle of works called the Tatras. In March 1893, after further triumphs in Scotland and England, she performed in Rome at the court of Queen Margaret and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia; she offered her piece Ave Maria to Pope Leo XIII. She was awarded an honorary diploma from the Accademia di Santa Cecilia a year later. In June 1894, she performed in London on behalf of parishes in the poorest districts of London, performing, together with J. Śliwiński and J. Hoffman Concerto for 3 pianos by J.S. Bach. On 17 October that year, on the anniversary of F. Chopin’s death, she organised a concert in London with the participation of E. Reszke and J. Śliwiński. The concert was a financial fiasco due to the absence of two announced stars: S. Bernhardt and E. Calvé. However, Janotha still participated in concerts dedicated to Chopin (to fund the construction of a monument in London, to fund a plaque in the church in Brochów, to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of his death in Paris, etc.). On 24 February 1903, she performed at the Warsaw Philharmonic, performing Liszt’s Concerto in E-flat major under the direction of E. Młynarski. During World War I, as court pianist of the imperial court in Berlin, she was arrested and expelled from London. In 1916, she settled in the Hague and stopped giving concerts, sometimes only accompanying the performances of the dancer A. Sydow. Janotha’s repertoire included the following pieces: Concerto for 3 harpsichords by J.S. Bach; Piano Concerto No. 4 and No. 5, Sonata in E minor Op. 90 and Kreutzer Sonata (with J. Joachim) by Beethoven; Variations for 2 pianos and Hungarian Dances by Brahms; Impromptu in F-sharp major, Fantasy in A major on Polish themes, nocturnes, Berceuse and Barcarolle by Chopin; Concerto in E-flat major by Liszt; Songs without words, Rondo capriccioso and Piano Concerto by Mendelssohn; Carnival, Piano Concerto and Kreisleriana by Schumann; Żeleński’s Piano Trio, minor pieces by Kleszczyński, Paderewski, Zarzycki, Juliusz Janotha, as well as his own compositions, including the Tatras.

Starting from her first concerts in Germany, Janotha gained the name “queen of the piano” and achieved European fame comparable to the later career of I.J. Paderewski. Reviewers included her among the pianists-poets because, although she was gifted with excellent technique (she was able to perform e.g. Liszt’s works with bravado), she delighted in the depth of her interpretation of Beethoven, Chopin, and especially Schumann, faithfully following the instructions of the composer’s wife. The following works were dedicated to the pianist: E. Kania (Waltz Impromptu Op. 49), J. Kleczyński (Myśli ulotne), I.J. Paderewski (Danses polonaises Op. 5). Janotha’s extensive compositional output consists mainly of salon, post-Chopin piano miniatures; her translations of texts about Chopin are of greater importance.

Literature: J. Kleczyński Występ 12-letniej N. Janothówny, “Bluszcz” 1867 No. 51; Notatki Anny z Oleszczyńskich Janothowej, “Kronika Rodzinna” 1881 p. 622–28, 691–97, 715–21; J. Kleczyński N. Janothówna, “Echo Muzyczne, Teatralne i Artystyczne” 1891 No. 397.