Poland 20 Zloty banknote 2009 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederic Chopin
The front of the banknote depicts a portrait of Frederic Chopin in profile. This element has been made with steel engraving technique. The engraving of the portrait was made by Przemysław Krajewski – hand engraving artist at the Polish Security Printing Works. On the left-hand side, there is an image of the manor house in Żelazowa Wola where the composer was born. On the right-hand side, there is a reproduction of the first edition of Mazurka in B-flat major, Op. 7 No. 1 and of the autograph of the composer.
The back of the banknote shows a facsimile of a fragment of Étude in f-minor, Op. 10, No. 9, against a landscape with willows, characteristic of Central Poland region.
Banknote designers: Grzegorz Pfeifer and Katarzyna Jarnuszkiewicz. The engraving of the Chopin portrait by Przemysław Krajewski – hand engraving artist at the Polish Security Printing Works.
Size: 138 x 69 mm
The banknotes have been printed by the Polish Security Printing Works. The banknote is legal tender in Poland. Its face value is 20 złoty.
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20 Zloty banknote 2009 200th birthday anniversary of Frédéric Chopin
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The Birthplace of Frédéric Chopin is a "dworek" (lit. little manor-house – in fact eastern outbuilding of non-existing mansion) surrounded by a large (over 17 acres) natural park at the banks of Utrata River in Żelazowa Wola near Sochaczew in Poland – presently museum of the composer, department of the Fryderyk Chopin Museum in Warsaw.
The very first connotation of the village was the document of 1579, in which Mikołaj and Piotr Żelazo were mentioned as the owners of Żelazowa Wola. In the end of 18th century Piotr Łuszczewski, and next Paprockis family were the owners. There were eight houses in the village that time.
At the turn of 18th and 19th century the village was purchased by Skarbeks family. Kacper and Ludwika Skarbek lived in a mansion, which was framed by two minor outbuildings. Tutor of their children was Mikołaj Chopin, who married in 1806 Justyna née Krzyżanowska, administrator of the mansion related to the owners.
Frédéric Chopin was born here on March 1, 1810, as a second child of Chopins. All his sisters: older Ludwika Marianna, as well as two younger, Justyna Izabela and Emilia, were born in Warsaw. He did not stay in Żelazowa Wola for long (in the Fall of the same year the Chopins moved to Warsaw), but young Frédéric visited later often Żelazowa Wola , going there for vacations and family events. In 1812 Skarbek's mansion burned to the ground, but both outbuildings survived.
After the suicide of Michał Skarbek in 1834, his family sold Żelazowa Wola to Szuberts. In 1840, the ownership of the village was transferred to baron Eugehard, and soon after to the Peszel family. Later, in the years 1859-1879, Adam Towiański was an owner. His possessions consisted of granges in Mokas and Żelazowa Wola, as well as villages: Żelazowa Wola, Chodakówek, Budy Żelazowskie and Towiany. In that time there were 11 houses built of bricks 12 wooden ones, and a water mill. From 1879 the manor was owned by Aleksander Pawłowski, who used the Chopin's birthplace as a storage house.
In 1894 – on the initiative of Russian composer Mily Balakirev – the monument of Frédéric Chopin was built in park by Bronisław Żochowski and Jan Wojdyga. During the World War I the second outbuilding was burned. In 1918 the grange of Żelazowa Wola was lotted out and handed to the local farmers.
In 1928, the "Chopin House Friends Society" (pol. Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Domu Chopina) and the Chopin Committee (pol. Komitet Chopinowski) of Sochaczew purchased the house and 9 acres (36,000 m2) of the ground for 40000 zł from Roch Szymaniak, who owned the place after 1918. During the World War II German troops occupied the building. In the Summer of 1944 it was used as a military hospital.
Since 1969 there has been a monument to the pianist, designed by Józef Gosławski, in the park adjacent to Chopin's birthplace.
Mazurka in B-flat major, Op. 7 No. 1
The Mazurkas, Op. 7 are a set of five mazurkas by Frédéric Chopin. The mazurkas were written in 1830 – 1832. A typical performance of all five mazurkas takes a little over eleven minutes.
No. 1 in B-flat major
The first mazurka, sometimes also known as Mazurka No. 5, is marked Vivace (lively and fast) and is perhaps the most well-known mazurka of the set.
Étude in f-minor, Op. 10, No. 9
Étude Op. 10, No. 9, in F minor, is a technical study composed by Frédéric Chopin in 1829. This étude is part of the twelve studies which belong to Op. 10. It is widely regarded as a good left hand étude because it promotes flexibility in the wrists and fingers.