Chopin Nocturne No. 20 Perf. By Wladyslaw Szpilman - "the Pianist" - Original Recording May 2026

This specific piece bookended the most traumatic years of Szpilman's life:

While hiding in the ruins of Warsaw, a starving Szpilman was discovered by German officer Wilm Hosenfeld . When asked to prove he was a pianist, Szpilman played this Nocturne; moved by the music, Hosenfeld spared him and provided food. This specific piece bookended the most traumatic years

On September 23, 1939, Szpilman was performing this Nocturne live on Polskie Radio when German bombs struck the station, silencing the broadcast for six years. Władysław Szpilman ’s recording of Chopin’s is more

Władysław Szpilman ’s recording of Chopin’s is more than a performance; it is a historical artifact representing the triumph of the human spirit over the horrors of the Holocaust. 🎹 Historical Significance Szpilman played this Nocturne

When Polish Radio resumed broadcasting after the war, Szpilman opened the first transmission with this same piece. 🎶 The "Original" Recordings

While the movie The Pianist (2002) features a soundtrack performed by Janusz Olejniczak, Szpilman himself left behind several authentic recordings: