Janotha Natalia (Maria Cecylia)

Natalia (Maria Cecylia) Janotha (* June 8, 1856 Warsaw – † June 9, 1932 The Hague) pianist, composer, daughter and student of Juliusz Janothy. In Berlin, she studied piano with Ernst Rudorff, and then with Clara Schumann. She also took lessons from Maria Czartoryska. She has performed as a pianist in Germany, Italy and Great Britain, including at the royal court. She explored the secrets of interpretations of works by Beethoven, Chopin and Schumann. Ignacy Jan Paderewski dedicated his piece “Danses polonaises” to her. She was a recognized piano virtuoso. Her numerous trips to the Tatra Mountains are reflected in her works based on the folklore of the mountains. She was one of the first female mountaineers. In 1885, she became the court pianist at the imperial court in Berlin. For this reason, after the outbreak of World War I, she was imprisoned and expelled from England, where the war surprised her. At the end of her life, she settled in The Hague. Her work is characterized by the salon character and influence of Chopin. She wrote mainly piano pieces.

More information about the pianist and composer on the wikipedia website.