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

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.

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. While hiding in the ruins of Warsaw, a

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 Władysław Szpilman ’s recording of Chopin’s is more

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

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

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