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Władysław Szpilman

Władysław Szpilman (Polish pronunciation: [vwaˈdɨswaf ˈʂpilman] ; 5 December 1911 – 6 July 2000) was a Polish Jewish pianist, classical composer and Holocaust survivor. Szpilman is widely known as the central figure in the Roman Polanski film The Pianist, which was based on his autobiographical account of how he survived the German occupation of Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising.

Szpilman studied piano at music academies in Berlin and Warsaw. He became a popular performer on Polish Radio and in concert. Confined within the Warsaw Ghetto after the German invasion of Poland, Szpilman spent two years in hiding. Following the Warsaw Uprising and the subsequent destruction of the city, he was helped by Wilm Hosenfeld, a German officer who detested Nazi policies. After World War II, Szpilman resumed his career on Polish Radio. Szpilman was also a prolific composer; his output included hundreds of songs and many orchestral pieces. Szpilman was also recognized as the most famous of the "Robinson Crusoes", a term referring to Poles who survived in the ruins of Warsaw after the Warsaw Uprising.

Birth and Death Data: Born Sosnowiec (city in the Dąbrowa Basin (the Lesser Poland part of the Silesian Voivodeship), Poland), Died July 6, 2000 (Warsaw (capital and largest city of Poland) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1939

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-031511 10-in. 1/17/1939 Niema szczescia bez milosci Mieczyslaw Fogg Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Szpilman, Władysław," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104068.

Szpilman, Władysław. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104068.

"Szpilman, Władysław." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104068

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