On 13th February 2013 Tomasz Kopoczyński Law Firm together with its guests moved a TeKa refleksji meeting to a new location: legendary Manor of Sierakowscy in Sopot on Czyżewskiego street. The opportunity was unique, since on that evening we could listen not only to a lecture, but also to a piano concert. The Guest of the Firm was dr Anna Chęćka Gotkowicz – lecturer at the Department of Aesthetics and Philosophy of Science of the University of Gdańsk, a pianist, graduate of the Academy of Music in Gdańsk, student of a French virtuoso, Bernard Ringeissen and the author of the book Dissonances of criticism. On the assessment of performance of a musical piece and of a recently published dissertation The ear and the mind. Sketches on experiencing the music.
Presentation of dr Chęćka-Gotkowicz was therefore composed of two parts. The first one was a theoretical lecture on sensual experiencing of the music and meanings in a musical piece. By talking about experiencing the music and aesthetical experience, the author of Dissonances of criticism tried to encourage the audience to personal listening, and at the same time to free us of compulsion to understand music, in her opinion sometimes harmful in everyday perception. “The ear and the mind” from the title of the book, by referring to a classical book by Merleau-Ponty accurately reflects mental as well as sensual concept of perception of music proposed by dr Chęćka-Gotkowicz.
The concept could be experienced in person, aurally, in the second part of the performance, when our Guest, in the character of a pianist, sat by the manor piano to play, and next explain (while still playing) two musical pieces: Fantasy in C minor by Mozart and Piano sonata in B flat major by Schubert. By analyzing these pieces, Anna Chęćka-Gotkowicz presented their narratives with virtuosity, at the same time explaining a key musical mechanism for creating emotions by the means of sounds. Therefore we were offered a chance to penetrate deep into the music, reaching its heart, in order to return to undoubtedly altered by the meeting listening to the music, listening with the ear and the mind.
