Garbusiński Kazimierz, *25 February 1883 Opatowiec (near Pińczów) †29 June 1945 Kraków, Polish organist, composer, conductor. He studied in Warsaw under Z. Noskowski (1903) and under W. Żeleński at the Kraków Conservatoire (1904–08), and subsequently under F. Nowowiejski (c. 1909–14). From 1909 he was organist at St Anne’s Church in Kraków; in 1915 he organised a vocal-instrumental ensemble (transformed in 1919 into the Towarzystwo Oratoryjne), which he led until 1924. After the First World War, Garbusiński taught singing at secondary schools in Kraków, and from 1928 he taught organ and choir classes and theoretical subjects at the Kraków Conservatoire. As a conductor, he also collaborated with the choir of the Towarzystwo Muzyczne, the “Echo” choir, and the symphony orchestra of the Musicians’ Union. During the occupation, he once again served as organist at St Anne’s Church in Kraków.
Garbusiński was one of the leading figures in Kraków’s musical life; he was known not only as an organist, but above all as a choir conductor and teacher. The Towarzystwo Oratoryjne ensemble and the conservatoire choir, both under his direction, performed to a high standard and played an active role in the city’s concert scene during the interwar period. Garbusiński’s compositional output is closely linked to his conducting and teaching activities; it is dominated by works for a cappella choir (male or mixed); his numerous arrangements of sacred and secular songs, intended for performance at school or at home, contributed to the expansion of the amateur vocal repertoire. Among Garbusiński’s church compositions, the masses considered the most technically mature are: Gloria Tibi Trinitas, stylistically reminiscent of 16th-century vocal music, as well as the six-voice Mass in honour of St Anne and the Mass in honour of St John Cantius. Garbusiński’s oeuvre has not yet been studied; the Jagiellonian Library holds manuscripts and first editions of his works, as well as other materials relating to the composer’s legacy.
Literature: W. Wargowski K. Garbusiński, “Muzyka Kościelna” 1932 Nos. 3, 4.
Compositions (works published in Chicago are from B.J. Zalewski):
16 masses, including: Msza pierwsza mala… w łatwym układzie dla użytku młodzieży szkół średnich Op. 5 for male a cappella choir, Krakow 1910
Kantata ku czci króla Jana Sobieskiego a cappella, 1913, Krakow 1933
Kantata ku czci księcia Józefa for choir and piano, 1913
Missa pastoralis… Op. 2 for male choir and organ, Chicago 1913
Missa in honorem S. Josephi Sponsi B. M. V. Op. 6 for 3 male voices and organ, Chicago 1913
Missa prima quadragesimalis Op. 12 a cappella, Chicago 1913
6 pieśni narodowych i towarzyskich Op. 15 for male a cappella choir, text by Z. Krasiński, Laskowski Chicago 1913
Msza druga mała Op. 13 for male a cappella choir, ad libitum organ or 4 trumpets, Chicago 1913
Missa in honorem S. Annae Op. 17. for two 3-voice mixed a cappella choirs, Chicago 1913
Hymn do Ducha Świętego Op. 20 for baritone, bass, male choir and organ, text by A. Mickiewicz (fragm. from Konrad
Wallenrod), Chicago 1913
Sto preludii dwu-, trzy-, cztero- i wielogłosowych for organ, Chicago 1912, 1914
Missa Gloria Tibi Trinitas for mixed choir, organ ad libitum, 1916, Poznań 1929
Missa in honorem S. Joannis Canti for male choir, orchestra or organ, 1917
Siedem słów Chrystusa na krzyżu, oratorio for solo voices, choir and orchestra, Krakow 1919
Crux fidelis for solo voices, choir and orchestra, 1920, Krakow 1933
Boże Narodzenie, suita pastoralna na for solo voices, choir and orchestra 1921, Krakow 1938
Chór diabłów. Poemat symfoniczny for solo voices, choir and orchestra, text by Z. Krasiński, 1925
around 30 secular songs for male a cappella choir to texts A. Asnyk, L. Rydel, M. Konopnicka, Z. Krasiński, 1910–29
Kantata w 10 rocznicę cudu nad Wisłą for mixed choir and piano, text by S. Szwarc, n. p. 1930
Kantata w stuletnią rocznicę powstania listopadowego for male choir and piano, 1931
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes. Psalm 116 for solo voices, choir and orchestra, Krakow 1931
Gorzkie żale, Passion Play for solo voice, choir and orchestra, 1931
Missa Laudate Dominum for mixed choir, orchestra or organ, Krakow 1933 (award at the TWMP competition)
Kantata ku czci św. A. Boboli, text by F. Stryja, Krakow 1938
Mazur for male a cappella choir, text by M. Konopnicka, Krakow 1954
3 sacred cantatas in MS, Jagiellonian Library
several hymns in MS for solo voice, choir and orchestra, Jagiellonian Library
Repertuar szkolnych chórów amatorskich, iss. 1: Pieśni ludowe ziemi krakowskiej wg zbiorów O. Kolberga dla użytku
młodzieży szkół średnich i chórów amatorskich for male a cappella choir, iss. 2: Pieśni kościelne dla użytku młodzieży szkół średnich, powszechnych i chórów amatorskich for mixed choir or 1 and 2 voices, organ, Krakow n. d.
Laudate Dominum. Wybór najpopularniejszych pieśni kościelnych do użytku kościelnego, szkolnego i domowego for male choir, Warsaw Gebethner i Wolff
Wieniec pieśni legionowych for mixed choir and piano, n.p. n. d.
arrangements for mixed choir and male choir of over 100 carols and numerous folk songs
solo songs
Writings:
Dyktaty muzyczne. Podręczniki dla nauczycieli śpiewu, MS at the Jagiellonian Library
Melodie. Podręcznik do nauki śpiewu wraz z teorią zawierający pieśni jedno-, dwu- i trzyglosowe, metodycznie opracowane do użytku I, II i III klasy gimnazjalnej oraz seminariów nauczycielskich, Krakow 1925, 1927
