Hławiczka, Karol (EN)

Hławiczka Karol, *14 February 1894 Ustroń (near Cieszyn), †22 July 1976 Cieszyn, Polish teacher, music historian, composer, organist, conductor, music activist. He was the son of Andrzej Hławiczka (1866–1914), a singing teacher, conductor, organiser of the Polish singing movement in Cieszyn Silesia and collector of Silesian folk songs. After graduating from the Polish secondary school in Cieszyn, he studied law at the University of Vienna; in 1914 (following the tragic death of his father), he interrupted his studies, returned to Cieszyn and took over his father’s position as a music teacher at the teacher training college and as an organist at the Evangelical church. Between 1915 and 1917, he passed state examinations qualifying him to teach music in secondary schools (singing, organ, piano, violin); from 1920 to 1921, he furthered his musical studies in Vienna with F. Schmidt (composition and piano), in 1925 in Paris with M. Dupré (organ), in 1926 in London with Th. Matthay (piano) and in Rome with F. Dobicci (composition); in addition, in 1921 he studied composition with F. Szopski and piano with A. Michałowski in Warsaw. In 1932 he obtained a diploma in organ performance from the Warsaw Conservatory. From 1914 he taught singing and music at secondary schools in Silesia (Cieszyn, Mysłowice, Katowice); from 1933 he was a lecturer at the State Pedagogical Institute in Warsaw and an instructor of singing and music appointed by the Ministry of Religious Denominations and Public Enlightenment. He founded and edited the pedagogical journals “Muzyka w Szkole” (1929–33), “Śpiew w Szkole” (1933–34), and “Nowa Muzyka w Szkole” (1933–39). He hosted radio broadcasts and gave music talks for children and young people on Polish Radio. He initiated school festivals and concerts, scholarly sessions, and lectures devoted to issues of music education. During World War II he remained in Warsaw, giving private piano lessons. After the war, he moved to the Zaolzie region, where he founded and led choral ensembles (“Harfa” in Český Těšín and “Lutnia” in Třinec); between 1951 and 1954 he organised four festivals devoted to the music of Chopin and Moniuszko in Český Těšín, Karviná, and Třinec. In 1959 he returned to Poland and settled in Cieszyn, where he worked as a teacher, lecturer, and conductor; he also engaged in musical and religious journalism and conducted scholarly research. From 1957 he collaborated as a teacher with the State Folk Song and Dance Ensemble “Śląsk”; in the academic year 1973/74 he taught music theory at the Faculty of Pedagogy and Arts of the University of Silesia in Cieszyn. In 1975 he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

His pedagogical work in teacher training colleges inspired Hławiczka to study the methodology of singing instruction; Hławiczka compiled a series of singing textbooks for lower and secondary schools and seminaries, as well as school songbooks; Solfeż polski and the «Biblioteka pieśni regionalnych», initiated and edited by Hławiczka, which covered the folklore of various regions of Poland in 16 volumes, were particularly popular; only seven booklets in this series (Śląsk 1-2, Kujawy, Mazowsze, Wielkopolska, Podlasie, Polesie) contain a selection and arrangement of songs compiled by Hławiczka. In numerous articles, Hławiczka discussed the issues of singing lessons and music teaching methodology; he suggested the widespread use of folk songs. In line with this proposal, his Solfeż polski is based on Polish folk melodies. Hławiczka made significant achievements in music education, mainly in the field of singing and solfège teaching. From a methodological point of view, his articles on the tonic-solfa method, which he introduced to Poland and promoted by organising teacher training sessions throughout the country, are very important. As one of the first promoters of the idea of music education in general education using modern methods, Hławiczka developed new teaching programmes in this field.

In his academic research, Hławiczka focused on the history of Protestant music in Poland in the 16th and 17th centuries (hymnals), the history and characteristics of old Polish dances (mainly the polonaise), Polish folk music, with particular emphasis on Cieszyn Silesia and Zaolzie, the theory of musical rhythm, and melody and rhythm in Chopin’s works. In addition, he conducted research on the contribution of Protestantism to Polish musical culture. In his works (including Z bogatej przeszłości muzycznej polskiej reformacji, 1971), he argued that the songs of Cyprian Bazylik and Wacław z Szamotuł, as well as the psalms of M. Gomółka, were written for the Polish Reformation. As an Evangelical religious activist and musician, he promoted the music of this Church. In 1937, thanks to Hławiczka’s efforts, the first concert of sacred music broadcast by Polish Radio took place in the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Warsaw. It was in this church that Hławiczka came across J. Elsner’s Passio Domini nostri Jesu Christi, an oratorio considered lost, whose score he reconstructed and had performed (1938).

Hławiczka’s bibliography includes over 300 items, including approximately 100 dissertations and scientific articles on the history and theory of music. Hławiczka published many articles in the Evangelical press (“Przegląd Ewangelicki”, “Pielgrzym Polski”), educational and other non-musical magazines, mainly in the Cieszyn Silesia region (“Zwrot”, “Głos Ziemi Cieszyńskiej”, “Zaranie Śląskie”, “Kalendarz Beskidzki”).

Hławiczka combined his pedagogical work and scholarly interests with musical practice. As a pianist, he performed in many cities in Poland and Czechoslovakia, playing works by Chopin, Liszt, Grieg, and Tchaikovsky; as an organist, he was an expert on the music of J.S. Bach; he also frequently conducted choirs in the Zaolzie region.

Literature: R. Gabryś, Karol Hławiczka, “Poglądy” 1972, No. 22; D. Kadłubiec, Nad dziełem Karola Hławiczki, “Zwrot” 1976, No. 10; E. Rosner, Karol Hławiczka. 1894–1976, “Głos Ziemi Cieszyńskiej” 1976, No. 33; J. Gabryś-Cybulska, Sylwetki muzyków cieszyńskich w świetle uwarunkowań społecznych, «Biuletyn Biblioteki Głównej PWSM w Katowicach» 1977, No. 3 (titled Kultura muzyczna Ziemi Cieszyńskiej).