Osiecka Agnieszka, *9 October 1936 Warsaw, †7 March 1997 Warsaw, Polish poet, writer, and songwriter. She was daughter of Wiktor Osiecki, pianist and composer of popular music. She was weaned on the pre-war cabarets, texts by J. Tuwim and melodies by H. Wars. She graduated from the University of Warsaw in journalism (1956) and from the Lodz Film School in film-directing (1962). Author of short films Czarne i białe, Solo na kontrabasie, Słoń, Bar listopad, Zwierzęta futerkowe and Szampan; in 1960 she assisted A. Wajda on his film Niewinni czarodzieje. From 1954–1972, she worked with the Student Satirical Theatre (STS) as a member of the artistic board and author. Osiecka’s first song, List z wakacji (with music by M. Lusztig), was written for STS. She spent the years from 1967 to 1968 in the United States on a Ford Foundation scholarship. She has published reports, columns and essays in magazines and journals, such as “Głos Wybrzeża”, “Nowa Kultura”, “Sztandar Młodych”, “Po prostu”, “Literatura”, “Kultura”, “Polska” and “Polityka”. In the years 1963–1970, she had her own programme, Radiowe Studio Piosenki (Radio Song Studio), to which she invited outstanding jazz musicians (K. Komeda, A. Kurylewicz, A. Trzaskowski, J.P. Wróblewski). She has written around 1,800 song lyrics published in such volumes as: Kolory (1963), Wyszłam i nie wróciłam (1969), Listy śpiewające (1971), Sztuczny miód (1977), Żywa reklama (1985), Sentymenty (1996). These texts delights with their variety of moods, experiences, and events. She was a master of lyrical, sentimental songs (Mój pierwszy bal, Nie całuj mnie pierwsza, Jak dobrze mieć sąsiada, Gaj). The various conventions, from joyful word play (Dom w malwy malowany, Kolega Maj, Zielono mi), sociological pictures (Kochankowie z ulicy Kamiennej, Piosenka o okularnikach, Sing-sing), festive songs (Dziś prawdziwych Cyganów już nie ma), to dramatic poetic song (Niech żyje bal, Na zakręcie, Oczy tej małej), were not challenging to her.
According to M. Janion, Osiecka was “the last Romantic of modern poetry”. The songs created on the basis of her poetry can hardly be classified into one type of music. They include jazz songs (E. Bem), rock songs (Skaldowie), ballads (S. Krajewski), pop songs (M. Rodowicz) and poetic songs (M. Umer, T. Woźniak). Osiecka wrote her greatest hits with K. Gaertner (Diabeł i raj, Małgośka, Wielka woda), S. Krajewski (Ludzkie gadanie, Nie spoczniemy) and A. Zieliński (Wieczór na dworcu w Kansas City, Króliczek). Osiecka’s compositions have repeatedly won prizes or distinctions at the National festival of Polish songs in Opole, including: an individual award for Piosenka o okularnikach (1963), a special award for Nim wstanie dzień (1964), third prize for Jak na Paryż (1965), first prize for Na całych jeziorach ty (1966), first prize for Zielono mi (1970), Journalists’ Award for Polska Madonna (1987), award for outstanding literary work (1989) and distinction for Moją młodość (1990). Her works were performed by many Polish artists, such as: E. Bem, Czerwone Gitary, A. Dąbrowski, K. Janda, K. Jędrusik, H. Kunicka, Ł. Prus, M. Rodowicz, Skaldowie, A. Szałapak, and M. Umer. In 1997, a concert dedicated to Osiecka’s work, entitled Zielono mi, was took place at the Opole Festival.
Osiecka also published prose works: Zabiłam ptaka w locie (Warsaw 1970), Szpetni czterdziestoletni (Warsaw 1985), Czarna wiewiórka (Warsaw 1986), Rozmowy w tańcu (Warsaw 1993), Na początku był negatyw (Warsaw 1996), Imionnik z kwiatem (Warsaw 1999). She created television shows, dramas, and musicals: Opera spod ciemnej gwiazdy (music by A. Sławiński, 1963), Niech no tylko zakwitną jabłonie (1964), Apetyt na czereśnie oraz Listy śpiewające (music by A. Sławiński, 1967), Znajomi znajomych (music by A. Głowiński, 1968), Dziś straszy (music by A. Zieliński, 1972), Gospoda pod piórem i gitarą (1973), Łotrzyce (1974), Reanimacja (music by J. Skrzek, 1979), Świnka (1979), Na skróty (1985), Biała bluzka (1986), Dama z walizką (1986), Sztukmistrz z Lublina (music by Z. Konieczny, 1987), Ach, ubogi żłobie, czyli Jasełka ’87 (1988), Wilki (music by Z. Konieczny, 1995), Do dna (music by P. Gintrowski, 1996), Apetyt na śmierć (music by E. Kornecka, 1996), Darcie pierza (1997). Her work was popular in the former USSR, where plays were staged Apetyt na czereśnie (1969, in translation by Z. Szatałowa and B. Okudżawy) and Na brzozowej korze (1972). In addition, she wrote also works devoted to children: Wzór na diabelski ogon, Dzień dobry Eugeniuszu, Szczególnie małe sny. She has also worked with cabarets Dudek, Piwnica pod Baranami, Pod Egidą, she wrote also lyrics for films and TV series: Gangsterzy i filantropi (directed by J. Hoffman and E. Skórzewski, 1962), Prawo i pięść [“The Law and the Fist”] (directed by J. Hoffman and E. Skórzewski, 1964), Czterej pancerni i pies [“Four Tank-Men and a Dog”] (directed by K. Nałęcki and A. Czekalski, 1966–1970), Małżeństwo z rozsądku [“Marriage of Convenience”] (directed by S. Bareja, 1966), Noce i dnie [“Nights and Days”] (directed by J. Antczak, 1975), Jan Serce (directed by R. Piwowarski, 1981).
Literature: Z. Turowska Agnieszki. Pejzaże z Agnieszką Osiecką, Warsaw 2000.
