Statkowski, Roman (EN)

Statkowski Roman, *24 December 1859 Szczypiorno (near Kalisz), †12 November 1925 Warsaw, Polish composer and teacher. He came from a landowning family. In 1872–78, he learned harmonics, counterpoint and composition with W. Żeleński at the Music Institute in Warsaw; he also graduated from the law faculty at the University of Warsaw (1884). In 1886–90, he continued to learn composition at the conservatory in St. Petersburg with N. Soloviova and An. Rubinstein and instrumentation with N. Rimsky-Korsakov (diploma and a gold medal in 1890); at the diploma concert, he performed his cantata Uczta Baltazara. After graduation, he lived in Kyiv (where he taught at the music school), Moscow and his estate in Volhynia, which was soon confiscated (similarly to other family estates on the border of Livonia and Russia). Around 1895, he cooperated with “Echo Muzyczne, Teatralne i Artystyczne.” In 1897, he travelled to Berlin, Paris, Brussels and London. After around two years, he came back to Moscow to later, from 1899, run the Warsaw branch of the Herman and Grossman piano store for five years. In 1904, he became a professor at the Music Institute in Warsaw, where he taught the history of music (1904–18), diction (1906–08) and – after Z. Noskowski’s death – composition (1909–25); he also taught instrumentation to, among others, wind bands. He was a member of the Teacher’s Council (1907–15), Temporary Board (during the war, 1915–16), Inspector of the Institute (1916–18) and the vice-principal of the Institute (1919–20). In 1907, he became an executive editor of “Kwartalnik Muzyczny” but only nominally, at the request of H. Opieński, the actual creator and editor of the magazine, who, as an Austrian citizen, did not get permission from the Russian authorities to take over the editorial office. He was an honorary member of the International Society for Contemporary Music.

Statkowski’s music belongs to late Romanticism. His piano pieces, sometimes technically difficult (Par une nuit… Op. 21, Toccata Op. 33) testify to his deep understanding of pianistic problems. Statkowski was a born lyrist; his instrumental miniatures are often in a style of national Polish dances or salon music; they are characterised by a clear form, “refinement” of melody, inventiveness in terms of texture (e.g. imitation of the carillon in All’antico from Six pièces Op. 16), also colours referring to Chopin (e.g. in preludes Op. 37 Nos 2 and 5), Rachmaninov (No. 4) and even Impressionism (No.1). Statkowski’s string quarters also meet the stylistic standards of Romanticism, as evidenced by the structure of the cycle (scherzo movement in the 2^nd place), the omission of the second theme in the development, and the use of various polyphonic means (the finale of the Quartet No. 5 is a 4-voice fugue using the variation technique).

Statkowski’s operas, despite their dramaturgically weak librettos, received very good reviews from critics, mainly for the beauty of melody and the artistry of instrumentation. They both won main prizes: Filenis at the international competition in London (1903), and Maria at the Warsaw Philharmonic Competition (1904). They were similar to the concept of Wagner’s drama (leitmotifs), to Tchaikovsky’s symphonies in making the narrative more dynamic, while Maria to Moniuszko’s style – in terms of themes, types of characters, and dances.

Opera Maria (in 3 acts and 7 scenes) became Statkowski’s most popular work. It was staged in Poland several times, among others, in Poznań, Katowice and Bytom. Critics wrote about its great instrumentation and late-Romantic style, especially visible in wind instruments, with extended tonality and fast-flowing melody shimmering with dark colours. The popularity of this opera was also caused by patriotic motives, including the quote from Bogurodzica. The Overture to Filenis is today performed as an independent piece. Statkowski’s friend, Szymanowski, expressed appreciation on several occasions due to the high level of Statkowski’s compositional craft.

Statkowski was a prominent teacher, although he did not like this job; he suppressed banality, taught how to work and tolerated compositional experiments (e.g. by Perkowski). Statkowski’s students included: P. Perkowski, W. Chrapowicki, H. Dorabialska, M. Gliński, A. Gradstein, M. Kondracki, Sz. Laks, J. Lefeld, J. Maklakiewicz, S. Nawrocki, I. Sternicka-Niekrasz, B. Szabelski, A. Szeluto, K. Wiłkomirski, B. Woytowicz.

Literature: 4 letters by Statkowski to A. Dienheim-Szczawiński-Brochocki, 1903, manuscript Polish National Library, sign. IV-10108(16); Kurs historii muzyki, script for lectures on the history of music led in 1909/10 by Statkowski at the Warsaw Conservatory, manuscript copies WTM Library, sign. III-10.216; Z. Noskowski Filenis, dramat muzyczny w dwóch aktach Romana Statkowskiego, “Echo Muzyczne” 1904 Nos 25–28; F. B. [F. Brzeziński] Maria, opera w trzech aktach (7 odsłonach) Romana Statkowskiego, “Kurier Warszawski” 1919 No. 264; S. Niewiadomski Roman Statkowski. Życie i twórczość, “Muzyka” 1925 No. 11/12, there K. Szymanowski [memorial R. S.], reprint in: K. Szymanowski. Pisma muzyczne, collected and edited by K. Michałowski, Kraków 1984; S. Jarociński Z korespondencji Romana Statkowskiego (Materiały biograficzne), “Studia Muzykologiczne” I, 1953 (contains fragments of letters to S. Wilska); G. Zieziula Filenis albo dzieje londyńskiej „deweny” Romana Statkowskiego, “Ruch Muzyczny” 2004 No. 2.