Stęszewski Jan Maria Stanisław, *20 April 1929 Koźmin Wielkopolski, †21 September 2016 Warsaw, Polish musicologist and ethnomusicologist. In 1948–52, he studied musicology under A. Chybiński and M. Sobieski, and additionally ethnography under E. Frankowski and J. Gajek at the University of Poznań, and in 1951–53, he studied piano at the PWSM in Poznań. From 1951 to 1975, he worked at the State Institute of Art (since 1959 IS PAN), where in 1965, he obtained a doctoral degree based on his thesis Problematyka historyczna kurpiowskich pieśni (supervisor J.M. Chomiński). In 1975–2000, he was the head of the Department of Musicology at Adam Mickiewicz University, where he habilitated in 1994 (based on his thesis Muzyka w muzyce polskich kompozytorów od XVII do XX w. O cytowaniu ludowych melodii). He lectured at universities, among others, in Kraków (from 1973, he led a master’s seminar at the Jagiellonian University), Warsaw, Lublin (KUL), Berlin (Freie Universität), Göttingen, Girona. He developed wide-ranging organisational activity in the field of science, e.g. in 1969–73, he was the chairman of the Musicologists’ Section of the Polish Composers’ Union, in 1973–79, the president of the Polish Composers’ Union, in 1977–83, a member of the board of the International Music Society, in 1979–99, the chairman of the Polish Music Council at UNESCO, in 1984–87, the vice-chairman of the International Music Council. From 1976, for many years, he was a member of the main committee and a juror of the Artistic Olympiads, in 1973–2010, a member of the jury of the National Festival of Folk Bands and Singers in Kazimierz Dolny (since 1981 chairman of the jury), from 1961, he was a member of the editorial committee of the Complete Works of O. Kolberg and from 1996, vice-chairman of the editorial committee of the Complete Works of H. Wieniawski. Member of scientific councils and committees, including the Programme Council of the Fryderyk Chopin National Institute (2001–07), the Committee on Art Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences (since 1985), the Scientific Council of the H. Wieniawski Music Society (since 1980, chairman); he was a member of the museum council of the Museum of Folk Musical Instruments in Szydłowiec (co-organiser of the museum, chairman of the council 1987–2003), the musicology committee of the Department of Art Sciences of the Poznań Society of Friends of Science (chairman 1996–2011, co-editor of musicology studies published by this committee), the scientific council at the Polish Radio Folk Culture Centre (vice-chairman 1994–2003), and since 2001 he has been a member of the Program Council of the Fryderyk Chopin National Institute.
Co-editor of various serial publications and collective works (see list of works), member of the editorial board of the biographical part of the PWM Music Encyclopaedia and author of numerous entries in the same encyclopaedia, in the New Grove Dictionary (London 2001) and in MGG, where he was a member of the advisory team of the personal part.
Distinctions and awards: Meritorious Cultural Activist (1977), Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1979), collective award of the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences (1976), ZKP award (1989), O. Kolberg Award (2010) and others; he was also a member of the honorary Pro Sinfonica ensemble from Poznań (since 1976), the G. Bacewicz Ostrołęka Music Society (since 1987), the Polish Music Centre at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California (since 2004) and ZKP (since 2009).
Stęszewski’s research interests focused on ethnomusicology, especially Polish folklore, musicological methodology in its interdisciplinary dimension, as well as the history of Polish music from the 17th to the 20th century. His works on concepts used in the discipline of musicology are of particular importance (e.g. Apokope… 1967, Wzór czy model… 2003). He attached great importance to conducting ethnomusicological field research and documenting Polish folklore (already as a student, he took part in the nationwide Action of Collecting Musical Folklore in 1950–1954, organised by the State Institute of Art in cooperation with the Polish Radio); then, for many years, together with Bożena Muszkalska and Bogusław Linette, he led field camps for musicology students from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the research took place in Poland and abroad (including Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Romania).
Stęszewski was one of the most socially and organisationally active Polish musicologists. In 1975, he reactivated the musicology centre at the University of Poznań, and in 1975–1999, he headed the Department of Musicology (currently the Institute of Musicology at Adam Mickiewicz University). He educated many outstanding musicologists, promoted almost 70 masters and 15 doctors (among them Bożena Muszkalska and Piotr Podlipniak).
Currently, at the National Festival of Folk Bands and Singers in Kazimierz Dolny, the performers are awarded the Special Prize of Prof. Jan Stęszewski.
Literature: 50 lat Związku Kompozytorów Polskich, ed. L. Erhardt, Warsaw 1995; Context of Musicology, commemorative book of Jan Stęszewski, 2 volumes, ed. M. Jabłoński, D. Jasińska, B. Muszkalska, R.J. Wieczorek, Poznań 1997.
Morfologia rytmów mazurkowych na Mazowszu Polnym. Studium analityczne, “Muzyka” 1959 No. 4, 1960 No. 2
Do genezy i chronologii rytmów mazurkowych w Polsce, with Z. Stęszewska, “Muzyka” 1960 No. 3, in German in The Book of the First International Musicological Congress, devoted to the Works of F. Chopin 16th–22nd February 1960, ed. Z. Lissa, Warsaw 1963
Pieśni kurpiowskie w twórczości Karola Szymanowskiego, in: Karol Szymanowski, book of the scientific session in Warsaw 1962, ed. Z. Lissa, Warsaw 1964
„Chmiel”. Szkic problematyki etnomuzycznej wątku, “Muzyka” 1965 No. 1
Apokope, eine Eigentümlichkeit im Volksliedervortrag, in the commemorative book of W Wióra, ed. L. Finscher and C.-H. Mahling, Kassel 1967
Sachen, Bewusstsein und Benennungen in ethnomusikologischen Untersuchungen. Am Beispiel der polnischen Folklore, “Jahrbuch für Volksliedforschung” XVII, 1972
Uwagi o etnomuzycznej regionalizacji Polski, in: Dyskurs o tradycji, ed. J.M. Michałowski, Wrocław 1974
Geige und Geigenspiel in der polnischen Volksüberlieferung, in: Die Geige in der europäischen Volksmusik, ed. W. Deutsch and G. Haid, Vienna 1975
Ethnomusikologische und ethnographische sowie dialektologische Regionalisierung im polnischen Sprachgebiet, in: Rad XIX Kongresa Saveza Druzenja Folklorysta jugoslavije, ed. K. Penusliski and B. Ristovski, Skopje 1977
Problem wartościowania kultur muzycznych, in: Muzyka w kontekście kultury, «Spotkania Muzyczne w Baranowie» vol. 1, ed. L. Polony, Kraków 1978
Muzyka ludowa, in: Przemiany kultury ludowej, ed. M. Biernacka, Wrocław 1981
Chopins Mazurka op. 41 No. 2. Ausdruck des Heimwehs oder der nationalen Verpflichtung des Komponisten?, in the commemorative book of R. Bockholdt, ed. N. Dubowy and S. Meyer-Eller, Pffanenhofen 1990
Über charakteristische Rhythmen im Fünf- und Achtachteltakt, in: Musica privata. Die Rolle der Musik im privaten Leben, commemorative book of W. Salmen, ed. M. Fink and G. Mössmer, Innsbruck 1991
Zur Geschichte des Terminus „ethnomusicology”, in: Vielfalt musikalischer Kultur, commemorative book of J. Kuckertz, ed. R. Schumacher, Salzburg 1992
The Credibility of O. Kolberg’s Ethnomusicological Collection. A Contribution to the Problem of Historical Criticism, «Intercultural Music Studies» IV, ed. M.P. Baumann et al., Wilhelmshaven 1992
Probleme der TheorieNo.eduktion in der Musikwissenschaft. Einleitende Bemerkungen, «Interdisciplinary Studies in Musicology» vol. 1, ed. M. Jabłoński and J. Stęszewski, Poznań 1993
Some Remarks on the Relationship between Musicology and Ethnomusicology, in: Tendenzi e Metodi nella ricerca musicologica, book from a congress in Latina in 1990, ed. R. Pozzi, Florence 1995
Polish National Character in Music: what is it?, in: Stereotypes and Nations, ed. T. Walas, Kraków 1995
La teoria dello sviluppo di R. Lach, in: Il pensiero musicale degli anni venti e trenta, materials from the convention in Arcavacata di Rende in 1993, ed. M. Bristiger et al., Rende 1996
„Lexikon der Juden in der Musik” z perspektywy współczesnej i polskiej, in: Muzyka i totalitaryzm, ed. M. Jabłoński and N. Tatarska, Poznań 1996
Zur „Entdeckung” von Beständen der ehemaligen Berliner Preussischen Bibliothek in Polen, in: Die Beziehungen der Berliner Staatsbibliothek nach Polen. Reflexionen zur Zeit- und Bestandsgeschichte, ed. A. Jammers, Berlin 1997
Volks- oder populäre Musik. Eine Fallstudie zur Musik des 17. Jahrhunderts, in: Historical Studies on Folk and Traditional Music, ed. D. Stockmann and H. Koudal, Copenhagen 1997
Zygmunt Mycielski, kompozytor, pisarz, myśliciel, autorytet, in: Zygmunt Mycielski. Dziennik 1950–1959, ed. Z. Mycielska-Golik, Warsaw 1999
Polnische Volks- und populäre Musik und das Schaffen von Fryderyk Chopin, in: Chopin and His Works in the Context of Culture, vol. 1, ed. I. Poniatowska et al., Kraków 2003
Wzór czy model, a może wzór i model? Do problemów języka muzykologii, in: Muzyka wobec tradycji. Idee, dzieło, recepcja, commemorative book of I. Poniatowska, ed. S. Paczkowski, Warsaw 2004
issues:
Michał Fedorowski Lud białoruski. Materiały do etnografii słowiańskiej zgromadzone w latach 1877–1905, with A. Obrębska-Jabłońska et al., vol. 5, 6 and 7 (supplement), Warsaw 1958, 1960, 1969
Tańce polskie z Vietoris-Kodex, with Z. Stęszewska, “Źródła do Historii Muzyki Polskiej” I, 1960
Stanisław Mierczyński. Muzyka huculszczyzny, Kraków 1965
Muzyczne silva rerum z XVII wieku. Rękopis 127/56 z Biblioteki Jagiellońskiej, with J. Gołos, “Źródła do Historii Muzyki Polskiej” XVI, 1970
Rzeczy, świadomość, nazwy. O muzyce i muzykologii, collection of articles, ed. P. Podlipniak and M. Walter-Mazur, Poznań 2009 (includes a complete list of Stęszewski’s works)
editing:
Analyse und Klassifikation von Volksmelodien, with D. Stockmann, Kraków 1973
“Polish Musicological Studies,” with Z. Chechlińska, 2 volumes, Kraków 1977, 1986
Polskie śpiewy religijne społeczności katolickich. Studia i materiały, with B. Bartkowski and K. Mrowiec, vol. 1, Lublin 1990
«Interdisciplinary Studies in Musicology», with M. Jabłoński, 4 volumes, Poznań 1993, 1995, 1997, 2004
Polska edukacja muzyczna wobec przemian systemowych, with M. Jabłoński, Poznań 1997
Opera polska w XX wieku, with M. Jabłoński and H. Lorkowska, Poznań 1999
Muzykologia na Uniwersytecie im. A. Mickiewicza w Poznaniu w latach 1974–1999. Tradycje, działalność i dokumentacja, with M. Jabłoński and D. Jasińska, Poznań 1999
Mickiewicz i muzyka. Słowa, dźwięki, konteksty, with T. Brodniewicz and M. Jabłoński, Poznań 2000
Music in the World of Ideas, commemorative book of M. Bristiger, with H. Geyer and M. Jabłoński, Poznań 2001
co-editing:
«Res Facta», with M. Bristiger et al., 7, 1973, 8, 1977, 9, 1982
“Rocznik Chopinowski” IX–XX, with Z. Chechlińska et al., 1975–92
«Chopin Studies» vol. 1–4, with Z. Chechlińska et al., 1985–94
«Res Facta Nova», 10 issues, with M. Bristiger et al., from 1994
