Stolpe, Antoni the Elder (EN)

Stolpe Antoni the Elder, †5 January 1821 Warsaw, Polish composer, pianist, conductor and teacher, probably of Swedish origin, brother of Alojzy the Elder. He gave music lessons and took part in the concert life of Warsaw as a soloist and accompanist. The Stolpe brothers probably also played the organ, because in 1818, at the request of the Evangelical congregation in Warsaw, they issued an opinion after repairing one of the instruments. In 1817, Antoni Stolpe became one of the 7 directors and conductors of the newly established Amateur Musical Society in Warsaw, and on 17 April 1818, the Society of Friends of Music in Kraków appointed him its “active and honorary” member. He died young, “universally regretted;” of his compositions, only Variations et finale (… ) composées et dédiées à son frère Aloyse par (…) Antoine Stolpe for piano (Warsaw around 1820 [F. Klukowski], National Library) has survived, which form and advanced texture of piano pieces prove the composer’s great skills. Moreover, according to H. Opieński (Józef Elsner in the light of unknown letters, “Polski Rocznik Muzykologiczne” from 1935), Antoni Stolpe the Elder was the author of Fantasia for piano, and according to S. Golachowski, the Ossolineum collection included the manuscript of his Polish March, dedicated to General K. Kniaziewicz.

Literature: “Kurier Warszawski” 1821 No. 6 (obituary).