Studziński, Karol (EN)

Studziński Karol, *24 January 1828 Kraków, †15 March 1883 Warsaw, Polish violinist, violist and composer, brother of Wincenty. He was a student of W. Gorączkiewicz; from 1843, he played violin in the theatre orchestra in Kraków. From 1853, he lived in Warsaw; for many years, he was the first violinist in the orchestra of the Teatr Wielki and a violist in the string quartet of A. Kątski; he also taught music privately and managed chamber concerts in the Resursa Obywatelska. In 1856, he founded and, until about 1868, led the first male double (it was not always double) vocal quartet in Poland, in which he sang together with Walery Wysocki, Adolf Kozieradzki and Aleksander Mystkowski. Ignacy F. Dobrzyński wrote songs for them (Medytacja i scherzo, about 1857, probably unpublished). The quartet was valued for their performances of vocal transcriptions of instrumental works by Mozart (e.g. the overture to The Magic Flute, 1857), Schubert, and Mendelssohn, as well as arrangements of Polish songs, especially those by Moniuszko. From 1857, Karol Studziński helped J. Sikorski in editing “Ruch Muzyczny.” In 1863/64, he took up work as a professor of the solfege and principles of music class, and in 1865, on Moniuszko’s initiative, also of the choir class at the Institute of Music; in 1866, he became a member of the board of the Institute; he held these positions until the end of his life. Karol Studziński’s few instrumental miniatures have a banal structure, but in choral works, the composer used correct form and texture and a richer set of means, especially polyphonic ones, e.g. in the Gloria from Mass No. 2. Short pieces for children gained popularity (published in the children’s magazine “Wieczory rodzinne”). Through his work in the field of choral and instrumental chamber music, Karol Studziński contributed to the development of group music in Poland and to the enrichment of the musical culture of Warsaw.

Karol’s sister, Wiktoria Studzińska-Marczewska (1816 or 1818–after 1881), was a valued singer (soprano) in Kraków theatres and the Grand Theatre in Warsaw in 1842–48, and an actress, appearing in the comedy repertoire, including plays by A. Fredro; the youngest brother, Kajetan Studziński (1832–1855), was a member of the orchestra of the Grand Theatre in Warsaw and a composer of songs and dances, which were often performed in the Saxon Garden (Warsaw).

Literature: J. Radwański Żywoty tegoczesne mężów znakomitych w rozmaitych zawodach, part 2.: Życie Wincentego Studzińskiego, skrzypka i krakowianina, Kraków 1848; [K. Estreicher], “Nowiny” 1854 No. 106 (obituary); T. L. [Tomasz le Brun] Kwartet Studzińskiego, “Gazeta Muzyczna i Teatralna” 1866 No. 24; A. P. [Aleksander Poliński] Karol Studziński, “Kłosy” 1883 No. 926.