Szczepanowski, Stanisław (EN)

Szczepanowski Stanisław Ignacy, he most often performed under two names: Szczepanowski Stanisław Ignacy or Szczepanowski Prus (“Prus” is probably a coat of arms) Stanisław, *12 July 1811 Wrocieryż near Pinczów in the Kielce region, †16 September 1877 Lviv, Polish guitarist, cellist, pianist and composer. He was the son of Wincenty, an economist, and Teofila née Odrzywolska (source: anniversary book of the Civil Registry Office in Kielce). He also had a younger brother Jan (1813–1876; coat of arms “Prus”), an engineer, conspirator and emigration activist. Initially, he learned to play the violin and cello. As a soldier (and also an officer) in the November Uprising in 1831, he emigrated to Scotland. He began learning to play the guitar with F. Horecki in Edinburgh, then he studied under F. Sor in Paris. In 1840, he made his debut in Edinburgh and London; a series of concerts in the Herz Hall in Paris gained him great success and recognition, including from F. Chopin, A. Mickiewicz, F. Liszt, F. Kalkbrenner, F.A. Habeneck, as well as flattering reviews from the influential critic H.L. Blanchard, who considered him the most outstanding contemporary guitarist. In London, he was also valued for his cello playing; he had excellent reviews (including in “The Times,” “Morning Post,” “Musical World”), in which he was mentioned alongside A.F. Servais. In Dresden, he delighted K. Lipiński with his playing, with whom he soon became friends, but his greatest successes were in Spain. He also played (from 1843) in Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Turkey and Egypt. After receiving English citizenship (he had an English wife), he settled for a short time in Liverpool and taught guitar and cello. Sometimes he gave only cello concerts (Brussels 1857, Vienna 1866). He came to Poland in 1843 (15 concerts in Poznań and Kraków), and in 1848 performed in Warsaw. In the years 1850–52, 1857–60 and in 1862, he visited the governorates of Lublin, Płock, Radom, Augustów and Warsaw (a total of 69 concerts in 39 centres). He gave concerts with pianists J. Janotha and L. Nowicki, among others. In 1968–1874, he built the Lviv–Stryi railway line. Stanisław Ignacy travelled almost all of Europe as a musician. In the 1870s, his success gradually declined, he fell into depression; the last years of Szczepanowski’s life are not known.

Szczepanowski’s playing, especially on the guitar, was characterised by great skill, strength, colour imagination and a variety of effects borrowed from the technique of playing stringed instruments (flageolets, vibrato, scordatura) and the Andalusian flamenco style (the “fingernail” technique, sharply tapping out the rhythm on a specially reinforced sound box). He gave many concerts at royal courts – in England (he received a reinforced guitar from Queen Victoria), Belgium and Spain, where he received the title of court guitarist. In Poland, between the uprisings, Szczepanowski’s concerts aroused great enthusiasm. As one of the few guitar virtuosos, he played mainly his own compositions, based on national motifs – Polish and foreign, enriching the genre of romantic concert miniature; most of his works remain unpublished.

He was buried at the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv.

Literature: Koncert Szczepanowskiego, “Młoda Muzyka,” Paris 1840 No. 10; H. Blanchard Concerts, “Revue et Gazette Musicale” 1841 No. 25; M. Sieklińska Stanisław Szczepanowski, “Dziennik Narodowy,” Paris 1843 No. 156; J. S. [J. Sikorski] Wspomnienia koncertowe: Szczepanowski, “Biblioteka Warszawska” 1851 vol. 1; St. Pr. [Stanisław Przyłęcki] Stanisław Szczepanowski, “Dziennik Literacki” 1853 No. 2; Kazimierz Gilter Opowiadania, vol. 1: Pamiętniki z lat 1832–1857, Kraków 1971; Hieronim Kunaszowski Życiorysy uczestników powstania listopadowego […], Lviv 1880; Roman Suchecki Wiolonczela od A do Z, Kraków 1982; W. Tomaszewski Między salonem a jarmarkiem, Warsaw 2002 (includes, among others, collection of Szczepanowski’s concerts in the provinces of the Kingdom of Poland in 1850–62).