Szeligowski, Aleksander
Szeligowski Tadeusz, *13 September 1896 Lviv, †10 January 1963 Poznań, composer and teacher. He studied at the Galician Music Society Conservatory in Lviv: piano with V. Kurz and music theory with S. Niewiadomski. He studied law at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow in 1918–22 and, at the same time, harmony and counterpoint with B. Wallek-Walewski and piano with H. Peters, as well as musicology with Z. Jachimecki in 1921–22. He moved to Vilnius in 1923, where he worked as a barrister at the General Counsel until 1927. He was a vice president of the Vilnius Philharmonic Society in 1926. As a scholar of MWRiOP, Szeligowski studied composition with N. Boulanger and instrumentation with P. Dukas in Paris in 1929–31; he was then also an active member of the Young Polish Musicians Society [Stowarzyszenie Młodych Muzyków Polaków] as a secretary and vice president. In 1931, he taught music theory and composition at the State Music Conservatory in Poznań and led S. Moniuszko Choir. He married Stanisława Harasowska in Vilnius in 1931, who was a musicologist, and together, they undertook many works in the field of pedagogy and popularisation of music. In 1932, Szeligowski moved to Vilnius again, where he taught music theory at the Conservatory and was a vice-director of the private M. Karłowicz Conservatory in 1935–39. He also lectured at the University of Vilnius. He founded the Pro Arte vocal ensemble in 1932 and initiated the establishment of the Vilnius Council of Artistic Associations. During the war, he was an organist at the Church of St. Casimir in Vilnius. In 1945, he became director of the State Music School in Lublin and, together with his wife, organised the School of Music. In 1947–50, he was director of the State Higher School of Opera in Poznań and director and artistic director of the Poznań Philharmonic. From 1948 to 1963, he taught composition at the State Higher School of Music in Poznań (as a professor from 1950); in 1951–63 professor of composition at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw (head of department from 1957). His students included A. Bloch, H. Czyż, J. Fotek, A. Koszewski, W. Kotoński, Z. Krauze, B. Matuszczak, W. Rudziński, and W. Słowiński. From 1951 to 1954, he served as president of the Polish Composers’ Union (ZKP), and in 1952, he chaired the jury of the 2nd International H. Wieniawski Violin Competition. In 1958, he was president of the Poznań branch of the ZKP, and in 1960 chairman of the COPSA (Central Pedagogical Centre for Artistic Schools [Centralny Ośrodek Pedagogiczny Szkolnictwa Artystycznego]) council, from 1960 to 1962 scientific director of music activists at CPARA (Central Advice Centre for Amateur Artistic Movement [Centralna Poradnia Amatorskiego Ruchu Artystycznego]), and in 1961–62 president of the H. Wieniawski Musical Society in Poznań. In 1961, he was one of the initiators of the Poznań Musical Spring Festival. In 1962, he chaired the jury of the H. Wieniawski Composition Competition in Poznań. In 1965, Szeligowski was buried in the Crypt of Merit in Poznań. In 1999, the Poznań Philharmonic adopted the name of T. Szeligowski. Awards: in 1950 State Prize, 2nd degree; in 1951 State Prize, 1st degree; in 1957 Prime Minister’s Award for works for children; in 1963 the ZKP award (posthumously); in 1963 the PR and ZAiKS awards (posthumously). Decorations: in 1952 the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
Szeligowski was a versatile composer and a master of stylisation. His rich, stylistically diverse work encompasses many musical genres and has numerous sources of inspiration: Polish folklore (Lublin Wedding), Renaissance archaisation (Scholars’ Revolt), neoclassicism (Concert for piano), neo-romantic expression (Epitaph on the Death of Karol Szymanowski) and dodecaphonic technique (Trio for violin, cello and piano). He is also distinguished by excellent, although traditional, compositional skills and a special ability to use appropriate means of expression, both pathos and grotesque; he wanted his music to be communicative. Szeligowski’s consciously eclectic work was often created for amateur performers, with the idea of popularising the music, and enjoyed great, although short-lived, popularity. All of his stage works, effective and characterised by great dramaturgy, have been staged. In his youth, an ardent supporter of new trends in music and the ideals of K. Szymanowski, in the post-war years, he came into conflict with the Polish musical avant-garde. Szeligowski was an ardent music journalist. His extraordinary concern for the development and dissemination of musical culture in Poland is expressed in his polemics in “Muzyka” and “Muzyka Polska,” reviews in “Kurier Poznański,” “Kurier Wileński” and “Tygodnik Wileński,” as well as numerous statements in “Ruch Muzyczny.”
Literature: Z. Lissa „Bunt żaków” Tadeusza Szeligowskiego, Kraków 1955, 2nd ed. extended 1957; T. Kowalski Muzyka instrumentalna Tadeusza Szeligowskiego, Gdańsk 1972; Tadeusz Szeligowski. W 10 rocznicę śmierci kompozytora, ed. J. Krassowski, Gdańsk 1973; Tadeusz Szeligowski – studia i wspomnienia, ed. H. Martenka, Bydgoszcz 1987; T. Szantruczek Tadeusz Szeligowski, Poznań 1995; Tadeusz Szeligowski. Wokół twórcy i jego dzieła, ed. T. Brodniewicz and others, Poznań 1998.
Instrumental:
2 mazurkas for piano, 1926
A King from a Peasant, overture, 1926
Kaziuki – St Casimir’s Day, suite for orchestra, 1928, performed in Vilnius 1929
Lithuanian Song for violin and piano, 1928, published in Warsaw 1934, Kraków 1952
String Quartet No. 2, 1929, performed in Paris 1930
Concert for orchestra, 1930, performed in Poznań 1935
Archaic Suite for orchestra, 1930
Partita for orchestra, 1931
Concert for clarinet and orchestra, 1933, performed in Vilnius 1935
Album for Youth for piano, 1934
String Quartet No. 2, 1935, performed in Warsaw 1935
Trio for oboe, viola and cello, 1935
Rhapsody Fantasy for violin and piano, 1936
Blue Bird, suite for orchestra, 1936, performed in Vilnius 1938
Epitaph on the Death of Karol Szymanowski for orchestra, 1937, performed in Vilnius 1937, published in Kraków 1948
Guitars from Zalamea for piano, 1939, published in Kraków 1945, 4th ed. 1993
Christmas Carol Suite for orchestra, 1939
Sonatina for piano, 1940, published in Kraków 1947, 1999
Concerto for piano and orchestra, 1941, performed in Łódź 1946, piano reduction published in Kraków 1948
Russian Dance for piano, 1942
Midsummer Kupała Night, suite for orchestra, 1945, performed in Poznań 1952
Orientale for cello and piano, 1945, published in Kraków 1953
Lublin Suite for orchestra, 1945, performed in Warsaw 1946
Nocturne for orchestra, 1948
Sonata in D minor for piano, 1949, published in Kraków 1949
Quintet for wind instruments, 1952, performed in Warsaw 1953, published in Kraków 1956
Comedy Overture for orchestra, 1952, performed in Warsaw 1953
Sonata for flute and piano, 1953, published in Kraków 1955, 4th ed. 1993
4 Dances for orchestra, 1954
The Peacock and the Girl, suite for orchestra, 1954
Sentimental Waltz for orchestra, 1954
On the Meadow, suite for 2 pianos, 1955, published in Kraków 1960, 2nd ed. 1970
Trio for violin, cello and piano, 1956, performed in Warsaw 1956, published in Kraków 1979
2 Two Etudes for Double Sounds for piano, 1959, published in Kraków 1999
Vocal:
3 Motets to Latin texts for mixed choir a cappella, 1929
Under the Hood of Snow for mixed choir a cappella, lyrics by E. Zegadłowicz, 1933, published in «Polska Pieśń Chóralna» issue 3, Warsaw 1934, «Polska Literatura Chóralna» 3, Kraków 2nd ed. 1952
The Angels Sang Sweetly for mixed choir a cappella, 1934, published in Warsaw 1934, Kraków 1957
Regina coeli laetare for mixed choir a cappella, 1934, published in Warsaw 1979
Quail for male choir a cappella, Folk song, 1934, published in Warsaw 1938
Sailors’ Song, lyrics by B. Piwocka, 1938, published in «Polska Literatura Chóralna» 217, Kraków 1956
Psalm of Joy in memoriam Guillaume Dufay, 1938, published in Katowice 1939
Missa de angelis for female choir a cappella, 1942
Two Belarusian Songs for mixed choir a cappella, 1943
Popule meus for female choir a cappella, 1943
Four Wedding Songs from the Lublin Region for mixed choir a cappella, 1945, published in Kraków 1946
Five Folk Songs from the Lublin Region for mixed choir a cappella, 1945, published in «Polska Literatura Chóralna» 8, Kraków 1945
Five Folk Songs from the Lublin Region for female choir a cappella, 1945, published in «Polska Literatura Chóralna» 6, Kraków 1945
Koszałki opałki for male choir a cappela, lyrics by E. Zegadłowicz, 1946, published in Kraków 1947
Humorous Song for mixed choir a cappella, folk song, 1948, published in Kraków 1964
Psalm CXVI. Laudate Dominum omnes gentes for mixed choir a cappella, 1960, performed at the Warsaw Autumn Festival 1960, published in Kraków 1961
Piosenka moja [My Song] for mixed choir a cappella, lyrics by M. Konopnicka, 1960
Imitations for mixed choir a cappella, 1961
Vocal-instrumental:
2 songs for voice and piano do lyrics by M. Kleczyńska, 1929
Green Songs for voice and piano, folk song, ed. R. Brandstaetter, 1930, published in Warsaw 1931
Marian Songs for voice solo, choir and orchestra, 1932
Latin Mass for mixed choir and organ, 1932
Floral Allegories, 8 songs to texts from the 15th c. for voice and piano, 1934
Wiśnie [Cherries], blues for voice, cello and piano, lyrics by K.I. Gałczyński, 1934
Ave Maria for soprano, 3-voice female choir and organ, 1943, published in Kraków 1946
Songs for voice and piano, lyrics by J. Iwaszkiewicz, 1945, published in Kraków 1959
Triptych for soprano and orchestra, folk song, 1946, published in Kraków 1954
On Sport, cantata for solo voice, choir and orchestra, lyrics by K. Wierzyński, 1948
Wedding Suite for soprano, tenor, choir and piano, after O. Kolberg, 1948, published in Kraków 1950
Lublin Wedding, suite for soprano, choir and small orchestra, 1948, published in Kraków 1951
Arion for voice and piano, lyrics by A. Pushkin, transl. S. Pollak, 1949, published in 4 Songs to words by A. Pushkin, Kraków 1950
The Prince and the Girl for soprano, baritone, choir and orchestra or piano, lyrics by A. Mickiewicz, 1949, published in Kraków 1950
Rhapsody for soprano and orchestra, lyrics by J. Słowacki, 1949
The Card of Hearts, cantata for soprano, mixed choir and orchestra, lyrics by J. Gisges, 1952, performed in Kraków 1952
Song about Three Mauritanian Women for voice and piano, lyrics by F. García Lorca, 1953, published in Kraków 1954
Renegade, ballad for bass and orchestra, lyrics by A. Mickiewicz, 1953, piano reduction published in Kraków 1954
Song for the 10th Anniversary for mixed choir and piano, lyrics by Cz. Ziółkowski, 1955, published in Kraków 1955
Soledad for voice and piano, lyrics by M. Bilewicz-Poleracka, 1960
Odysseus Weeping and Abandoned, opera-oratorio, libretto R. Brandstaetter, 1961, radio performance Kraków 1962
folk and mass songs
Scenic:
The Peacock and the Girl, ballet, libretto W. Kubacki, 1948, staged in Wroclaw 1949
Scholars’ Revolt, opera, libretto R. Brandstaetter, 1951, staged in Wroclaw 1951, piano reduction published in Kraków 1951
Krakatuk, opera, libretto K. Niżyńska, 1954, staged in Gdańsk 1956
Kwiat paproci [The Fern Flower], ballet, choreography by E. Papliński, 1955, staged in Warsaw 1955
Mazepa, ballet, libretto I. Turska after J. Słowacki, 1957, staged in Warsaw 1958
Teodor Gentleman, opera, libretto Cz. Chruszczewski, 1960, staged in Wroclaw 1963
music to 20 theatre plays
film music
Editions:
Siadajcie wszyscy wokoło z nami for choir and piano, 1945, published in Warsaw 1946
Work:
Lekcje słuchania muzyki. Zarys metodyki dla szkół umuzykalniających, with Stanisława Szeligowska, Kraków 1947