Zarzycki, Aleksander (EN)

Zarzycki Aleksander, *26 February 1834 Lviv, †l November 1895 Warsaw, Polish composer, pianist, teacher and conductor. He graduated from middle school in Sambor, started learning piano in Lviv, and was a student of, among others, J.Ch. Kessler. From around 1851, he visited Miłosław in the Wrzesiński district for several years, which was the estate of Count Seweryn Mielżyński, an important centre of artistic life in Greater Poland; there, Zarzycki met, among others, with T. Lenartowicz, W. Syrokomla and J.I. Kraszewski. He studied piano with R. Violi (a student of F. Liszt) in Berlin, probably around 1856. In 1856, he gave concerts with N. Biernacki in Kraków (3 concerts) and Iasi (Romania), and in 1857 in Trzemeszno (1 February), Poznań (5 February), Śrem (8 February) and Szamotuły (10 May). From mid-1857, he studied composition privately with N.H. Reber in Paris and stayed there for about 4 years. Around 1860, he completed his piano and composition studies with C. Reinecke at the Leipzig Conservatory. On 30 March 1860, he debuted in Paris in the Herz Hall in Chopin’s and his own repertoire – he played his Piano Concerto in A-flat major Op 17 and Grande polonaise Op. 7 with the Théâtre Italien orchestra for the first time. From 1862, he gave concerts, among others, in Koblenz, Wiesbaden, Dresden, Leipzig (Gewandhaus, 1863), Bonn, Cologne (1864), Wrocław (4 February 1865), Poznań (on 6 February 1865, he performed in the Bazaar hall with Chopin’s Concerto in F minor and on 22 February in the Municipal Theater with A. Henselt’s Concerto in F minor Op. 16), also in London and Vienna (1868); he used to visit Paris, especially in 1874, when his works were played as part of the Concerts Colonne. These were the best years of Zarzycki’s pianistic career. At the turn of 1865 and 1866, he settled permanently in Warsaw. On 19 December 1865, he performed at Resursa Kupiecka with Henselt’s concert, and on 7 and 23 January 1866 at Resursa Obywatelska with Chopin’s Sonata in B minor (he omitted the Scherzo, which was criticised by the press), and in 1867 again in Kraków (28 March, 5 and 29 April, 5 May). On 19 April and 4 May 1868, he performed his Piano Concerto in A-flat major for the first time in Warsaw with the orchestra of the Grand Theatre (he repeated it there in 1880 in a new version), on 5 January 1869, Chopin’s Concerto in F minor and on 12 March 1870 Sonata in F minor Op. 57 by Beethoven and Allegro de Concert by Chopin. On 28 February 1871, he played in Warsaw with F. Servais (i.a. Chopin’s Cello Sonata), and on 22 November of that year, with C. Reinecke, he played his Improvisation on medieval French songs for 2 pianos. Around 17 December 1873, he performed one of F. Liszt’s concertos, and on 17 March 1874 Scherzo in C sharp minor and Chopin’s Barcarolle, among others. After a 4-year break, on 24 January 1878, he presented Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes and one of his trios (together with J. Goebelt and C. Trombini) to the Warsaw audience and on 7 January 1887, Concerto in D minor No. 4 by An. Rubinstein.

Zarzycki was a co-founder of WTM, and in the period from 2 February 1871 to 28 February 1875, he served there as music director. Zarzycki’s achievements for WTM are enormous: on 25 March 1871, he opened the society’s headquarters in the redoubt halls of the Grand Theatre, and on 19 April of that year he organised the first “larger musical evening” there (which soon became a tradition), in 1871 he created a mixed choir and remained its conductor until 1875; in 1872, he created a string orchestra. By publishing a piano reduction for 4 hands of S. Moniuszko’s Crimean Sonnets in 1874, he initiated the establishment of the WTM music publishing house. In 1875, he resigned from his position in favour of J. Wieniawski, and Zarzycki’s departure (with him leaving the entire WTM committee) was decided by the Russian authorities, who did not tolerate his Austrian citizenship. From around 1874, Zarzycki was thinking about writing an opera, and in his letters to J.I. Kraszewski, he asked for a libretto, suggesting a theme related to the legend of Twardowski. From about 1879 to 1892, he conducted the choir and orchestra of St. John’s Cathedral. As a result of the efforts of the Supervisory Board of the Institute of Music in Warsaw, on 13 September 1879, Zarzycki took over the directorship of this university; giving in to pressure from the Russian authorities, on 17 July 1879, he submitted a declaration of readiness to give up Austrian citizenship in favour of Russian citizenship but he did not fulfil it. Intending to give the university a European rank, he re-edited the curricula of all courses (they became the basis of learning until the end of the institution’s existence), including piano classes, with the A. Różycki and A. Rutkowski’s Szkoła techniki fortepianowej as the basis for teaching. He acquired for the university I.J. Paderewski, S. Barcewicz and G. Frieman. He led “collective music exercises,” the school orchestra and, briefly, a higher piano class. He organised small musical evenings for students and their professors (he accepted only valuable repertoire), which aroused the reluctance of some of his colleagues; therefore, he organised concerts in his last apartment at ul. Włodzimierska 12, now ul. Czackiego (first concert on 30 October 1882), and gave them a high level; on 25 February 1884, P. Sarasate played there. Demanding, even rigorous, Zarzycki encountered intrigues at the institution, and he did not enjoy the sympathy of the Russian authorities, as he constantly resisted the progressive Russification of the university. Therefore, when the authorities prepared a new statute of the university, providing for the abolition of subjects in Polish, and a regulation that only a Russian subject could be the director of the institution, Zarzycki resigned from his position at the end of the school year 1887/88 or at the beginning of 1888/89 (the new law was signed by the tsar on 23 May 1889). During these years, Zarzycki was already seriously ill, but in 1888 he accepted honorary membership of the Warsaw Government Theatres and continued to give concerts; on 14 November 1894, he conducted his Polish Suite in Wrocław. He performed frequently and donated his proceeds to charity. He gave his last concert in the City Hall in Warsaw in March 1895. He was buried at the Powązki Cemetery.

Zarzycki, a man of “impeccable character” (A. Poliński), was one of the most outstanding Polish pianists of the second half of the 19^th century; he was friends with many artists of his era, especially F. Liszt, the Rubinstein brothers, C. Reinecke, N.H. Reber, P. Sarasate and W. Żeleński. Comparisons of the review material from Zarzycki’s and Reinecke’s concerts show that Zarzycki’s pianism was strongly influenced by the “strangely modest and noble” (J. Kleczyński) playing of the German pianist. The playing of both was assessed as restrained in emotions, but at the same time masterful in technique, and daring, with extraordinary “flight and flexibility of fingers.” Zarzycki prepared carefully for concerts, his repertoire was small (he often repeated the same pieces). In his youth, criticised for his “lack of spirit” or excessive “dryness of interpretation” (W. Wiślicki), over time he became a truly inspired artist, with a sound full of “sweetness,” and his annual concerts invariably attracted crowds of listeners. He consistently promoted the works of F. Chopin, especially larger forms, and of R. Schumann, which made him stand out among Polish pianists. He enjoyed playing etudes by Chopin, An. Rubinstein, Liszt, K. Tausig, A. Henselt and paraphrases, including his own. According to J. Sikorski, Zarzycki “was a performer higher than many others and eclipsed himself as a composer.” This judgment also results from the review in “Revue et gazette musicale de Paris,” in which admiration for the pianist’s talent is accompanied by criticism of the artist’s own compositions, especially in comparison to Chopin’s music, which is vivid in the memory of Parisians. E. Hanslick, on the other hand, lacked a truly deep artistic sensitivity in Zarzycki’s playing (“dull, soulless” Bach) and a mature artistic personality, but he admired his virtuoso sense in performing Chopin’s and Schumann’s works.

Zarzycki did not bring lasting values ​​to Polish music, he was influenced by Chopin and S. Moniuszko, his compositions are artistically uneven and aroused contradictory opinions from critics, but his music, especially his songs, which constitute the most valuable part of Zarzycki’s legacy, have always been liked by the general public. He wrote slowly, carefully elaborating his works, his themes are melodic, although sometimes overshadowed by virtuoso combinations, and his harmonic solutions are interesting, although not groundbreaking; he was inventive in carving out nuances, in leading phrases and shading them. People also wrote about the “exquisite form” (this can certainly be said about the famous Mazurka Op. 26, played by P. Sarasate) and the “orchestral colourfulness” (A. Poliński), although Zarzycki did not delve into the technical and sound properties of individual instruments and contemporary European orchestral music. His 2-movement Piano Concerto in A-flat major, probably planned as a 3-movement, is stylistically heterogeneous, chamber-like in sound, pastel, and has subtle instrumentation. Zarzycki’s instrumental miniatures, both through their titles and genres, type of lyrical emotionality and method of grouping, represent romanticism in its salon version; although sometimes formulaic, they are kept in good style, especially the piano Mazurkas Op. 12, 20, 36 due to the stronger connection with Chopin’s music. Zarzycki wrote about 65 songs, most of them solo. In Śpiewnik [Songbook] Op. 13 and 14 he consciously continued the idea of ​​Moniuszko’s Songbook for Home Use, also in the songs Op. 2, 9, 21 and 33 remained an epigone of Moniuszko, in some of them of F. Mendelssohn. Zarzycki’s songs were appreciated for their simple melodies, the significant expressive role of the accompaniment and the selection of lyrics. In particular, the song Między nami nic nie było Op. 13 no. 4 (lyrics: A. Asnyk), which texture referred to Moniuszko’s Wiosna, and which was made famous in Europe and America by M. Sembrich-Kochańska. Some of Zarzycki’s songs are still sung today. Mazurka Op. 26 was in the repertoire of B. Huberman and D. Oistrakh, they also recorded Romance in E major Op. 16; the Concerto in A-flat major was played by F. Bylicki, J. Śmidowicz and W. Kędra, and the miniatures by A. Michałowski. Zarzycki’s instrumental miniatures and songs were reprinted until the 1920s and were also published in series for various types of recipients, i.a. in «Kłosy z Naszej i Obcej Ziemi» (songs for 1–2 voices with piano accompaniment), in «Choix des Compositions Classiques et Modernes», in «Les Chrysanthèmes. Mélodies (…) par L. [Władysław] Krogulski et Autres», in the musical supplement to “Echo Muzyczne, Teatralne i Artystyczne,” as well as in occasional albums, e.g. in the J.I. Kraszewski jubilee commemorative book in 1879 (published in Kraków 1881).

Literature: Instytut Muzyczny w Warszawie z lat 1859–1918, in: Dziennik Zarządu i Dyrektora z lat 1879–1882, issue no. 224/1, signature 554, Archiwum Państwowe Warszawy; A. Botte Auditions musicales, “Revue et gazette musicale de Paris” XV, 1860; “Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung. Neue Folge” 1863 no. 8; Wiadomości miejscowe i potoczne, “Dziennik Poznański” 1865 no. 28 (reprint of the concert review from November 1864 in Cologne from “Niederrheinische Musik Zeitung”); W. Wiślicki Przegląd muzyczny. Koncert p. A. Z., “Kłosy” 1866 no. 31; J. Sikorski Ruch muzyczny. Koncert A. Z., “Bluszcz” 1866 no. 16; E. Hanslick Geschichte des Concertwesens in Wien, part 2, Vienna 1870; J. Kleczyński Ruch muzyczny, “Bluszcz” 1871 no. 49 (review of a concert with C. Reinecke); Sprawozdanie WTM za rok 1875, Warsaw 1876; A. Poliński Z żałobnej karty. A. Z., “Tygodnik Ilustrowany” 1895 no. 45; W. Żeleński A. Z. Ze wspomnień osobistych, “Echo Muzyczne, Teatralne i Artystyczne” 1895 no. 48; E. Kęcki A. Z. Człowiek i artysta, “Muzyka Polska” 1935 no. 5; W. Wroński Aleksander Zarzycki, “Życie Śpiewacze” 1951 no. 7–9; 4 letters of Z. to J.I. Kraszewski, in: J.I. Kraszewski i polskie życie muzyczne XIX wieku, ed. S. Świerzewski, Kraków 1963; A. Matracka-Kościelny Twórczość pieśniarska warszawskiego środowiska kompozytorskiego w drugiej połowie XIX wieku, in: Kultura muzyczna Warszawy drugiej połowy XIX wieku, ed. A. Spóz, Wwa 1980; M. Zduniak Muzyka i muzycy polscy w dziewiętnastowiecznym Wrocławiu, Wrocław 1984.