Polish Composers

[Jean-Séb]

Thanks Pianoman.

[Jim Faston]

A nice set of 4 short pieces by Janusz Kopczyński. Scans from Polona converted to B&W.

Kopczyński_Quatre morceaux pour piano.pdf

[Jean-Séb]

Nice set indeed. Thank you.

[lutoslawski]

Does any fellow member has any piano works by Karol Sołtyk (1791-1831) ?
It's a name a just learned today, i'll write down here a bit of information mainly translated from Polish.

Karol Sołtyk (1791-1831) was a Violinist and Composer. He received his initial education at home. Then he attended schools in Kielce and Kraków. After the death of his father Jan Kanty, he inherited 30,000. ducats, it gave him independence and the possibility of further education in Vienna, where he learned to play the violin with Józef Mayseder, an austrian virtuoso and composer.
A reckless and lavish lifestyle led Sołtyk to lose money. Thanks to his teacher's protection, he took the post of second violinist in the imperial court band.
The family paid off the debts and Sołtyk returned to Krakow.
On December 11, 1809, he joined the 14th Cuirassier Regiment, commanded by Stanisław Małachowski, as a lieutenant, and on April 6, 1810, he joined the 10th Uhlans under the command of Jan Nepomucen Umiński, but on April 11 he was released from it.

On March 28, 1824, he performed at a charity concert of the Society of Friends of Music.
However, he gained real fame in Warsaw salons as a composer of mazurkas. He came every year to Warsaw, where his sister Urszula Wielogłowska lived. He settled permanently in Warsaw in 1827. Of the many compositions by Sołtyk, about 40 mazurs are known, which appeared in print.

In 1827, Franciszek Mirecki included several of his works in the collection Mazury pour le piano (Vienne). The following publications appeared in Warsaw: "Deux mazurs et une gallopade pour le pianoforte ..." (1827),

Moreover, he published:

6 new waltzes with an introduction for violin "pianoforte" (1828),
5 "valses sentimentales et une mazure pour le pianoforte" (1828).
In 1829, Sołtyk published: "Cotillon pour le piano" (a work dedicated to Emma Brzostowska née Ogińska),

New mazurka and pianoforte gallop (a work dedicated to Ludwik Jelski, president of the Bank of Poland),
"Mazur pour le pianoforte" (a work dedicated to Olimpia Grabowska née Tarnowska),
Mazurek pour le pianoforte (a piece dedicated to Julia Lubecka).
He dedicated a "Morceau" to Karol Lipiński.

He was also an excellent performer of his own piano compositions. Oskar Kolberg wrote that although his playing was expressive and complete, "in terms of shading and finishing" he did not match that of his relative Franciszek Sołtyk (Karol Sołtyk is sometimes confused with Franciszek Sołtyk, whose compositions were not published and were lost. ).

The Mazury of Sołtyk was performed at balls at the Kupiecka Resursa, at the Rozmaitości Theater (1830) and in Warsaw salons. He was friends with Warsaw artists: Antoni Teichmann, cellist and singer, Józef Brzowski, cellist, Antoni Orłowski, violinist and pianist, and with Fryderyk Chopin
Sołtyk did not start a family. He died of cholera in 1831 in Warsaw.

The popularity of Sołtyk's compositions, and especially of his mazurs, is evidenced by the fact that they were reprinted many times after his death. In 1860, several works by Sołtyk were published in two collective editions: by Karol Czarniawski "On national dances with a historical and aesthetic view on dances of various nations, especially Polish dances" Mazur from 1825) and Andrzej Kratzer "Collection of mazuras by various authors for piano" (W.). Oskar Kolberg's "Polnische Tänze" (Leipzig 1881) includes 10 compositions by Sołtyk from 1818–30, including the popular Mazurka in D major.

You can listen to one of his Mazurkas at 05:34 of the following video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRJv-6ifs3o

Cheers,
Tony

[Hobbypianist]

The Jagiellonian Digital Library has 2 works:
Mazurek
5 Valses sentimentales et une Mazure

I could only find djvu files which I unfortunately cannot process at the moment, have to search for a converter / plugin first.

HP

[Caprotti]

Soltyk - Valses sentimentales & Mazurek.pdf

Soltyk - Mazurek d.pdf

[lutoslawski]

Thanks to both of you ! So, one live and keep learning..

Cheers,
Tony

[lutoslawski]

Dear members, anybody has a complete 1st version of the Jozef Wieniawski Piano Sonata, featuring the third movement? Both scores on imslp seems to be the second version (i believe) which only has 3 movements.

Cheers,
Tony

[Hobbypianist]

Polona has it.
I've tried to make a greyscale version of this old yellowed edition: Piano Sonata, Op.22
HP

[lutoslawski]

Thanks for uploading it on IMSLP for everyone's availability! With this third movement, it's twenty pages more.
Curiously though, the remarks on imslp mentions this third movement as Allegro Brillante but in the score is Prestissimo.
Cheers,
Tony