Karol Szymanowski
Karol Maciej Szymanowski ([ ʂɨmaˈnɔfskʲi ], born October 6, 1882 in Tymoszówka (now Ukraine ); † March 29, 1937 in Lausanne ) was a Polish composer and the most important representative of the Young Poland group of composers around 1900. His work includes late impressionist piano works, violin - and piano concerts, chamber music, four symphonies, songs, operas, ballets and the choral work Litania .
He was rejected in Poland, while his compositions were performed abroad. He went to Italy in 1908 and lived in Vienna from 1910 to 1914, where he was creatively influenced by Impressionism and Stravinsky's early ballets . Returning to Poland in 1919, he experienced his third change in style, now taking inspiration from Polish folk music and using Béla Bartók as a compositional model.
Life
Karol Szymanowski was the son of Stanisław Korwin-Szymanowski and Anna Szymanowska, b. Dove. Karol learned to play the piano at the age of seven and began making his first attempts at composition. He graduated from high school in Jelisawetgrad in 1900 , then began studying music at the Warsaw Music Institute (now the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music ). He joined a group of young Polish composers who founded their own publishing house.
On February 6, 1906, the Concert Overture op. 12 was premiered. In 1909 Szymanowski wrote his 2nd symphony and received first prizes for his compositions. Between trips to Italy (1909 and 1910) and North Africa (1914), the composer lived mainly in Vienna in 1911 and 1912 . In 1914 he met Igor Stravinsky . The 3rd symphony , Lied der Nacht , was written from the same year (until 1916). When the First World War broke out in the summer of 1914, Szymanowski returned to his birthplace, where he stayed until 1917.
In 1917 the first plans for the opera Król Roger (King Roger) were made. After his family's house in Tymoszówka was destroyed in autumn 1917, the family moved to Jelisawetgrad. Here, Szymanowski dealt exclusively with literature for almost two years. He wrote a novel called Efebos and gave his teenage lover Boris Kochno a Russian translation of the book. Szymanowski never had the book published. The manuscript was lost in the attack on Warsaw in 1939; What has been preserved, however, is a table of contents written by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz and 150 pages in a Russian translation, which were later found in Paris.
In 1919 Szymanowski settled in Warsaw again. Meanwhile his works have been played all over Europe and also in the USA. In 1926 the world premiere of Król Roger took place in Warsaw. A year later, Szymanowski became director of the Warsaw Conservatory (now the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music). He tried to reform the musical education and came into conflict with conservative lecturers. In 1929 he asked for his release. In the same year the first picture of his ballet Harnasie and his Stabat Mater were premiered. His health deteriorated; several spa stays only brought about temporary relief. After the Conservatory was recognized as a higher music school in 1930, Szymanowski was appointed Rector of the Conservatory.
In 1931 he resigned from this position and moved to Zakopane . His compositional work this year includes the 2nd Violin Concerto and the 4th Symphony Sinfonia Concertante . Szymanowski got into financial distress and went on numerous concert tours. In 1935 the entire Harnasie ballet was premiered in Prague . In 1935 he experienced another triumph in Paris with this piece . In the same year Szymanowski was elected honorary member of the International Society for Contemporary Music ISCM . Because his health deteriorated again (tuberculosis), Szymanowski traveled to Davos and in 1936 to southern France, to Grasse and Cannes and finally to a sanatorium in Lausanne, where he died in 1937. Harnasie Hill on King George Island in the archipelago of the South Shetland Islands has been named after the ballet Harnasie since 1980 . The Szymanowski Icefall also bears his name there.
Sexual orientation
It is considered certain that Szymanowski was same-sex or pederastically oriented. As early as 1914 he told his friend Arthur Rubinstein how he watched some young men bathing during a stay in Taormina and could not take his eyes off them. From then on, Szymanowski saw himself as firmly homosexual . His opera Król Roger is full of homoeroticism: King Roger falls in love with the shepherd boy, who propagates a religion of unlimited sensuality, freedom and enjoyment, but later turns out to be Dionysus. Szymanowski's own struggle between (Christian) morality and convention and his will for freedom is often seen here. His fragmentary pederastic novel Efebos is about the same-sex love story of the main character Alo Łowicki and includes Szymanowski's experiences in Italy. With 15-year-old Boris Kochno , whom he described as extraordinarily beautiful, he entered into a relationship in 1919, as Szymanowski Rubinstein confessed. However, the relationship broke when Kochno fell in love with Sergei Djagilew .
music
Szymanowski's works are often described as a symbiosis of multiple influences, sometimes referred to as Polish Impressionism . The composer was certainly inspired by French and Russian modernism, especially Stravinsky and Ravel. His often ecstatic music also shows a turn to the harmony of Alexander Scriabin and moves at the limit of tonality . Szymanowski was a national composer of Poland who wrote a number of songs on Polish texts and folk melodies and creatively dealt with his roots.
Szymanowski's main work consists of two operas, ballet music, four symphonies, two violin concertos, songs and chamber music.
Works
| Item | Opus no. | title | Info / length | genre | Emergence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | op. 1 | Nine preludes for piano | 15 ' | Piano music | 1899/1900 |
| 2 | op. 2 | Six songs for voice and piano | Texts by Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer ; 15 ' | Songs | 1900-1902 |
| 3 | op. 4 | Four studies for piano | 15 ' | Piano music | 1900-1902 |
| 4th | op. 5 | Three Kasprowicz fragments for voice and piano | orchestrated by Grzegorz Fitelberg ; 25 ' | Songs | 1902 |
| 5 | op. 3 | Variations in B flat minor for piano | 12 var .; 10 ' | Piano music | 1901-1903 |
| lost | op. 6 | Salome ; unpublished; Lost manuscript | Text by Jan Kasprowicz | Orchestral song | 1904/1912 |
| 6th | op. 7 | The swan for voice and piano | Texts by Wacław Berent ; 5 ' | song | 1904 |
| 7th | op.8 | Piano sonata No. 1 in C minor | four sets; 30 ' | Piano music | 1903/1904 |
| 8th | op. 9 | Sonata in D minor for violin and piano | three sets; 20 ' | Chamber music | 1904 |
| 9 | op.10 | Variations in B minor for piano | on a Polish subject; 15 ' | Piano music | 1900-1904 |
| 10 | op.11 | Four songs for voice and piano | Texts by Tadeusz Miciński ; 15 ' | Songs | 1904/1905 |
| 11 | op.12 | Concert Overture in E major | 15 ' | Orchestral music | 1903-1905 |
| 12 | op. 14 | Fantasy in C major for piano | three sentences; 10 ' | Piano music | 1905 |
| 13 | op. 13 | Five songs for voice and piano | Texts by Richard Dehmel , Stanisław Barącz (after Friedrich von Bodenstedt ) a. a. (?); 15 ' | Songs | 1905-1907 |
| 14th | op.15 | Symphony No. 1 in F minor; unpublished | possibly a sentence missing; 25 ' | Orchestral music | 1906/1907 |
| lost | op. 16 | Trio for piano, violin and cello | withdrawn and lost; ? ' | Chamber music | 1907 |
| 15th | op.17 | Twelve songs for voice and piano | Texts by Richard Dehmel, Alfred Mombert , Gustav Falke and Martin Greif ; Polish versions by Stanisław Barącz; 30 ' | Songs | 1907 |
| 16 | op. 18 | Penthesilea for voice and orchestra | Texts by Stanisław Wyspiański ; 7 ' | Orchestral song | 1908-1912 |
| 17th | - | Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor for piano | published in the complete edition (GA); 7 ' | Piano music | 1905/1909 |
| 18th | op. 20 | Six songs for voice and piano | Texts by Tadeusz Miciński ; 15 ' | Songs | 1909 |
| 19th | - | The men's lottery or the groom No. 69 in three acts | Libretto by Julian Krzewiński-Maszyński; Kl.auszug-Faks. published in GA; ? ' | operetta | 1908/1909 |
| 20th | op. 22 | Colorful songs for voice and piano | Texts by Carl Bulcke , Alfons Paquet , Emil Faktor , Anna Ritter and Ricarda Huch ; Polish versions by Stanisław Barącz; 15 ' | Songs | 1910 |
| 21st | op. 23 | Romance in D major for violin and piano | 6 ' | Chamber music | 1910 |
| 22nd | op. 19 | Symphony No. 2 in B flat major | three sets; 40 ' | Orchestral music | 1909/1910 |
| 23 | op. 21 | Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major | two sentences; 26 ' | Piano music | 1910/1911 |
| 24 | op. 24 | Hafez's love songs for voice and piano | six songs; Texts by Hans Bethge based on Hafis ; Polish versions by Stanisław Barącz; 20 ' | Songs | 1911 |
| 25th | op.25 | Hagith ; Opera in one act | Libretto by Felix Dörmann ; 65 ' | Opera | 1912/1913 |
| 26th | op. 26 | Hafez's love songs for voice and orchestra | eight songs (three from op. 24); Texts by Hans Bethge after Hafes; Polish versions by Stanisław Barącz; 25 ' | Orchestral songs | 1914 |
| 27 | op. 30 | Myths for violin and piano | three seals (poèmes); 25 ' | Chamber music | 1915 |
| 28 | op. 28 | Nocturne and Tarantella for violin and piano | orchestrated by Fitelberg; 12 ' | Chamber music | 1915 |
| 29 | op. 29 | Metopes for piano | three seals; 20 ' | Piano music | 1915 |
| 30th | op. 31 | Songs of a fairytale princess ; six songs | Texts by Zofia Szymanowska; three songs orchestrated by Sz. in 1933; 15 ' | Songs / orchestral songs | 1915 |
| 31 | op. 32 | Three songs for voice and piano | Texts by Dymitr Dawydow ; 10 ' | Songs | 1915 |
| 32 | op. 33 | Twelve Etudes for Piano | 12 ' | Piano music | 1916 |
| 33 | op. 34 | Masks for piano | three piano Pieces; 20 ' | Piano music | 1915/1916 |
| 34 | op. 27 | Symphony No. 3 , Song of the Night | Texts by Mewlana Galluddin Rumi; very large orchestra, choir and tenor; 25 ' | Orchestral music | 1914-1916 |
| 35 | op. 35 | Violin Concerto No. 1 | large orchestra; one movement; 25 ' | Orchestral music | 1916 |
| 36 | op. 36 | Piano Sonata No. 3 | four movements, attacca merging into one another; 20 ' | Piano music | 1917 |
| 37 | op. 37 | Demeter for voice, choir and orchestra | Text by Zofia Szymanowska; 10 ' | cantata | 1917 |
| 38 | op. 38 | Agawe for voice, choir and orchestra | Text by Zofia Szymanowska based on Euripides ' Bakchen ; Manuscript published in GA, not listed | cantata | 1917 |
| 39 | op. 37bis | String Quartet No. 1 in C major | three sets; 20 ' | Chamber music | 1917 |
| 40 | op. 40 | Three Paganini caprices for violin and piano | 10 ' | Chamber music | 1918 |
| 41 | op. 41 | Four songs for voice and piano | Texts by Rabindranath Tagore ; 10 ' | Songs | 1918 |
| 42 | op. 42 | Songs of a muezzin in love for voice and piano | 6 songs; Texts by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz ; 4 songs orchestrated by Szymanowski in 1935; 15 ' | Songs | 1918 |
| 43 | op.43 | Mandragora pantomime in three parts | Libretto by Ryszard Bolesławski and Leon Schiller; for orchestra; short tenor solo; 25 ' | Ballet music | 1920 |
| 44 | - | Festive march for orchestra | Vocal score available; 5 ' | Orchestral music | 1920 |
| lost | op.44 | Two Basque songs for voice and piano | unpublished; 5 ' | Songs | 1920 |
| 45 | - | Three soldier songs for voice and piano | publish in GA; 10 ' | Songs | 1920 |
| 46 | op. 46bis | Slopiewnie ; Texts by Julian Tuwim | five songs; von Szymanowski 1928 orchestr .; 10 ' | Songs | 1921 |
| 47 | op. 48 | Three lullabies for voice and piano | Texts by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz ; 10 ' | Songs | 1922 |
| 48 | op. 49 | Nursery rhymes for voice and piano | 20 songs; Texts by Kazimiera Iłłakowiczówna ; 25 ' | Songs | 1922/1923 |
| 49 | op. 46 | Król Roger , opera in three acts | Libretto by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz and Sz .; 90 ' | Opera | 1918-1924 |
| 50 | op. 50 | Twenty Mazurkas for Piano | Mazurka ; 40 ' | Piano music | 1924/1925 |
| 51 | op. 51 | Prince Potemkin for choir and small orchestra | Music for the 5th act of Tadeusz Miciński's drama; 10 ' | Orchestral music; Incidental music | 1925 |
| 52 | op. 52 | La Berceuse d'Aitacho Enia for violin and piano | short lullaby; 5 ' | Chamber music | 1925/1926 |
| 53 | - | Romantic waltz for piano | 5 ' | Piano music | 1925 |
| 54 | - | Dans les prés fleuris for voice and piano | Single song; 4 ' | song | 1925? |
| 55 | op. 53 | Stabat mater for soloists, choir and orchestra | six sets; 30 ' | Church music | 1925/1926 |
| 56 | - | Nine Polish songs for voice and piano | Arrangements; 15 ' | Songs | 1925/1926 |
| 57 | op.47 | Four Polish Dances for Piano | 10 ' | Piano music | 1926 |
| 58 | op. 54 | Seven James Joyce songs for voice and piano | No. 5-7 completed by A. Neuer; 20 ' | Songs | 1926 |
| 59 | op. 56 | String Quartet No. 2 | 15 ' | Chamber music | 1927 |
| 60 | - | “ Vocalise -Etüde” for voice and piano | 5 ' | song | 1928 |
| 61 | - | Six Kurpische songs for choir a cappella | Szymanowski's only a cappella composition; 15 ' | Choral music | 1928/1929 |
| 62 | op.57 | Veni Creator for soprano, choir and orchestra | Texts by Stanisław Wyspiański ; 10 ' | cantata | 1930 |
| 63 | op. 55 | Harnasy , ballet in two tableaux | for tenor, choir and orchestra; 40 ' | Orchestral music; Incidental music | 1923-1931 |
| 64 | op. 58 | Twelve Kurpische Lieder for voice and piano | according to traditional texts; 20 ' | Songs | 1930-1932 |
| 65 | op. 60 | Symphony No. 4 ( Symphonie Concertante ) | a kind of piano concerto; 25 ' | Orchestral music | 1932 |
| 66 | op. 61 | Violin Concerto No. 2 | in one movement, with clearly separated sections; 20 ' | Orchestral music | 1932/1933 |
| 67 | op. 59 | Litany to the Virgin Mary | two songs for soprano, choir and orchestra; Texts by Jerzy Liebert; 10 ' | cantata | 1930-1933 |
| 68 | op. 62 | Two mazurkas for piano | 5 ' | Piano music | 1933/1934 |
In addition to all works with opus numbers, this list also includes those compositions that were included in the complete scholarly editions of Universal Edition Vienna and PWM Kraków.
The numerous adaptations of his works are referred to in this list at most a few. Sketches, fragments, divergent versions and unfinished works were not taken into account (exception Agave op. 38 ).
The opus numbers give cause for irritation, since two numbers are occupied twice (37 and 46), three numbers are not occupied at all (39, 45, 47). This is probably due to a mistake by the composer.
literature
- Michał Bristiger (Ed.): Karol Szymanowski in his time . Fink, Munich 1984, ISBN 3-7705-2234-6 .
- Danuta Gwizdalanka : The Seducer. Karol Szymanowski and his music. Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 2017, ISBN 978-3-447-10888-1 .
- Piotr Szalsza : Szymanowski, Karol. In: Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon . Online edition, Vienna 2002 ff., ISBN 3-7001-3077-5 ; Print edition: Volume 5, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2006, ISBN 3-7001-3067-8 .
- Teresa Chylińska (Ed.): Karol Szymanowski: Correspondence with Universal Edition 1912–1937. Universal Edition, Vienna 1981, ISBN 3-7024-0161-X .
- Gerd Sannemüller : Karol Szymanowski. In: Musica. Volume 21, 1967, pp. 268-269.
- Gerd Sannemüller: On the question of style with Karol Szymanowski. In: New magazine for music. Volume 133, 1972, pp. 436-438.
- Alistair Wightman: Karol Szymanowski. His Life and Work. Ashgate, Aldershot et al. a. 1999, ISBN 1-85928-391-8 .
- Didier van Moere: Karol Szymanowski. Fayard, Paris 2008, ISBN 978-2-213-63774-7 .
- Hubert Kennedy : Karol Szymanowski, his Boy-love Novel, and the Boy he Loved. In: Paidika. Amsterdam 3.1994, ISSN 0167-5907 .
- Boguslaw Maciejewski, Felix Aprahamian: Karol Szymanowski and Jan Smeterlin. Correspondence and Essays. Allegro Press, London 1960.
- Jim Samson : Music in Transition. A Study of Tonal Expansion and Atonality, 1900-1920. WW Norton & Company, New York 1977, ISBN 0-393-02193-9 .
Web links
- Works by and about Karol Szymanowski in the catalog of the German National Library
- Sheet music and audio files by Karol Szymanowski in the International Music Score Library Project
- Information about Karol Szymanowski ( Memento from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- King Roger. Opera in three acts by Karol Szymanowski. Bregenz Festival , 2009
- Szymanowski Foundation website (Polish)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Graeme Skinner: Karol Szymanowski. In: Robert Aldrich, Garry Wotherspoon (Eds.): Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History. From Antiquity to World War II. Routledge, 2002, ISBN 0-415-15983-0 , p. 509 f. (English, limited preview in Google Book Search).
- ^ ISCM Honorary Members
- ^ Arthur Rubinstein : My Many Years. Knopf, 1980, ISBN 0-394-42253-8 , p. 103 (English, limited preview in the Google book search).
- ↑ Oswald Beaujean: Aristocrat in life, Sicilian in spirit. In: The time . No. 4 October 2007, p. 63.
- ^ King Roger - A ruler between reason and ecstasy ( Memento from November 17, 2015 in the Internet Archive ). Bregenz Festival (press release).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Szymanowski, Karol |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Szymanowski, Karol Maciej (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Polish composer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 6, 1882 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Tymoszówka (now Ukraine) |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 29, 1937 |
| Place of death | Lausanne , Switzerland |