Mateusz Zwierzchowski

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Mateusz Zwierzchowski (* before 1720 in Wielkopolsce, † April 14, 1768 in Gniezno , Poland ) was a Polish conductor , organist and composer .

Life

Mateusz Zwierzchowski's father was Andrzej Zwierzchowski († 1735). He was a violinist and organist at the Arch-Cathedral of Gniezno . Mateusz grew up with him and from him he received his first music lessons in instrumental playing and composition. Mateusz came to Gniezno with his father in 1723, where they were both mentioned in the cathedral files as members of the orchestra. He continued his education at the cathedral school and was a member of the Schola Cantorum . After Andrzej's death in 1735, the cathedral chapter took care of Mateusz and provided him with two protectors (curators). In the same year he became organist at the cathedral.

In 1738 he was given responsibility for the spinet, where he carried out minor repairs on the instrument himself. In 1739 he married Marianna Węgorzewska from a noble family from Gniezno. They had two sons together. Eulogiusz Józef (* 1743) became a lawyer. Jakub Eliasz (* 1745; † 1786) became provost at the St. Laurentius Church in Gniezno. From 1747 or 1750 until his death Mateusz was Kapellmeister at the cathedral and conductor of the Capella musices. In 1757 he was given the task of giving music lessons by the chapter, but Zwierzchowski delegated another musician to teach. He dedicated himself to composing and the orchestra. At his request, four trumpets, four horns, three oboes and a transverse flute were purchased for the orchestra. He repeatedly campaigned for improvements and repairs to the organs. He acquired around two hundred and fifty compositions for the orchestra by various composers, including works composed by himself.

In 1740 the chapter mentioned the acquisition of a composition by Zwierzchowski for the first time. In 1760 a fire destroyed almost the entire collection. After Zwierzchowski's death, the cathedral chapter held a solemn funeral service as a token of the great appreciation of his services. He was buried on April 16, 1768 in the Sławieński Chapel in the cathedral crypt. Two years after his death, the cathedral orchestra was disbanded due to the difficult economic conditions of the chapter. In 1780 the orchestra was reactivated. In 1786 Jakub Zwierzchowski gave the orchestra his father's autographs, which were still in his possession. However, these were destroyed in World War II.

Works

Few works by Zwiezchowski have survived. Much was destroyed in the fire in Gniezno Cathedral in 1760 and in World War II. Only four works have survived:

  • A Requiem in E flat major from 1760
  • Two pastorelli  for soprano, 2 violins, bassoon and basso continuo in D major.
  • The fragment of a Vespers

Requiem in E flat major

Zwierzchowski composed the Requiem in 1760 for the death of his friend and benefactor Wojciech Wieczorkiewicz, canon and cantor at the Gniezno cathedral. The line-up consists of a solo quartet (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), a four-part mixed choir and orchestra. Solo parts are Tuba mirum for bass, Liber scriptus for soprano, Libera eas for tenor, Benedictus for bass and the duet Judex ergo for soprano and alto. Kyrie and Hosanna are fugues. Otherwise a homophonic sentence prevails. The Tuba mirum in the form of a polonaise is interesting .

Recordings

  • Requiem. Jadwiga Romanska, soprano. Krystyna Szostek-Radkowa, alt. Kazimierz Pustelak, tenor. Edmund Kossowski, bass. Arion choir. Filharmonii Pomorskiej Bydgoszczy [Pomeranian Philharmonic]. Head of Bydgoszcz Zbigniew Chwedczuk. Warsaw 1965. Polskie Nagrania XL 0275, Orpheus: OR 340S and Olympia OCD 319

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Dorota Leszczyńska-Zając: Mateusz Zwierzchowski. PWM, accessed April 21, 2017 (Polish).
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Robert Chase: Mateusz Zwierzchowski . In: Dies Irae: A Guide to Requiem Music . Scarecrow Press, 2004, ISBN 978-0-585-47162-4 , pp. 234-236 (English).
  3. ↑ a b Bertil H. Van Boer: Zwierzchowski, Mateusz . In: Historical Dictionary of Music of the Classical Period . Scarecrow Press, 2012, ISBN 978-0-8108-7183-0 , pp. 615 f . (English).
  4. ↑ a b c d Requiem, Mateusz Zwierzchowski . In: Supplement to the LP . Polske Nagrania, Warsaw 1965.
personal data
SURNAME Zwierzchowski, Mateusz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Polish conductor, organist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH before 1720
PLACE OF BIRTH Wielkopolsce
DATE OF DEATH April 14, 1768
Place of death Gniezno , Poland