Jan Kleczyński (8 June 1837 – 15 September 1895) was a Polish pianist, composer, journalist, and

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

master. Born into a Polish noble family in Janiewicze,

Volhynia Volhynia (also spelled Volynia) ( ; uk, Воли́нь, Volyn' pl, Wołyń, russian: Волы́нь, Volýnʹ, ), is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between south-eastern Poland, south-western Belarus, and western Ukraine. Th ...

(then

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

), he graduated from a conservatory of music in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

(1855–1862) and then played several pianist concerts in France. In 1866, he returned to Poland to live in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

. He lectured and published on the interpretation of the works of

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...

. His work in this field was (he claimed) endorsed by pupils and friends of Chopin's, including

Marcelina Czartoryska Princess Marcelina Czartoryska, née Radziwiłł (18 May 1817 in Podłużne − 5 June 1894 in Kraków) was a prominent Polish aristocrat and pianist. Life Born into the mighty Polish magnate family, the Radziwiłłs, in 1840 she married Aleksan ...

, Camilla O'Meara and

Georges Mathias Georges Amédée Saint-Clair Mathias (; 14 October 182614 October 1910) was a French composer, pianist and teacher. Alongside his teaching work, Georges Mathias was a very active concert pianist. Biography Mathias was born in Paris. He studied a ...

, and by

Natalia Janotha Natalia Janotha (8 June 18569 June 1932) was a Polish pianist and composer. Biography Natalia Janotha was born in Warsaw, Poland, the daughter of Juliusz Janotha, who was a composer and teacher at the Music Institute in Warsaw. She started piano ...

, Princess Czartoryska's pupil, who translated some of his lectures for English publication. He came 2nd, behind

Szymon Winawer Szymon Abramowicz Winawer (March 6, 1838 – November 29, 1919) was a Polish-Jewish chess player who won the German Chess Championship in 1883. Tournament and match results At the Paris 1867 tournament held at the Café de la Régence, his first ...

, in the first Warsaw City Chess Championship in 1868, and came 3rd, after

Józef Żabiński Józef Żabiński (1860 – 27 December 1928) was a Polish chess master and problemist. Born in Warsaw (then in the Russian Empire), he was educated in a high school gymnasium and graduated in law faculty at the Imperial University of Warsaw (' ...

and Artur Popławski, in the second Warsaw Championship in 1884. Jan Kleczyński Sr. wrote a weekly chess column for ''Tygodnik Ilustrowany'' (1859–1884), and ''Kurier Warszawski'' (1877–1895). His son Jan Kleczyński Jr. continued his work in 1897–1939.

Publications about Chopin

*J. Kleczyński, ''Frédéric Chopin: De L'Interprétation de ses Oeuvres – Trois Conférences faites a Varsovie'' (The Interpretation of the Works of Frederic Chopin - Three Conferences held at Warsaw) (Félix Mackar, Paris 1880)

*J. Kleczyński, ''Chopin's Greater Works (Preludes, Ballads, Nocturnes, Polonaises, Mazurkas): How they should be understood'' (including Chopin's Notes for a 'Method of Methods') translated by Natalie Janotha (William Reeves, London: Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, no date (1st Edn c. 1895, 2nd c. 1900)). (Kleczynski's last Lectures, delivered at Warsaw in 1883.)

Selected Compositions

* ''Carillon (Chime of Bells)'' for organ * ''Variations on theme "O, mein lieber Augustin"'' for 2 violins * ''22 Variations for Violin & Viola'', op. 3 * ''6 String Trios'', op. 4

References

1837 births 1895 deaths Polish classical pianists Polish male classical pianists Polish chess players 19th-century classical pianists 19th-century chess players 19th-century male musicians {{poland-chess-bio-stub