Konstancja Gładkowska (1810–1889) was a Polish soprano.
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 ...
at age 19, while studying at the Warsaw School of Music (now the
Fryderyk Chopin University of Music
The Chopin University of Music ( pl, Uniwersytet Muzyczny Fryderyka Chopina, UMFC) is a musical conservatorium and academy located in central Warsaw, Poland. It is the oldest and largest music school in Poland, and one of the largest in Europe. 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 ...
), fell in love with Gładkowska. She admired many early works by Chopin, who in 1830 left Poland, eventually settling in Paris.
Life
Konstancja was born on 2 June 1810 in Warsaw (other dates given for her birth are June 4 and June 10). Her godmother was an illegitimate daughter of Poland's last king,
Stanisław August Poniatowski
Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1764 to 1795, and the last monarch ...
.
Konstancja studied at the Warsaw Conservatory. In 1829, during a university soloist concert, she met Chopin, for whom she became an inspiration to his music composing.
In the autumn of 1830, when Chopin left Poland, she sang at his farewell.
In 1832 Konstancja married Aleksander Józef Grabowski and lived on her husband's estate in
Raducz, near
Rawa Mazowiecka
Rawa Mazowiecka is a town in central Poland, with 17,193 inhabitants (2020). It lies in the Łódź Voivodeship and is the capital of the Rawa County.
From 1562 the city hosted the ''Rawa Treasury'' for the Polish army. During an excavation in 1 ...
. The couple had five children. In 1845 Konstancja lost her eyesight and, despite attempts to treat the condition, never regained her vision.
In 1878 her husband died.
In 1879 she moved to
Skierniewice
Skierniewice is a city in central Poland with 47,031 inhabitants (2021), situated in the Łódź Voivodeship (since 1999), previously capital of Skierniewice Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the capital of Skierniewice County. The town is situate ...
, where she died in 1889.
Death
Konstancja Gladkowska died in 1889, forty years after Chopin's death. She was buried in a cemetery in the town of
Babsk, 60 km from Warsaw.
Notes
References
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External links
* http://www.warsawvoice.pl/WVpage/pages/article.php/9631/article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gladkowska, Konstancja
1810 births
1889 deaths
Polish sopranos
19th-century Polish women opera singers
Polish operatic sopranos