Witold Silewicz (18 May 1921 in Rajsko, Poland – 26 January 2007 in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

) was a Polish-Austrian composer and

Double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

player, probably best known for his instrumental arrangement of the ''

Happy Birthday to You "Happy Birthday to You", also known as "Happy Birthday", is a song traditionally sung to celebrate a person's birthday. According to the 1998 ''Guinness World Records'', it is the most recognised song in the English language, followed by " Fo ...

'' tune for

Woodwind Quintet A wind quintet, also known as a woodwind quintet, is a group of five wind players (most commonly flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon). Unlike the string quartet (of 4 string instruments) with its homogeneous blend of sound color, the in ...

Biography

He was born in Rajsko nr.

Oświęcim Oświęcim (; german: Auschwitz ; yi, אָשפּיצין, Oshpitzin) is a city in the Lesser Poland ( pl, Małopolska) province of southern Poland, situated southeast of Katowice, near the confluence of the Vistula (''Wisła'') and Soła rive ...

, on the estate of his maternal grandparents, the youngest of three children of Warsaw architect, Zdzisław Silewicz and his wife Stefania née Zwilling. While still a child he was infected with

Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

which affected his bones. As a result, he spent much time in treatment in

sanatoria A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

as was prescribed at the time, missing out on school. The illness left him lame in one leg for the rest of his life. When he was eight years old he lost his father who had died on a trip to

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...

in 1930. In spite of his early trials, a striking musical talent became discernible. Through family connections on his mother's side, and at great risk after the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he was able to move to Vienna, then annexed to the

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. In 1943 he was accepted by the

Vienna Music Academy The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (german: link=no, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, abbreviated MDW) is an Austrian university located in Vienna, established in 1817. With a student body of over three thousa ...

where he studied composition with

Joseph Marx Joseph Rupert Rudolf Marx (11 May 1882 – 3 September 1964) was an Austrian composer, teacher and critic. Life and career Marx was born in Graz and pursued studies in philosophy, art history, German studies, and music at Graz University, earnin ...

, conducting with Joseph Krips and Hans Swarowsky, a pupil of Richard Strauss. He earned his degree in 1951 after the earliest outing of his

Adagio for Strings ''Adagio for Strings'' is a work by Samuel Barber, arguably his best known, arranged for string orchestra from the second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11. Barber finished the arrangement in 1936, the same year that he wrote the quart ...

at the

Vienna Musikverein The ( or ; ), commonly shortened to , is a concert hall in Vienna, Austria, which is located in the Innere Stadt district. The building opened in 1870 and is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. The acoustics of the building's 'Gre ...

already in 1949. His double bass teachers from 1949 to 1955 were Johann Kramp and Otto Ruhm. After completing his studies in Austria he travelled abroad where he developed his composition skills in France, Italy and

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

where he met his future

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

n wife, Tatjana (1925-2011). After their marriage they settled in Vienna where they brought up two daughters. In 1962 Silewicz was taken on as a double bass player with the distinguished

Tonkünstler Orchestra The Tonkunstler Orchestra (German: ''Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich'', ) is an Austrian orchestra based in Vienna and Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria. Origin of the name The orchestra's name has its origins in the ''Tonkünstler-Soziet� ...

. He continued composing when his health allowed, greatly supported by his wife. He was an active member of the Polish ''Society of Musical Artists - abroad'', i.e. musicians in exile, (Stowarzyszenie Polskich Artystów Muzyków - na obczyźnie, SPAM). Witold Silewicz died in Vienna in January 2007.

Works

* Two symphonies * Concerts for solo instruments * Chamber music * ''Poème de la vie'' * Ballet: ''

Fanny Elssler Fanny Elssler (born Franziska Elßler; 23 June 181027 November 1884) was an Austrian ballerina of the Romantic Period. Life and career She was born in Gumpendorf, a neighborhood of Vienna. Her father Johann Florian Elssler was a second ge ...

– Frau u Mythos'' (1989) * ''Kinderszenen'' * ''Instrumental ensemble'' * ''Geburtstagswünsche'' (Happy Birthday To You) for 2

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

and

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

* ''Six Petites scènes d'enfants'' (1991)

Distinctions

* City of Vienna Awards * Awards by the Province of

Niederösterreich Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P� ...

(1981)Zeit 1960-2010 Kulturpreise Niederösterreich - Land Niederösterreich http://www.noe.gv.at/noe/Kunst-Kultur/Kulturpreistraeger_festschrift_2.pdf p. 121.

References

Bibliography

* Hartmut Krones. Ed.''Die Ősterreichische Symphonien im 20 Jahrhundert.'' Vienna: Böhlau Verlag, 2005. .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Silewicz, Witold 1921 births 2007 deaths People from Oświęcim Musicians from Vienna Polish classical composers Polish male classical composers Austrian classical composers Ballet composers Polish conductors (music) 20th-century classical composers Austrian classical double-bassists Polish classical double-bassists Polish emigrants to Austria Male double-bassists University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna alumni Burials in Vienna 20th-century conductors (music) 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century male musicians