Mieczysław Karłowicz (, 11 December 18768 February 1909) was a Polish

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and conductor.

Life

Mieczysław Karłowicz was born in

Vishneva Vishnyeva ( be, Ві́шнева, Višnieva; russian: Вишнево, ''Vishnevo''; pl, Wiszniew; lt, Vyšniavas; yi, ווישנעווע, ''Vishneve'') is an agrotown in the Valozhyn District of Minsk Region, Belarus, near the border with L ...

, in the

Vilna Governorate The Vilna Governorate (1795–1915; also known as Lithuania-Vilnius Governorate from 1801 until 1840; russian: Виленская губерния, ''Vilenskaya guberniya'', lt, Vilniaus gubernija, pl, gubernia wileńska) or Government of V ...

of the

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. ...

(now in

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

) into a

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Great B ...

family belonging to

Clan Ostoja The Clan of Ostoja (old Polish: ''Ostoya'') was a powerful group of knights and lords in late-medieval Europe. The clan encompassed families in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (including present-day Belarus and Ukraine), Hungary and Upper Hu ...

. His father Jan was a

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

linguist, lexicographer, and musician. As a child, Karłowicz studied violin, for which he later composed his only

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...

. Karłowicz studied 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 ...

with

Zygmunt Noskowski Zygmunt Noskowski (2 May 1846 – 23 July 1909) was a Polish composer, conductor, and teacher. Biography Noskowski was born in Warsaw and was originally trained at the Warsaw Conservatory studying violin and composition with Stanisław Moni ...

Stanisław Barcewicz Stanisław Barcewicz (16 April 18581 September 1929) was a noted Polish violinist, conductor and teacher. Although his repertoire included almost all of the classical and romantic violin literature, he was valued primarily for his interpretati ...

Piotr Maszyński Piotr Maszyński (1855–1934) was a Polish composer. He is particularly noted as a composer of art songs in Polish songs, and to a large number of carols published 1888–1905 in separate volumes of ''Lutnia'' magazine. Polish Music: - Volumes 16 ...

, and

Gustaw Roguski Gustav, Gustaf or Gustave may refer to: *Gustav (name), a male given name of Old Swedish origin Art, entertainment, and media * ''Primeval'' (film), a 2007 American horror film * ''Gustav'' (film series), a Hungarian series of animated short cart ...

. He later studied in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

with

Heinrich Urban Heinrich Urban (27 August 1837 – 24 November 1901) was a German violinist and composer. Life and career Heinrich Urban was born in Berlin, and studied with Ferdinand Laub, Hubert Ries and Friedrich Kiel. He sang alto in the Königlich Domchor ...

, to whom he dedicated his ''Serenade for Strings'', which he composed and performed while Urban's student. From 1906 to 1907 he studied conducting with

Arthur Nikisch Arthur Nikisch (12 October 185523 January 1922) was a Hungarian conductor who performed internationally, holding posts in Boston, London, Leipzig and—most importantly—Berlin. He was considered an outstanding interpreter of the music of Br ...

Career

Karłowicz's music is of a late Romantic character. He was a great admirer of

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

whose Symphony No. 6 he praised. Tchaikovsky's influence can be heard in Karłowicz's earlier works, most notably the E minor symphony and the Violin Concerto. Like most of the late Romantics he also fell under the considerable influence of

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

, especially with ''

Tristan und Isolde ''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was compose ...

''. Nevertheless, he managed to develop an original musical language expressed in harmony and orchestration, the latter of which he mastered like few other composers and wrote some of the most colourful orchestral music ever found. Among his works are a Symphony in E minor (''Rebirth'', Op. 7), a Violin Concerto in A major (Op. 8), incidental music to a play ''The White Dove'', and six

tone poem A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music, usually in a single continuous movement, which illustrates or evokes the content of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape, or other (non-musical) source. The German term ''T ...

s, which include ''The Returning Waves'', ''Eternal Songs'', ''

Lithuanian Rhapsody ''Lithuanian Rhapsody'' (Polish ''Rapsodia litewska'') in A minor, Op. 11 is the third of Mieczysław Karłowicz's six symphonic poems. A typical performance lasts 18—20 minutes. History Origins of the composition The ''Lithuanian Rhapsod ...

'', ''Stanisław i Anna Oświecimowie'', '' Smutna opowieść'', and ''Epizod na maskaradzie''. The Violin Concerto was written for and dedicated to his former teacher

, who premiered the work under Karłowicz's baton in Berlin on 21 March 1903 with the

Berlin Philharmonic The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...

. He also wrote a number of songs for voice and piano, setting words by

Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer (12 February 1865 – 18 January 1940) was a Polish Goral poet, novelist, playwright, journalist and writer. He was a member of the Young Poland movement. Life Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer was born in Ludźmierz in Pod ...

Adam Asnyk Adam Asnyk (11 September 1838 – 2 August 1897), was a Polish poet and dramatist of the Positivist era. Born in Kalisz to a szlachta family, he was educated to become an heir of his family's estate. As such he received education at the Institute ...

, and others. Much of the rest of his small output was lost during

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 ...

. Karłowicz spent much of his later life in

Zakopane Zakopane ( Podhale Goral: ''Zokopane'') is a town in the extreme south of Poland, in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998, it was part of Nowy Sącz Voivodeship; since 1999, it has been par ...

in southern Poland, often enjoying one of his favorite hobbies,

photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

, in the nearby mountain scenery. Karłowicz died at the age of 32 in an

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and earth ...

while

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

on an excursion in the

Tatra Mountains The Tatra Mountains (), Tatras, or Tatra (''Tatry'' either in Slovak language, Slovak () or in Polish language, Polish () - ''plurale tantum''), are a series of mountains within the Western Carpathians that form a natural border between Slovak ...

in 1909. He was buried at

Powązki Cemetery Powązki Cemetery (; pl, Cmentarz Powązkowski), also known as Stare Powązki ( en, Old Powązki), is a historic necropolis located in Wola district, in the western part of Warsaw, Poland. It is the most famous cemetery in the city and one of t ...

. The

Szczecin Philharmonic Szczecin Philharmonic, officially Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic ( pl, Filharmonia im. Mieczysława Karłowicza), founded in 1948, is a philharmonic of the city of Szczecin, Poland.

bears the name of Mieczysław Karłowicz as a recognition of the composer's musical legacy.

Recent bibliography

*Luca Lévi Sala. Mieczysław Karłowicz, in Oxford Bibliographies Online, 2018 (http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199757824/obo-9780199757824-0232.xml *Luca Lévi Sala, European Fin-de-siècle and Polish Modernism. The Music of Mieczysław Karłowicz, Bologne, Ut Orpheus Edizioni, 2010. * Christophe Jeżewski, ''Le Retour d'un génie.'' Pour le centenaire de Mieczysław Karłowicz, in "Europe", n°961, Paris, May 2009. *Janusz Mechanisz: Mieczysław Karłowicz, Polihymnia, 2009, *Henryk Anders, Mieczysław Karłowicz. Życie i dokonania, Poznań, ABOS, 1998. *Wightman, Alistair. ''Karłowicz, Young Poland and the Musical Fin-de-siècle'', Aldershot, Ashgate, 1996; Polish translation by Ewa Gabryś, Karłowicz. ''Młoda Polska i muzyczny fin de siècle'', Kraków, PWM, 1996 (Monografie Popularne). *Leszek Polony, Poetyka muzyczna Mieczysława Karłowicza, Cracow, PWM, 1986. *Paul-Gilbert Langevin, Musiciens d'Europe, "La Revue Musicale", Editions Richard Masse, Paris, 1986. *Elżbieta Dziębowska, éd. Z życia i twórczości Mieczysława Karłowicza, Cracow, PWM, 1970.

Works

Solo Voice 6 Songs, Op.1 * No. 1. Zamuconej (Saddened) * No. 2. Skąd pierwsze gwiazdy (Whence the First Stars) * No. 3. Na śniegu (In the Snow) * No. 4. Zawód (Disillusion) * No. 5. Pamiętam ciche, jasne, złote dnie (I Remember Quiet, Clear Golden Days) * No. 6. Smutną jest dusza moja (My Soul is Sad) Drugi spiewnik, Op. 3 * No. 1. Mów do mnie jeszcze (Speak to me Still) * No. 2. Z erotyków (From Erotica) * No. 3. Idzie na pola (It Goes Over the Fields) * No. 4. Na spokojnym, ciemnym morzu (On the Calm Dark Sea) * No. 5. Śpi w blaskach nocy (Asleep in the Splendors of the Night) * No. 6. Przed nocą wieczną (Before the Eternal Night) * No. 7. Nie płacz nade mną (Weep not Over Me) * No. 8. W wiecznorną ciszę (In the Calm of the Evening) * No. 9. Po szerokim morzu (Over the Wide Sea) * No. 10. Zaczarowana królewna (The Enchanted Princess) Najpiękniejsze piosnki, Op. 4 (The Most Beautiful Songs) Z nowa wiosna O nie wierz temu, co powiedza ludzie Czasem, gdy długo Rdzawe liście Pod jaworem słowa Pod naszymi okny Piano (solo) * Preludium i fuga podwójna, Op. 5 (Prelude and Double Fugue) Orchestral * Serenade for Strings, Op. 2 * Incidental music from Bianca da Molena, Op. 6 (The White Dove) * Symfonia "Odrodzenie", Op. 7 (Symphony "Rebirth") * Concerto for Violin, Op. 8 * Powracające fale, Op. 9 (Returning Waves) * Odwieczne pieśni, Op. 10 (Eternal Songs) * Rapsodia litewska, Op. 11 (Lithuanian Rhapsody) * Stanisław i Anna Oświecimowie, Op. 12 (Stanislaw and Anna of Oswiecim) * Smutna opowieść, Op. 13 (A Sorrowful Tale) * Epizod na maskaradzie, Op. 14 (Episode at a Masquerade) osthumously completed by Grzegorz Fitelberg

Discography

* (rec. 1981 and 1983) Complete symphonic poems (

Silesian Philharmonic The Filharmonia Śląska w Katowicach ( en, Silesian Philharmonic in Katowice) is a music institution in Katowice, Silesia, Poland. The Silesian Philharmonic in Katowice was founded in 1945. The first concert of the orchestra took place on 26 of M ...

, Jerzy Salwarowski) – (LP, 1984) Wifon 063-65; (CD, 1989)

Le Chant du Monde Le Chant du Monde is a French music publishing house. It was created in 1938 by Léon Moussinac and was supported in the beginning by classical composers Georges Auric, Arthur Honegger, Charles Koechlin, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Albert ...

LDC 278 966-967; (CD, 1999, 2008) DU
132/133
* (live rec. 1996) Complete symphonic poems (

Warsaw Symphony Orchestra 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 officially ...

Jacek Kaspszyk Jacek Kaspszyk (born 10 August 1952) is a Polish music conductor and was the Music and Artistic Director of the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra from 2013 until the close of the 2018/2019 season. In 2012, he was awarded the Elgar Medal. In ...

) – (1997) Pro Musica Camerata PMC 013/14 * Complete symphonic poems (New Zealand Symphony Orchestra,

Antoni Wit Antoni Wit (born February 7, 1944) is a Polish conductor, composer, lawyer and professor at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music. Between 2002 and 2013, he served as the artistic director of the National Philharmonic in Warsaw. Life and career ...

) - (CD)

Naxos Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best abr ...

8.570295 and 8.570452 * Complete symphonic poems (

BBC Philharmonic The BBC Philharmonic is a national British broadcasting symphony orchestra and is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Philharmonic is a department of the BBC North Group division based at MediaC ...

, Jan Pascal Tortelier) - (CD)

Chandos Records Chandos Records is a British independent classical music recording company based in Colchester. It was founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.Ilya Kaler Ilya Kaler (born June 2, 1963) is a Russian-born violinist. Born and educated in Moscow, Kaler is the only person to have won Gold Medals at all three of the International Tchaikovsky Competition (Moscow, 1986); the Sibelius (Helsinki, 1985); an ...

, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Antoni Wit - (CD) Naxos8.572274 * Violin Concerto,

Nigel Kennedy Nigel Kennedy (born 28 December 1956) is an English violinist and violist. His early career was primarily spent performing classical music, and he has since expanded into jazz, klezmer, and other music genres. Early life and background Kenn ...

, Polish Chamber Orchestra, Jacek Kaspszyk - (cd) EMI Records * Violin Concerto and Serenade for Strings (Kaja Danczowska, Polish Radio and TV Orchestra of Krakow, Antoni Wit) - (CD)

CDM LDC 278 1088 * Symphony "Rebirth", Serenade for Strings, and Prologue from Music for The White Dove - BBC Philharmonic,

Gianandrea Noseda Gianandrea Noseda (born 23 April 1964, Sesto San Giovanni, Italy) is an Italian conductor. Biography Noseda studied piano and composition in Milan. He began conducting studies at age 27. He furthered his conducting studies with Donato Renzett ...

- (CD) Chandos Records CHAN 10171 * Symphony "Rebirth" -

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra ( pl, Orkiestra Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie) is a Polish orchestra based in Warsaw. Founded in 1901, it is one of Poland's oldest musical institutions. History The orchestra was conceived on ...

, Jerzy Salwarowski - (CD) DUX Records, DUX 0656 * Młodzieńcze utwory instrumentalne arly instrumental compositions(2CDs) Katowice: Państwowa Szkoła Muzyczna im. M. Karłowicza w Katowicach, 2006 (PSM CD001, PSM CD002) * Violin Concerto in A major Op.8 -

Tasmin Little Tasmin Little (born 13 May 1965) is an English classical violinist. She is a concerto soloist and also performs as a recitalist and chamber musician. She has released numerous albums, winning the Critics Award at the Classic Brit Awards in 2011 ...

(violin),

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) is a Scottish broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), it is the oldest full-time professional rad ...

Martyn Brabbins Martyn Charles Brabbins (born 13 August 1959) is a British conductor. The fourth of five children in his family, he learned to play the euphonium, and then the trombone during his youth at Towcester Studio Brass Band. He later studied compositi ...

conductor ( Hyperion CDA67389, recorded September 2003, released April 2004) * Violin Concerto in A major Op.8 - Piotr Plawner (violin), Zielona Gora Philharmonic Orchestra / Czeslaw Grabovski conductor (CD) DUX Records, DUX0540, recorded December 2005, released 2006

References

External links

Collected Songs published by Edition Tilli Ltd.
* *
Complete CD discography of Karłowicz up to 2009
* * *
Works by Mieczysław Karłowicz in National Digital Library of Poland (Polona)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karlowicz, Mieczyslaw 1876 births 1909 deaths People from Smarhon’ District People from Sventsyansky Uyezd Clan of Ostoja Polish nobility Polish male classical composers Polish Romantic composers Polish conductors (music) Male conductors (music) 19th-century classical composers 20th-century classical composers 19th-century conductors (music) 20th-century conductors (music) 20th-century male musicians University of Warsaw alumni Chopin University of Music alumni Skiing deaths Deaths in avalanches Natural disaster deaths in Poland Burials at Powązki Cemetery