Raoul Koczalski

born on 3/1/1885 in Warschau, Masowien, Poland

died on 24/11/1948 in Posen, Grosspolen, Poland

Raoul Koczalski

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Armand Georg Raoul (von) Koczalski (3 January 1884, Warsaw – 24 November 1948, Pozna) was a Polish pianist and composer, who fulfilled his promise (first shown as a child prodigy) to become one of the great pianists of all time.

Career

Koczalski was taught first by his mother, then by Julian Godomski: having made a public appearance in 1888 (aged 4) his parents took him to play for Anton Rubinstein, who foresaw the possibility of a performing career. He studied at Lviv Conservatory, first with Ludwig Marek and then under Karol Mikuli, Chopin's favorite Polish student and assistant. At the age of 7 he gave concerts and at 9 he was playing in major European cities as a virtuoso. His thousandth concert was given in Leipzig in 1896, and by the age of 12 he had received awards such as the Order of the Lion and Sun, (from the Shah of Persia), the title of Court Pianist (from the King of Spain) and a medal from the Turkish Sultan. Even as a child he had a very extensive repertoire. During World War I he was interned in Germany.[1]

Koczalski was highly esteemed as a performer of Chopin in Germany, where he lived during the 1920s and 1930s. In that period he toured in France, Italy and Poland, but (despite many invitations) not in the United States of America. He was interned in Berlin during the Second World War, and in 1945 he went to live in Poznan, accepting a post as professor in the State Higher School of Music.[2] As a performer, the complete works of Chopin and the complete Beethoven sonatas lay at the core of a very extensive repertoire from the classical and romantic genres. He was considered one of the greatest interpreters of Chopin's music and one of the greatest pianists of his time, with a very liquid technique, smooth balance and interpretations that did not take the liberties of many of his contemporaries but which remained closer to the written score.[3] His Chopin recordings reveal him as the most compelling, authentic Chopin interpreter of all time although his reputation was substantially damaged by his refusal to give concerts in the USA and by the unsupported negative opinions of Arthur Rubinstein in his autobiography "My Many Years" Pub. Jonathon Cape,1980. His pupils included Detlew Kraus, Monique de La Bruchollerie, Hanna Rudnicka-Kruszewska, Wanda Losakiewicz and Irena Wyrzykowska-Mondelska.

Works

Koczalski's compositions include nearly 200 published works, symphonic and chamber pieces, concertos, operas and ballets, piano compositions and songs.

  • Symphonische Legende vom Könige Boleslaus dem Kühnen und Bischof Stanislaus dem Heiligen (im Jahre 1079) for orchestra (composed 1894), publ. Leipzig: Pabst, c.1900.
  • Rymond: Opera in 3 acts (6 scenes), libretto by Alexander Graf Predro. (Premiere, 14 October 1902, Elberfeld), publ. Leipzig 1902.
  • Die Sühne: (The Expiation): a Trauerspiel in one act. (Premiere, 1909 Mülhausen (Mulhouse, France)), publ. Leipzig: Pabst, c.1907.
  • 24 Preludes, Op. 28
  • Piano Concerto, Op. 83
  • Rilke-Heft; 4 songs on texts by Rainer Maria Rilke, Op. 102
  • Rilke-Heft; 4 songs on texts by Rainer Maria Rilke, Op. 116
  • Semrud: a Tale from the Orient, in 5 scenes and a prelude (Text based on some stories from The Thousand and One Nights, some dramatic sketches by Benno Ziegler, and the comic opera "Der betrogene Kadi" by Ch. W. Gluck), Op. 118
  • Aus dem west-östlichen Divan, 21 poems by Goethe set as songs and duets for soprano and baritone, Op. 121. Berlin: Koczalski, 1937
  • Legende No. 1, Op. 127
  • Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 143, publ. Pozna: Koczalski, c.1940
  • Sonatina for piano, Op. 146
  • 3 Nocturnes, Op. 147

Writings

In addition to his books, Koczalski wrote several press articles.

  • Raoul Koczalski: Zum hundertsten Geburtstag Frédéric Chopins: Chopin-Zyklus; vier Klaviervorträge nebst einer biographischen Skizze: F. Chopin, sowie den Aufsätzen: Chopin als Komponist und Chopin als Pianist, und einer eingehenden Analyse aller zum Vortrag bestimmten Werke. (Leipzig: Pabst, 1909)
  • Raoul Koczalski: Frédéric Chopin: Betrachtungen, Skizzen, Analysen. (Cologne: Tischer & Jagenberg 1936)
  • Rauul Koczalski: Betrachtungen eines "lebenslänglichen" Künstlers. (Berlin 1937).

Sources

  • Bernhard Vogel: Raoul Koczalski: Skizze. Leipzig: Pabst, 1896.
  • Stanisaw Dybowski: Raul Koczalski: chopinista i kompozytor. Warszawa: Selene, 1998. ISBN 83-910515-0-1
  • Stanisaw Dybowski: Sownik pianistów polskich. Warszawa 2003, Selene.
  • Teresa Brodniewicz, Kostrzewskiej H., Tatarskiej J.: Raul Koczalski. (Biografie / Akademia Muzyczna im. Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego w Poznaniu). Poznan 2001. ISBN 83-88392-25-5
  • Maa encyklopedia muzyki, praca zbiorowa, Warszawa 1981, PWN.
  • Maa Encyklopedia muzyki, pod red. Józefa Wadysawa Reissa, Warszawa 1960, PWN.

References

  1. Article by Prof Karol Radziwonowicz.
  2. Karol Radziwonowicz (external link).
  3. Lyle Wilson: A dictionary of pianists. London: Robert Hale, 1985.

External links

  • Prof. Karol Radziwonowicz, The Greatest Polish Pianists in the History of Chopin's time till today (Chopinov Zlati Prstan - Chopin Goldenring: 3 October 2007, KULTURNICA BLA KUMERDEJ, Gorenjska cesta 25)
This page was last modified 23.10.2013 05:59:40

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