Kisielewski, Stefan

Kisielewski, Stefan, Polish composer, journalist, and novelist; b. Warsaw, March 7, 1911; d. there, Sept. 27, 1991. He received training in philology at the Univ. of Warsaw (1929–33) and pursued studies in piano with Lefeld (diploma, 1934) and in theory and composition with Sikorski (diplomas in both, 1937) at the Warsaw Cons., completing his training in Paris (1938–39). In 1935 he began writing on music and politics; during the Nazi occupation of Poland, he was an official of the cultural dept. of the Underground. After the liberation in 1945, he was a prof, at the Krakow Coll. of Music (until 1950); also served as ed.-in-chief of the music weekly Puch Muzyczny (1945–8) and was a columnist for the Catholic opposition weekly Sygodnih Powysechny (1945–83) in Krakow. In addition to his writings on music, he publ. novels and books on politics, some of which have appeared abroad in translations. For his musical efforts, he received awards from the City of Kraków (1956) and the Union of Polish Composers (1982). His compositions generally follow along neo-Classical lines.

Works

dramatic: Ballet: Diably polski (Polish Devils; 1957; Warsaw, 1958); System doktora Smoly i doktora Pierza (The System of Dr. Pitch and Dr. Feathers; 1962); Wesole miasteckzko (Amusement Grounds; 1966; Gdansk, 1967). other: Scores for theater and films. orch.: syms.: No. 1 (1939; not extant), No. 2 (1951), Chamber Sym. (1956), Sym. for 15 Performers (1961), and Symphony in a Square (1974–78); Concerto for Chamber Orch. (1948); Rustic Rhapsody (1950); Perpetuum Mobile (1953); Little Overture (1953); Divertimento for Flute and Chamber Orch. (1964); Journey in Time for Strings (1965); Sport Signals, overture (1966); Cosmos I (1970); The Merry Kaleidoscope (1970); Voyage dans le temps (1975); Piano Concerto (1980-91; Warsaw, Sept. 24, 1991). chamber: Violin Sonata (1932); String Quartet (1935); Sonata for Solo Clarinet (1944); Intermezzo for Clarinet and Piano (1953); Suite for Oboe and Piano (1954); Capriccio energico for Violin and Piano (1956); Suite for Flute and Piano (1961); Meetings in the Desert for 10 Performers (1969); Dialogues for 14 Instruments (1970); Clarinet Sonata (1973); Capricious Impressions for Woodwinds (1982); Scherzo for Bassoon and Piano (1988). Piano: 2 sonatas (1936, not extant; 1945); Toccata (1944); Fantasia (1949); Suite (1955); 3 Stormy Scenes (1983). vocal: Choral music; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire