Labunski, Felix (actually, Feliks Roderyk)

Labunski, Felix (actually, Feliks Roderyk), Polish-born American composer, pedagogue, pianist, and music critic, brother of Wiktor Labunski; b. Ksaw-erynόw, Dec. 27, 1892; d. Cincinnati, April 28, 1979. Following piano lessons as a child, he was a pupil of Marczewski and Maliszewski at the Warsaw Cons. (1922-24), and of Dukas and Boulanger (composition) and Migot (musicology) at the École Normale de Musique in Paris (1924–34). In 1927 he was a founder of the Assn. of Young Polish Composers in Paris. After serving as director of classical music for the Polish Radio in Warsaw (1934–36), he emigrated to the U.S. and in 1941 became a naturalized American citizen. In 1940-41 he was a prof, of counterpoint and composition at Marymount Coll. in Tarrytown, N.Y., and thereafter taught at the Cincinnati Coll. of Music (1945–55), and its successor the Univ. of Cincinnati Coll.-Cons. of Music(1955-64). As a pianist, he mainly performed his own works. He composed basically along Romantic lines with some infusions of neo-Classical elements.

Works

dramatic: Ballet: God’s Man (1937). orch.:Danse fantastique (1926); Triptyque champêtre (1931); 2 syms. (1937, 1954); Suite for Strings (1938); In Memoriam, symphonie poem in memory of Paderewski (1941); Variations (1947); Elegy (1955); Xaveriana, fantasy for 2 Pianos and Orch. (1956); Symphonie Dialogues (1961); Canto di aspirazione (1963; based on the slow movement of the Sym. No. 2); Polish Renaissance Suite (1967); Salut à Paris, ballet suite(1968); Music for Piano and Orch. (1968); Primavera (1974). chamber: 2 string quartets (1935, 1962); Divertimento for Flute and Piano (1936); 3 Bagatelles for Brass Quartet (1955); Divertimento for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1956); Diptych for Oboe and Piano (1958); Intrada festiva for Brass Choir (1968); piano pieces; organ music. vocal:Polish Cantata (1932); The Birds for Soprano and Orch. (1934); Songs without Words for Soprano and Strings (1946); There Is No Death, cantata for Chorus and Orch. (1950); Images of Youth, cantata (1956); choruses; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire