Szeluto, Apolinary

Szeluto, Apolinary, fecund Russian-Polish composer; b. St. Petersburg, July 23, 1884; d. Chodziez, Aug. 22, 1966. He studied with Exner at the Saratov Cons, and with Statkowski and Noskowski at the Warsaw Cons. (1902-05); then received instruction in piano from Godowsky in Berlin (1905-08); also took courses in law in Warsaw and Dorpat. He was active as a pianist (1909-31), then devoted himself to composition. In association with Szymanowski, Fitelberg, and Rózycki, he formed a progressive musical group, Young Poland. He wrote a number of syms. in piano score; only 10 were orchestrated. His music is ultra-Romantic in its essence; most of his works bear descriptive titles. Several of them are inspired by contemporary political and military events.

Works

orch: 28 syms., of which 18 exist without complete orchestration: No. 1, Academic (1920), No. 2, Spontaneous (1938), No. 3, Impressionistic (1942), No. 4, Romantic (1942), No. 5, Majestic Room (1942), No. 6, Birth of Stalingrad (1943), No. 7, Revolutionary (1943), No. 8, Resurrection (1942), No. 9, Elegiac (1943), No. 10, Oriental (1944), No. 11, Iberian (1944), No. 12, Nordic (1944), No. 13, Samurai (1943-6), No. 14, Neapolitan (1943), No. 15, Los Angeles American (1944), No. 16, Fate (1946), No. 17, Kujawska Region (1946), No. 18, Litewska, No. 19, Slaska, No. 20, Kupiowska, No. 21, Podhalanska, No. 22, To the Building of a Communist People’s Union, Nos. 23-28 without titles; 5 piano concertos (1937, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1948); Violin Concerto (1942-8); Cello Concerto (1942); some 32 other orch. works. OTHER: 9 ballets; 14 chamber music pieces; 18 choral works; (purportedly) 78 operas; conservatively counting, 205 piano pieces; maybe 165 songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire