卡罗尔·席曼诺夫斯基

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钢琴家阿图尔·鲁宾斯坦在自传作品《我的青年时代》中提到，他收到还是学生的席曼诺夫斯基的手稿——“我们确信会看到一个学童的幼稚的涂鸦。然而，一首前奏曲的头几个小节一弹，我们俩的惊讶就难以形容。这是大师谱写的音乐呀！我们热切地读完了所有的手稿，由于意识到我们正在发现一个伟大的波兰作曲家，我们就越发激动和兴奋！他的风格明显地受到肖邦的影响，曲式有些像斯克里亚宾，但是已经可以从旋律的线条和大胆、新颖的变调中感受到强有力的、且具有独创性的个性。”

Karol Maciej Szymanowski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈkarɔl ˈmat͡ɕɛj ʂɨmaˈnɔfskʲi]; 3 October 1882 – 29 March 1937) was a Polish composer, pianist and writer. He was a member of the modernist Young Poland movement that flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Szymanowski's early works show the influence of the late Romantic German school as well as the early works of Alexander Scriabin, as exemplified by his Étude Op. 4 No. 3 and his first two symphonies. Later, he developed an impressionistic and partially atonal style, represented by such works as the Third Symphony and his Violin Concerto No. 1. His third period was influenced by the folk music of the Polish Górale people; works from this period include the ballet Harnasie, the Fourth Symphony, and his sets of Mazurkas for piano. King Roger, composed between 1918 and 1924, remains Szymanowski's most popular opera. His other significant works include Hagith, Symphony No. 2, The Love Songs of Hafiz, and Stabat Mater.

Szymanowski was awarded the highest national honors, including the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland and other distinctions, both Polish and foreign.

Life and career

Early life

Karol Szymanowski was born into the Korwin-Szymanowski family who were members of wealthy Polish nobility from the Mazovia region, the capital of which is Warsaw. After the fall of Kościuszko Uprising (1794), his great-great grandfather Dominik was exiled from Poland to Dnieper Ukraine.……

Career

In Berlin, Szymanowski founded the Young Polish Composers' Publishing Company (1905–1912), whose primary aim was to publish new works by his countrymen.……

Influences

Szymanowski was influenced by the music of Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss, Max Reger, Alexander Scriabin and the impressionism of Claude Debussy, and Maurice Ravel. He was also significantly influenced by his countryman Frédéric Chopin and by Polish folk music. Like Chopin, he wrote a number of mazurkas for piano.……

Works

Among Szymanowski's better-known orchestral works are four symphonies (including No. 3, Song of the Night, with choir and vocal soloists, and No. 4, Symphonie Concertante, with piano concertante) and two violin concertos. His stage works include the ballets Harnasie and Mandragora and the operas Hagith and King Roger.……

Recognition

Szymanowski's music has received international recognition. In the 1920s and the 1930s, his music proved immensely popular.……

Recordings

In 1994, Charles Dutoit recorded both of Szymanowski's violin concertos with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. English conductor Sir Simon Rattle has called Szymanowski "one of the greatest composers of this [20th] century" and produced a series of recordings with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.……

Remembrance

Szymanowski received numerous awards, including the Officer Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta; the Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy; the Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy; the Knight of Legion d'Honneur; an honorary plaque at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia; the Commander Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta;……

Awards and decorations

Order of the White Eagle (posthumously, 2018)

Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (posthumously, 2 April 1937)

Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (11 November 1934)

Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (30 April 1925)

Gold Cross of Merit (5 May 1931)

Gold Academic Laurel (5 November 1935)

Additional sources

In English

Alistair Wightman, Karol Szymanowski. His Life and Work, Alderhost, Ashgate Publishing Company, 1999

Christopher Palmer, Szymanowski. BBC Music Guides, 1983 (An introduction to Szymanowski's music in English)

In French