Maria Agata Szymanowska
Maria Szymanowska (née Wołowska) was born in Warsaw on December 14, 1789. Her family was a member of the szlachta, Polish nobility, and grew up during the demise of the Kingdom of Poland and the establishment of partitions by the Kingdom of Prussia, the Russian Empire, and the Habsburg Monarchy. Unfortunately, little is known about Szymanowska’s upbringing, but her musical studies were led by Antoni Lisowski and Tomasz Gremm (piano), while scholars allege that she studied composition with Franciszek Lessel, Józef Elsner, Karol Kurpiński, and John Field.
Her first public recitals in Warsaw and Paris in 1810 received high praise, and later toured Europe and Russia in the following years. In 1820, Szymanowska separated from her husband and became very active artistically. It is presumed that most of her piano compositions were written during 1815 and 1820, with the majority being published by Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig in 1820 and subsequent years. Szymanowska, following a successful tour in St. Petersburg, was named the court pianist for the tsar’s court and eventually settled in Russia after a lauded concert career. Her home in St. Petersburg served as a cultural haven and salon for other artists in the city. Szymanowska entertained such guests as Adam Mickiewicz (her son-in-law), Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Glinka, and John Field. Other artists in her network included Luigi Cherubini, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Gioacchino Rossini, Pierre Baillot, and Giuditta Pasta.
Szymanowska’s compositional style is often described as being written in pre-Romantic styles of stile brillante. Such scholars as Sławomir Dobrzański have compared her compositional style to the starting point of Frederic Chopin. Her music is very evocative of Polish sentimentalism, which flourished during her lifetime. This is quite evident in her vocal works, such as “Świtezianka,” which is a setting of an Adam Mickiewicz ballad of the same name. The vocal works of Maria Szymanowska largely reflect the style of salon music with a narrow vocal range, medium tessitura, and relatively simple piano accompaniment.
Szymanowska died of cholera during an epidemic that struck St. Petersburg in 1831.
Works included in our catalog include:
| Title of Work | Poet | Title of Work | Poet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le départ | Miguel de Cervantes | Wilija naszych strumieni rodizca | Adam Mickiewicz |
| Świtezianka | Adam Mickiewicz | Pieśń z wieży | Adam Mickiewicz |
| Peine et plaisir | Alexander Pushkin | Romance du Saule | William Shakespeare |
| Ballade | Louise-Geneviève Gillot de Saintonge | Romance à la nuit | Joseph-Alexandre de Segúr |
| Le connais-tu | François de Bernis | Se spiegar potessi oh! Dio | Pietro Metastasio |
| Jadwiga Królowa Polska | Julian Niemcewicz | Jan Albrycht | Julian Niemcewicz |
| Duma o Michale Glinskim | Julian Niemcewicz | Alpuhara | Adam Mickiewicz |
| Complainte | Unknown | Je ne vererai pas de larme | Unknown |
| Romance à Josephine | Unknown | Ah! jakiż to piękny kwiatek | Unknown |
| Le chant de la Vilia | Unknown | Kazimierz Wielki | Julian Niemcewicz |
| Stefan Czrniecki | Julian Niemcwicz |