Raoul Koczalski Explained

Raoul Armand Jerzy (von) Koczalski (3 January 1884 – 24 November 1948) was a Polish pianist and composer. He also used the pseudonym Georg Armand(o) Koczalski.[1]

Biography

Early years

Born in Warsaw, Koczalski was taught first by his mother, then by Julian Gadomski (1888–1890). Having made his first public appearance in 1888 (aged 4), his parents took him to play for Anton Rubinstein, who foresaw the possibility of a performing career. He never studied at a conservatory but had further private lesson on the piano and in composition with Ludwig Marek (1891–1892), Karol Mikuli (1893–1895) (Chopin's favorite Polish student and compositor) and instrumentation with Henryk Jarecki (1893–1894). At the age of 7 he gave concerts, and at 9 he was playing in major European cities as a virtuoso. His thousandth concert was given in Leipzig in 1896, and by the age of 12 he had received awards such as the Order of the Lion and Sun (from the Shah of Persia), the title of Court Pianist (from the King of Spain), and a medal from the Turkish Sultan. Already as a child he had a very extensive repertoire. During World War I he was interned in Bad Nauheim, Germany.[2]

Composer and writer

As a composer, Koczalski created numerous works for solo piano, instrumental concertos for various solo instruments with orchestra, works for orchestra, music-dramatic works for the stage, chamber music in various instrumentations, as well as many songs with piano accompaniment. Most of the compositions were published abroad (Germany, Russia, France). Koczalski's compositions are largely forgotten today. Stylistically, they belong to the late romantic period. The great upheavals in the field of contemporary music (atonality, twelve-tone music) that took place during Koczalski's creative period had no influence on his style.

In a book devoted to Chopin, published in 1936, he clearly takes a stand against contemporary music. He considers the experiments of the last 25 years, which sought new paths on a "cerebral, mathematical basis," to have failed, and he calls the representatives of modern music, whom he calls "experimenters, modernists, tinkerers, subversives," "sad ghosts of an even sadder time."[3] In this sense, he conformed to the perspective of the Nazi political class in power during the late 1930s.

Koczalski's remarks about the character and interpretation of Chopin's music remain valid, although the style of interpretation of many modern pianists no longer corresponds to what the tradition of the great Chopin players of the past. Knowledge of Koczalski's planned edition of Chopin's piano works would have been very important for the performance practice of Chopin's piano works.

Performer

Koczalski was highly esteemed as a performer of Chopin in Germany, where he lived during the 1920s and 1930s. During these years he also wrote many reviews, using his pseudonym, founded a music school that went bankrupt, and reestablished himself as a concert pianist by 1934.[4] He toured in France, Italy and Poland, but (despite many invitations) not in the United States for reasons of health. During World War II he was again interned (in Berlin), and in 1945 he went to live in Poznań, accepting a post as professor in the State Higher School of Music.

As a performer, the complete works of Chopin and the complete Beethoven sonatas lay at the core of a very extensive repertoire from the classical and romantic genres. He was considered one of the greatest interpreters of Chopin's music and one of the greatest pianists of his time, with a very liquid technique, smooth balance and interpretations that did not take the liberties of many of his contemporaries, remaining closer to the written score.[5] According to Seidle (2003), "(h)is playing avoids extremes, is clear, colourful, with flowing, subtle phrasing and broad dynamics". ("Sein Spiel meidet Extreme, ist klar, farbig, mit fließender, subtiler Phrasierung und breiter Dynamik.")[6] His pupils included Detlef Kraus, Monique de La Bruchollerie, Hanna Rudnicka-Kruszewska, Wanda Losakiewicz and Irena Wyrzykowska-Mondelska.

Koczalski died in Poznań aged 64.

Works (Selection)

Musical theatre

Ballet

Orchestral

Concertante

Voice and Orchestra

Chamber music

Voice & Piano

Piano

Source: This list, originally available on the German Wikipedia page dedicated to Koczalski, was compiled with the used of the catalogue of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, and after Stanisław Dybowski: Wykaz kompozycji Raula Koczalskiego, in: Teresa Brodniewicz u. a.: Raul Koczalski. Akademia Muzyczna im. I. J. Paderewskiego w Poznaniu, Poznań 2001.

Writings

In addition to his books, Koczalski wrote several press articles.

Discography of Koczalsky as pianist

Discography

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. Peter Seidle: "Koczalski, Raoul", in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, ed. Ludwig Finscher, biographical part vol. 10 (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2003), column 387.
  2. Seidle (2003).
  3. Raoul Koczalski, Frédéric Chopin: Betrachtungen, Skizzen, Analysen. Cologne: Tischer & Jagenberg 1936, p. 4.
  4. Seidle (2003).
  5. Lyle Wilson: A Dictionary of Pianists (London: Robert Hale, 1985).
  6. Seidle (2003).

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