Jadwiga Sarnecka

Jadwiga Sarnecka (1877 or 1883 – 29 December 1913)[1][2] was a Polish composer and pianist whose composition Ballade for piano won second place in a 1910 competition in Lviv (today in Ukraine) commemorating Chopin’s centenary. She also composed works for voice and piano.[3][4][5][6][7]

Biography

Sarnecka was born in Slavuta, Volhynia (today in Ukraine). She studied piano with Felicjan Szopski and Władysław Żeleński in Krakow, Poland; Henryk Melcer-Szczawinski and Aleksander Michalowski in Warsaw; and Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna. She presented piano recitals throughout Austria, Germany and Poland.[3][4][8]

Sarnecka’s compositions were not always favorably reviewed. She self-published her initial works. Arts patron Feliks Jasienski (pseudonym “Manggha”) (1861-1929) funded the publication of subsequent works. Eventually, Sarnecka’s compositions received favorable reviews from Polish music critics Adolf Chybinski, Zdzislaw Jachimecki, and Jozef Wladyslaw Reiss, and A. Piwarski & Company began publishing them. After winning second prize at the Lwów (Lviv) competition in 1910, Sarnecka was the only woman asked to present a paper at the first Congress of Polish Musicians later that year. She wrote about Creativity vs Virtuosity in Musical Composition.[4][9][10]

Sarnecka died from tuberculosis in Krakow in 1913.[4] Her work has been recorded commercially by Marek Szlezer on the DUX Records label.[11] Her music is currently published by Polish Music Editions.[12] Her compositions include:

Piano

  • Cinq Morceaux, opus 7[13]
  • Etude in f minor[13]
  • Four Impressions, opus[14]
  • Seven Ballads[5]
  • Sonata No. 1, opus 9[13]
  • Sonata No. 2[5]
  • Thirteen Impressions[4]

Vocal

  • "Lux in Tenebris" (text by Sarnecka; dedicated to Helene de Galezowska)[10]
  • "Szumny wichrze gluchych pol" (alternate title: Vent qui cours la plaine; text by Lucjan Rydel; dedicated to Count Henryk Tyszkiewicz)[15]
  • "Tenebrae" (text by Sarnecka; dedicated to Mademoiselle la Baronne Casimire Blazowska)[9]

References

  1. ^ "Jadwiga Sarnecka". Presto Music. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  2. ^ "Sarnecka, Jadwiga | femalecomposers.org". femalecomposers.org. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  3. ^ a b Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International encyclopedia of women composers. 2: Sai - Zyb, Appendices (2. ed., revised and enl ed.). New York: Books & Music. p. 618. ISBN 978-0-9617485-1-7.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "PWM -Kompozytorzy I Autorzy, Jadwiga Sarnecka, Biography". pwm.com.pl. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Sarnecka Jadwiga - Polish Women Composers". 2022-04-25. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  6. ^ Stewart-Green, Miriam (1980). Women composers: A checklist of works for the solo voice. A reference publication in women's studies. Boston, Mass: Hall. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-8161-8498-9.
  7. ^ Wier, Albert E. (1938). The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians. New York: The Macmillan Company. p. 1643.
  8. ^ Hull, Arthur Eaglefield (1924). A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians. J. M. Dent & sons, Limited.
  9. ^ a b "Ténèbrae (Sarnecka, Jadwiga)". imslp.org. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  10. ^ a b Trochimczyk, Maja (2009-12-09). A Romantic Century in Polish Music. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-0-9819693-3-6.
  11. ^ "JADWIGA SARNECKA (1877 or 1883-1913): Piano Sonata in E Flat Minor, Op. 9, Etude in F Minor "Quasi un dolore", 4 impressions, Op. 12, Impression, Impression, Ballade No. 4. - Records International". www.recordsinternational.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  12. ^ "Marek Szlezer".
  13. ^ a b c "Sarnecka, Jadwiga". Pianorarescores. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  14. ^ Sarnecka, Jadwiga. "Jadwiga Sarnecka". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  15. ^ "Szumny wichrze głuchych pól (Sarnecka, Jadwiga)". imslp.org. Retrieved 2023-07-13.