Zygmunt Stojowski: Poland’s Forgotten Composer

One of my favorite things about our local classical radio station is that it always introduces me to new (sometimes obscure) works and composers. This leads me to today’s topic: Polish pianist and composer Zygmunt Stojowski (1870-1946). I heard one of his piano concertos on the radio and was hooked from the start of its lush, Romantic harmonies. (Unfortunately, I can’t find any recordings or videos of the concerto online, so I was unable to include it in this post. But keep reading; he has some incredible music that has been posted on the internet.)

Because Stojowski was such a good pianist, most of his compositional output is for the piano. However, he also composed orchestral and chamber music, each with its own beautiful aural story. Let’s listen to some of his more well-known works.

Piano Solos and Chamber Music

Stojowski wrote Op. 1 (two piano solos) in 1889. Here is Op. 1 No. 2, Prelude:

Although Stojowski’s style is centered in the Romantic era, his music is beautiful and refined. You can tell he understood how to write well for the piano by listening to his compositions.

This beautiful piano and violin duet is full of lyrical melodies, energetic rhythms, and nostalgia. Harmonic contrasts provide effortless changes in mood, and the contrapuntal texture lends itself to orchestral writing.

Symphonic Works

At the turn of the century, Stowjowski was considered one of Poland’s most outstanding composers. His Symphony in D minor Op. 21 was performed in the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra’s first concert in 1901:

This symphony, composed in 1897, is still one of Stowjowki’s most famous works. The long melodic lines contrast with bursts of drama in the first movement. Movement II (12:41) is simply gorgeous, combining lush, nostalgic harmonies with intense dynamics and a beautiful melody. The Scherzo movement (III – 22:27) is full of energy and excitement, while the finale (28:32) opens with dramatic horn calls and finishes with a cheerful explosion.

Stojowski is also known for his piano-plus-orchestra works. He composed two piano concertos and a Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra:

This showy work is full of life and color. I love how the piano voice works together with the orchestra to create such a beautiful and colorful sound. Composed sometime at the beginning of the 20th century (I’ve seen 1904 and 1907), it is the epitome of Stojowski’s compositional style.

In a lot of ways it reminds me of Scriabin’s piano concerto which was composed in 1896.

And check out this cantata he wrote for soprano, baritone, mixed choir, orchestra, and organ:

For more about this powerful work, read here.

From Fame to Obscurity

Unfortunately, Stojowski’s popularity as a composer did not last long. He clung to his Romantic compositional style through the constantly changing musical world of the 20th century, which sadly led to his obscurity. Many found his music to be old-fashioned and overly sweet. Even nowadays some find his compositions to be too schmaltzy. After World War I, Stojowski pretty much stopped composing and dedicated his time to teaching and performing.

Teaching in America

In 1905, he sailed to America to teach music at the Institute of Musical Art in New York City, which became part of the Juilliard School in 1924. He later opened up his own studio due to the large number of pianists who wanted to study with him. Here are his thoughts about learning to play the piano:

“Every one who has a real liking for music should study the piano. It is the only instrument that reflects the work of art complete; complete in harmonic sense, complete in photographic reproduction of the picture.”

(This was quoted in an interview he did in 1906. Click here to read the full thing.)

Even though Stojowski is an unknown composer today, he deserves to be known. I hope you enjoyed discovering his music as much as I did!