persons' index (K)

Andrzej Krzanowski, composer and accordion player, born on 9th April 1951 in Bielsko-Biała; died on 1st October 1990 in Czechowice-Dziedzice. He studied composition with Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (1971-75) and accordion with Joachim Pichura at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice. From 1967, he played contemporary accordion music in concert. He performed at numerous festivals, including the 1st International Accordion Festival in Digne-les-Bains, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Musikprotokoll in Graz, 15th International Festival in Pontino, Gaudeamus Music Week, Gulbenkian Contemporary Music Festival in Lisbon, “Musica 83” in Strasbourg, and many others. As a composer, he made his debut at the “Young Composers to The Young City” festivals in Stalowa Wola (1975, 1976) and the Music Encounters in Baranów (1976), where he presented the vocal-instrumental stage cycle Broadcasts I – IV.
In 1975 he started teaching at the the State Higher School of Music in Wrocław, later – in 1976 – at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice (as assistant lecturer). In 1984 and 1986, he gave master classes at the Summer Courses in Darmstadt, and in 1987 – at the International Courses of the “Time od Music” Summer Academy in Viitasaari in Finland.
In 1984, he was commissioned by Krzysztof Penderecki to write Symphony No. 2. In 1986, he won the Witold Lutosławski scholarship, and in 1988 – the Scottish Arts Council scholarship.
Andrzej Krzanowski was also the winner of the Prime Minister’s Award for works for children and young audiences (1985) as well as numerous awards at competitions for composers, including: in 1976 – 2nd prize in the 19th Young Composers’ Competition of the Polish Composers’ Union for Canti di Wratislavia for orchestra (1976); in the same year – 1st prize in the Artur Malawski Competition for Composers in Cracow for String Quartet No. 2 [2nd version] (1976); twice – 3rd prize in the International Carl Maria von Weber Composers’ Competition in Dresden (in 1978 - for String Quartet No. 1 and in 1979 – for String Quartet No. 2); in 1978 - an honorable mention of the Competition for Composers in Stalowa Wola for Concerto for Eight Performers “Con Vigore” (1978); in 1979 – 1st prize in the Competition for Composers organised by the Music Editorial Board of the Polish Radio and Television in Warsaw for Fugue for Accordion Quintet (1975); in 1980 – 3rd prize in the Artur Malawski Competition for Composers for Alkagran or One Place on the Vistula’s Right-Hand Bank for accordion quintet (1980); in 1981 – 1st prize of the 1st International Competition for Compositions for Accordion in Digne-les-Bains for The Wind Carries the Echo across the Glade [2nd version] for accordion and amplified harpsichord (1981); in the same year – an honorable mention in the International Competition of the Gaudeamus Foundation for Three Meditations for accordion (1979); in 1985 – 1st prize in the Competition for a Work for Solo Organ for Relief III for organ (1985); in the same year, in the National Competition for Accordion Works in Rzeszów – 2nd prize for Three Studies for accordion (1985) and 3rd prize for Capriccio for accordion (1983); in 1986 – an honorable mention in the Competition for Composers for the 25th Anniversary of the “Poznań Music Spring” Festival for Where the Rainbow Ends for percussion and bass clarinet (1985); in 1986 – 2nd prize in the International Competition for Composers of Accordion Works in Ancona for Three Studies for accordion; in 1987 – 2nd prize in the International Competition for Composers in Digne-les-Bains for Over the Rainbow for viola, percussion and accordion (1985-87).

works

Andrzej Krzanowski wrote symphonic, chamber and vocal-instrumental music, but his special field was music for accordion. This plebeian instrument, little valued by composers, was raised by Krzanowski to a much more exalted level. The composer brought out unknown possibilities in the accordion, and demonstrated its unexpected beauty. The composer himself was a brilliant virtuoso of this instrument. Apart from composition, he studied accordion at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice, and later played the accordion at many international festivals. He also twice taught master classes of accordion play at the prestigious International Summer Courses of New Music in Darmstadt. The accordion plays a major role in many of his scores.
As a composer, he made his debut at the “Young Composers to The Young City” festivals in Stalowa Wola (1975 and 1976) and the Music Encounters in Baranów Sandomierski (1976), presenting a cycle of four vocal-instrumental stage compositions entitled Broadcasts (later supplemented by two more with the same title). The Broadcasts from Stalowa Wola can be viewed as model works exemplifying the new epoch in Polish contemporary music which was inaugurated by the debut in Stalowa Wola of Andrzej Krzanowski, Eugeniusz Knapik and Aleksander Lasoń, the composers known as “Generation ‘51” because of their date of birth, or “the Stalowa Wola Generation”, after the legendary Stalowa Wola festival. Standing in opposition to the 1950s and 1960s avant-garde, these three wrote music was to be labelled as “new Romanticism”. Each of them, however, retained his own individuality and autonomy. Andrzej Krzanowski was the one who, of all the “Generation ‘51”, retained the closest links to the avant-garde. His Broadcasts are characterised by a modern language of composition, largely indebted to the avant-garde, but, at the same time, by a romantic emotionality, even tending towards an exuberant expressionism. These vocal-instrumental pieces, to texts by Jacek Bieriezin, Zbigniew Dolecki, Marian Stanclik and Sławomir Mrożek, make use of quotations from works written in other periods, e.g. from compositions by Jan Sebastian Bach and Karol Szymanowski. Varied scoring allows for the use, apart from traditional instruments, also of untypical sources of sound such as sirens or whistles. A major role is played in the Broadcasts by the accordion. The pieces also make use of the tape and of visual effects.

A new website devoted to Andrzej Krzanowski's life and music: www.andrzejkrzanowski.pl/en

kompozycje

Prelude for accordion (1970)

Dance for accordion (1970)

Nocturne, Prelude and Fugue for accordion quintet (1971-75)

Sonata for accordion (1972)

Sketches for solo clarinet (1972)

Three Pieces for oboe and trumpet * (1972)

Study I for accordion and orchestra (1973)

Broadcast I to poems by Jacek Bieriezin for reciting voice, flute, tam-tam, siren, whistle and 2 tapes (1973)

Broadcast II to poems by Jacek Bieriezin for reciting voice, flute, tam-tam, siren, whistle and 2 tapes (1973)

Northern Songs for mixed choir * (1973)

Canon for accordion (1974)

Fugue-Fantasy no. 2 for accordion (1974)

Broadcast III to poems by Jacek Bieriezin for an actor, soprano, 2 accordions, baritone saxophone, trumpet, electric guitar, percussion and tape * (1974)

Study II for accordion (1974)

De profundis, cantata for baritone and orchestra (1974)

Partita for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1974)

Canon for accordion (1974)

Three Studies for soprano, flute and tape * (1974-76)

Toccata for accordion trio (1974-80)

Broadcast IV to poems by Zbigniew Dolecki for reciting voice, siren, cymbals, accordion and tapes * (1975)

Study III for accordion (1975)

Symphony No. 1 (1975)

Canti di Vratislavia for orchestra (1976)

String Quartet No. 1 [1st version] (1976)

String Quartet No. 1 [2nd version] * (1976)

Study V for accordion quintet (1976)

Broadcast V, an opera in 20 scenes (1977)

Transpainting, an audio-visual spectacle (1977)

Con vigore, concerto for eight performers * (1978)

Concerto for orchestra [1st version] (1978)

String Quartet No. 2 * (1978)

Sonata for tuba * (1978)

Study IV for accordion duet (1978)

Chorale for accordion (1979)

Three Meditations for accordion (1979)

Four Bagatelles for accordion (1979)

Nocturne and Scherzo for accordion (1979)

Ode for accordion (1979)

Sonatina for accordion (1979)

Cathedral for accordion (1979)

Triptych for accordion (1979)

Alkagran or One Place on the Vistula’s Right-Hand Bank for accordion quintet (1980)

Chorale for accordion quintet (1980)

Sonata di concerto for accordion (1980)

Highlander Dance for accordion duet (1980)

Three Pieces for accordion quintet (1980)

Echo for accordion (1981)

The Wind Carries the Echo across the Glade [1st version] for two accordions (1981)

The Wind Carries the Echo across the Glade [2nd version] for accordion and amplified harpsichord * (1981)

Eleven Pieces for children’s orchestra (1981)

Kalangra, 20 pieces for children for accordion * (1981)

Salve Regina [1st version] for boys’choir and organ (1981)

Salve Regina [2nd version] for boys’choir or women’s choir a cappella * (1981)

Little Partita for solo violin * (1981)

Concerto for orchestra [2nd version] * (1981-82)

Wintry Impressions for accordion (1982)

Miniatures for piano (1982)

Children’s Suite for piano (1982)

Broadcast VI for soprano and string quartet * (1982)

Trifle for accordion and bass clarinet * (1983)

Capriccio for accordion (1983)

Impresje wiosenne for accordion (1983)

Adagio for accordion (1983)

Reminiscenza [1st version] for accordion, clarinet, violin and cello (1983)

Rhapsody for accordion (1983)

Sonata breve for concert accordion (with melodic bass keyboard) of a 120-bass accordion (1983)

Symphony No. 2 for 13 string instruments * (1983-84)

Reminiscenza [2nd version] for string quartet (1984)

Summer Impressions for flute, clarinet and accordion (1984)

Bass-Relief I for accordion (1984)

May It Live and Grow (Prelude) for accordion (1984)

Larghetto for accordion (1984)

Bass-Relief II for accordion (1985)

Three Studies for accordion (1985)

Bass-Relief III for organ * (1985)

Where the Rainbow Ends for percussion and bass clarinet (1985)

Bass-Relief IV for soprano and tubular bells * (1985)

Over the Rainbow for viola, percussion and accordion (1985-87)

Bass-Relief V for cello * (1986)

Autumn Impressions for amplified bass accordion (1986)

Bass-Relief VI for amplified bass accordion (1986)

Divertimento for accordion * (1986)

Sonata No. 2 for accordion (1987)

Sonatina No. 2 for accordion * (1987)

Four Novelettes for accordion (1987)

Nocturne for two accordions (1987)

Bass-Relief VII for accordion and percussion (1988)

Three Little Preludes for accordion (1988)

Sentimental Landscape for two accordions * (1988)

Gakkaj, 5 pieces for accordion for children * (1988)

String Quartet No. 3 * (1988)

Bass-Relief IX („Scottish”) for string quartet and tape * (1988)

Sonata for guitar * (1990)

literatura wybrana

Andrzej Krzanowski’s Musical World [Muzyczny świat Andrzeja Krzanowskiego] Proceedings of a Research Conference – Cracow, 27th October 1998 (ed. by Janusz Pater), Akademia Muzyczna w Krakowie, Kraków 2000

Polony Leszek Krzanowski Andrzej In: Encyklopedia Muzyczna PWM [PWM Music Encyclopaedia] (biographical part ed. by Elżbieta Dziębowska), vol. “klł”, PWM, Kraków 1997

Wachowska Sonia Andrzej Krzanowski. Thematic Catalogue of Works. Calendar of Life and Work 1951-1990, Akademia Muzyczna w Katowicach, Katowice 2000