Antoni Stolpe

Antoni Stolpe

Antoni Stolpe(23 May 1851 – 7 September 1872) was aPolishcomposerandpianist.

He was born inPuławy,Congress Poland,as a descendant of a musical family. His first teacher of music was his father, Edward, a pianist under whom Antoni Stolpe developed piano skills also at the Warsaw Conservatory where he simultaneously studied harmony and counterpoint withAugust Freyerand later withStanisław Moniuszko.This time marks his first efforts in the field of composition, e.g. he wrote the vocal pieceO Salutaris Hostiain 1866.

In 1867 the sixteen-year-old Antoni Stolpe completed his education at the Conservatory with a “grand prize” in piano and a first prize in counterpoint and in 1868–69 he gave three concerts inWarsawperforming as a pianist and conductor. During these concerts, several of his orchestral works, chamber, piano and vocal compositions were presented. For those performances Antoni Stolpe received splendid reviews from critics as both a gifted composer and pianist.

An income from the mentioned concerts enabled him to travel in 1869 toBerlinwhere he studied composition and counterpoint withFriedrich Kieland perfected his playing technique with the famous piano professorTheodor Kullakat the Neue Akademie der Tonkunst. Upon seeing his exceptional abilities, Kullak offered him the position of a piano professor at the Academy. His visit to Berlin was cut short by illness,pneumonia.The family took him back to Warsaw, but unfortunately thetuberculosisthat attacked the frail body of the composer was incurable at the time. Despite the family’s efforts, visits to the spa resorts ofSzczawno-ZdrójandMerano,Antoni Stolpe was not cured. He died aged 21 in Merano.

Antoni Stolpe composed around 60 works, including among others:Symphony in A minor(1867), concert overtures,Grand March “Hommage a Mendelssohn”for orchestra (1868),Polonaise in A flat majorfor piano and string quintet (1866),Dramatic Scenefor cello and string quintet (1867),Piano Sextet in E minor(1867),Piano Trio(1869),Variationsfor string quartet,Sonatafor violin and piano (1872), piano sonatas:in A minor– unfinished (1867) andin D minor(1870),Allegro appassionato in C minor(1869) andVariations in D minor(1870) for piano, piano etudes,Credofor mixed choir, string quintet and organ (1867),Songto the words byVictor Hugofor tenor and orchestra (1868),Ave Mariafor contralto and string quintet (1869) and many others.

In his compositions, Antoni Stolpe combined Polish musical tradition with the treasure trove of the EuropeanRomantic music.Antoni Stolpe’s works are an eloquent testimony to his great talent and capabilities. They let us presume that if not for his premature death he would have become an eminent figure contributing prolifically to the development of Polish and European music alike.

From among Stolpe’s compositions only thePiano Sonata in D minorand more recently also some of the chamber music (the Piano Sextet in E minor,Dramatic Scenefor cello and string quintet andVariations in G majorfor string quartet) were brought out in print. The other works (from which many were lost) remain in manuscript and are currently held at the Biblioteka Jagiellońska in Kraków and the Biblioteka PWM in Warsaw.

Recordings

• Camerata Vistula,Jerzy Maciejewski,Anna Wróbel:Opera omnia 1; chamber music;Pro Musica Camerata PMC 039
• Stefan Łabanowski:Piano works;Acte Préalable AP0203
• Mirosław Gąsieniec: Opera omnia 2/3 – Piano works;Pro Musica Camerata PMC 060/061
• Klavierquintett-Wien:Józef Nowakowski, Zygmunt Noskowski, Antoni Stolpe; chamber music;Camerata Tokyo

References

• ANTONI STOLPE (1851-1872) - A FORGOTTEN COMPOSER
• Encyklopedia Muzyczna PWM, Kraków 2007.
• Stanisław Golachowski, “Antoni Stolpe - szkic biograficzny”, Muzyka Polska, 1935, No. 7, pp. 169–85.