(6 July 1837 – 23 January 1921) composer, pianist, pedagogue and conductor, born in Grodkowice near Kraków, died in Kraków. Żeleński’s musical education began in Kraków with piano lessons, first underKazimierz Wojciechowski and then Jan Germasz, along with composition courses with Franciszek Mirecki. He enrolled at the Department of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University in 1857 and from 1859 studied (for a short while) piano under Alexander Dreyschock and later organ and composition under Josef Krejãi in Prague. He received a PhD in Philosophy from Prague’s Charles University in 1862. He then studied composition under Napoléon Henri Reber at the Paris National Music Conservatoire in 1866 and was a private student in composition under Bertold Damcke in 1868-70.
After he had returned to his home country, he settled in Kraków and performed the first concert of his own compositions here in January 1871. He then moved to Warsaw and became professor of harmony and counterpoint at the Institute of Music. In 1878 he was appointed art director of the Warsaw Music Society. There, with the help of Władyslaw Wiślicki, he set up and conducted an amateur mixed choir for two years. Accompanied by the orchestra of Teatr Wielki, the choir gave several concerts under him.
In 1881 Żeleński moved to Kraków to conduct symphony concerts of the City Orchestra in 1882-85 and of the amateur Music Society orchestra in later years. He was instrumental in establishing the Conservatory of the Kraków Music Society in 1887 and managed it until his death, running a course on organ and theory of music. His most notable students included Zygmunt Stojowski, Roman Statkowski, Henryk Opieński, Felicjan Szopski and Boleslaw Wallek-Walewski. Żeleński is the author of several textbooks: “Nauka harmonii i pierwszych zasad kompozycji / The Theory of Harmony and First Principles of Composition” [with Gustaw Roguski] (1877) and “Nauka elementarna zasad muzyki / The Theory and Elementary Principles of Music” (1897).
Source: www.culture.pl, Małgorzata Kosińska, Polish Music Information Center, Polish Composers’ Union, October 2006.
-
2 Polish dances for piano four-hands, Op. 37 No. 2 Mazovienne Download Andante for 3 clarinets Buy Berceuse in F major for cello and piano, Op. 32, before 1880 Download Deux morceaux de salon for violin and piano, Op. 16 1. Romance, 2. Chant élégiaqueRomance, 2. Chant élégiaque Download Sonata in F major No.1 for violin and piano, Op. 30, after 1870 Download Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano, ca. 1917, work lost Piano quartet in C minor, op. 61, 1904 or 1909 Download String quartet in A major, Op. 42, after 1880 Download String quartet in F major, Op. 28, ca. 1875 Download String quartet in E minor, before 1859 work lost String quartet, before 1859 work lost Lyric Waltzes for cello and piano, Op. 15 Buy Romance for violin and piano, Op. 29 No. 1, after 1870 Download Romance for cello and piano, Op. 40 Buy String sextet, Op. 9, 1861 work lost Polish dances suite for piano four-hands, Op. 47 Buy Fantastic dance for violin and piano, Op. 29 No. 2, after 1870 Download Trauerklänge for piano four-hands, Op. 36 first version for orchestra Download Piano trio in E major, Op. 22, before 1870 Download Piano trio, before 1859 work lost Overture from opera "Janek" for piano four-hands Download Variations on an own theme for string quartet, Op. 21, before 1870 Download "W Tatrach" [In Tatra Mountains] for piano four-hands, Op. 27 another version of this work is for orchestra Download
-
Entracte and March to W. Rapacki's drama "Wit Stwosz" Download 2 Mazurkas, Op. 31, ca. 1875-1880 Download Deux morceaux de salon, Op. 11 Download 2 Pieces, Op. 63 No. 1 toccata Download 2 Pieces, Op. 63 nr 2 idyllas Download 2 Polish dances, Op. 3 Gavotte, Op. 45 Download Grand scherzo de concert, Op. 35 Download Humoresque and Gavotte, Op. 18 Download Solemn march in honour of immortal poet-seer A. Mickiewicz, Op. 44 Download Moments d’un carnaval, Op. 52 Download Oda do młodości [Ode to Youth], Op. 51 Download Polonaise, Mazur and Polka Juwenilia Download Prélude-Caprice, Op. 43 Download Roma, Op. 65 Download Rêverie, Op. 48 Download 6 Character pieces, Op. 17 Download Sonata, Op. 20, before 1870 Download Sonata, Op. 5, ca. 1859 Download Thème varié in B minor, Op. 62, 1909 Download Valse caprice in D flat major, Op. 9, 1858 Download Waltz from the opera "Goplana" Download Grand polonaise, Op. 46 Download From the jubilee cantata to the words of Deotyma No. 1 Elegy, No. 2 Polonaise, No. 3 Jagiellonian March Download