Mieczysław Tomaszewski (2016)

An outstanding musicologist and music theorist. Considered the founder of the Krakow School of Theory. He was born on 17 November 1921 in Poznań and died on 14 January 2019 in Krakow. He was educated at the Music Conservatory in Poznań, the I. J. Paderewski Gymnasium, the M. Karłowicz Private Music School and the I. J. Paderewski High School in Poznań. In 1946-48, he studied Polish philology at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, and in 1954-59, musicology at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. He obtained his doctorate in musicology in 1984 at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, where he also habilitated in 1998.

Mieczysław Tomaszewski's activities were multifaceted. They included music editing, scientific research, journalism and teaching. In 1946, he became secretary of the Literary and Artistic Club at the Polish Writers' Union in Bydgoszcz, which had been established in 1945. He then served as editorial secretary of the monthly magazine Arkona (1956-49). In 1949, under the auspices of the Music Society, he was entrusted with the chief directorship of the Pomeranian Symphony Orchestra. In 1952, he left Bydgoszcz and began working at the Polish Music Publishing House in Krakow, where he served as editor-in-chief for 34 years (1954-88), while also holding the positions of deputy director (1954-65) and director (1965-88). He was the initiator of the PWM's largest publishing projects, including the PWM Music Encyclopaedia, the ‘Muzyka Viva’ series and the ‘Biblioteka Małych Partytur’ (Library of Small Scores) series. From 1959, he was associated with the PWSM (now the Academy of Music) in Krakow, serving as dean of the Faculty of Composition, Conducting and Music Theory (1987-90) and heading the Department of Music Editing (now the Department of Theory and Interpretation of Musical Works, 1967-96), and led the Music Analysis and Interpretation Ensemble (1967-86). He was the driving force behind many projects of fundamental importance to Polish culture, among which the Music Meetings in Baranów Sandomierski and numerous academic seminars deserve special mention. Between 1960 and 1966, he also lectured on music theory and aesthetics at the Jagiellonian University. He was a member of, among others, the Main Council for Higher Education and the Presidium of the Council for Higher Artistic Education, a member of the editorial board of Res Facta and Res Facta Nova, chairman of the Scientific Council of the Fryderyk Chopin Society, the Central Commission for Degrees and Titles, the Scientific Council of the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and a member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences. In addition, he was also a member of the Programme Council of the Fryderyk Chopin National Institute and vice-chairman of the Polish Chopin Academy.

Professor Tomaszewski also had significant achievements in the field of organisational activity. He was the director of many festivals, scientific symposia and seminars, both national and international, such as: festivals and symposia as part of the Music Meetings in Baranów (1976-81), sessions: ‘Cycles of Romantic Songs’ (1984), ‘Form and Expression in Vocal Lyricism’ (1985), ‘Analysis and Interpretation of Musical Works’ (I – 1986 and II – 1987), ‘From Psalm and Hymn to Song and Lied’ (1989), International symposium ‘Krzysztof Penderecki – his work and its reception’ (1993), International Beethoven Scientific Symposia (since 1997), International symposium ‘Polish song. Reconnaissance’ (2000).

He is the author of numerous publications in the field of 19th- and 20th-century music theory and history, particularly Chopinology, Romantic lyric poetry and Polish music, published in Poland, France, Austria, Germany, England, Russia, Slovakia and Lithuania. His works, which have entered the canon of musicological literature, include: From Confession to Cry: Studies on Romantic Song (1997), On the Songs of Karol Szymanowski (1998), Chopin: Man, Work, Resonance (1998), Integral Interpretation of a Musical Work: Reconnaissance (2000), Music in Dialogue with Words (2003), On Polish Music in an Intertextual Perspective (2000), Penderecki. Rebellion and Liberation, vol. 1 (2008), vol. 2 (2009), Chopin. Phenomenon and Paradox (2009). Professor Tomaszewski practised musicology and music theory with a humanistic orientation. Several trends can be distinguished in his academic work. These are: Chopinology; the theory and history of song and the issue of verbal-musical relationships; the theory and history of contemporary Polish music; music theory and aesthetics; and the ontology of musical works and the theory of interpretation. The professor's pedagogical activity was impressive, and he promoted many outstanding music theorists.

He has been honoured with numerous awards for his scientific and editorial work, including: the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1975), the Alfred Jurzykowski Award (New York 1979), the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1991), the Jan Długosz Publishers' Award for his book Chopin. Człowiek, dzieło, rezonans (Chopin: Man, Work, Resonance) (1999), the F. Chopin International Foundation Award (2000), the Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2005), the Gloria Artis Gold Medal for Merit to Culture (2006), and the Minister of Culture's Badge of Merit for the Protection of Fryderyk Chopin's Heritage (2011). In addition, he has received three honorary doctorates: from the Academy of Music in Krakow (2001), the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz (2010) and the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice (2016). He is a Knight of the Order of the White Eagle (2017).

In recognition of his outstanding artistic and pedagogical achievements, honouring his creative contribution and special merits for the development of musical culture and artistic life, as well as his activities for the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, the Senate of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław awarded Prof. Dr. Hab. Mult. Mieczysław Tomaszewski the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in 2016.