Kiesewetter, Tomasz

Kiesewetter, Tomasz, Polish composer, conductor, and teacher; b. Sosnowiec, Sept. 8, 1911; d. Lodz, Nov. 29, 1992. He was a student of Piotr Rytel (composition), Walerian Bierdiajew (conducting), and Mar-gerita Trombini-Kazuro (piano) at the Warsaw Cons., where he took his degree in composition and conducting in 1936. In 1938 he attended the master classes in conducting at the Salzburg Mozarteum. In 1938-39 he conducted the Stanislaw Moniuszko Choir. With the Nazi occupation of his homeland during World War II, he became active in the resistance. After the close of the War in 1945, he became a lecturer at the State Higher School of Music in Lodz, where he served as an assoc. prof, from 1959. He also was active as a conductor in Lodz from 1945 to 1970. In 1967 and 1974 he received the Minister of Culture and Arts Award, 1^st Class.

Works

dramaticStanczyk (Królewski Mäzen) (King’s Jester), ballet (1954); Bal samotnych (The Lonely Ones), operetta (1963). orchMenuetto for Small Orch. (1933); Concerto grosso (1934); 2 suites: No. 1, Tance polskie (Polish Dances; 1947; also for Large Wind Orch., 1952) and No. 2, Suita taneczna (Dance Suite; 1950); 3 syms. (1948, 1952, 1958); Wale (Waltz; 1949); Krzesany w stylu góralskim (Krzesany in Polish Highlander Style; 1949); Viola Concerto (1950); Uwertura olimpijska (Olympic Overture; 1952); 2 organ concertos: No. 1, Koncert “w dawnym stylu” (Concerto “In an Old Style”) for Organ and Strings (1961) and No. 2 (1979). chamber: 2 string quartets (1933, 1953); Wind Quintet (1951); Clarinet Sonatina (1968). vocal:Stabat Mater, oratorio for Soprano, Women’s Chorus, and Organ (Rudka, March 1944); Tryptyk for Baritone or Medium Voice and Orch. or Piano (1948); Siedem strof o slowikach (Seven Stanzas on Nightingales) for Chorus (1968).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire