Figure 1.--Here we see a cabinet card portrai of a young Polish violinist in 1901. The young man may be his teacher, we are unsure. We are also not sure if his collar buttoning jacket suit is some kind of school uniform or just a period style. The cabinet card is the classic style we see during the late-19th century, both in Europe and America. It was a standard-sized card, 6.5 X 4.2 inches (16.5X10.7 cm). The studio was Renoma in Varsovie, Warsaw. A reader writes, "I think the jacket was a school uniform. I have noticed this in a Polish films set at the turn of the 20th century. None of thev school clothes tended to be jackets with lapels. This is only the films I've seen so there might be others that show a different fashion."

The known history of music in Poland begins with the Christian era. There surely must have beem some kind of music tradition with the Celts and Germans, the people which pre-date the Slavs in what is modern Poland. Nor do we know about the music of the early Slavs. We have little information at this time on pre-Christian Slavic music. What has survived is the folklore of Poland, although it differs regionally. The traditional music of Mazovia (central Poland) is often seen as the standard Polish form of folk music with its accompanying dance forms, including mazurkas, obereks, polkas, etc.). The distinctive songs and instrumental music surviving in the Tatra Mountains (Gorale music), and in the lake district in the North-Western Poland (Kurpie region) are of some interest, not only because they may give some insight into early Polish music forms, but also because of their continuing cultural vitality. They do not seem to have the next phase of Polish musical history--the Church music which became the foundation of modern Polish music. What we now know as Polish music began with the Christianization of the Poles by the Germans at the point of the sword (10th century). The first known Polish music thus begins with the liturgical chants of the medierval Latin Church. This Gregorian Chant reached Poland from Rome through neighboring Bohemia (the modern Czech Republic). The appearance of this new cultural tradition resulted in a virtual outpouring of Church music/ A great deal of thid music focused on the praise and worship of the Virgin Mary. 'Bogurodzica' (The Mother of God) surely was not the first Polish hymn, but is the earliest suriving hymn notated in Polish. It is believed to date to the 13th century, but earliest surviving copy is from the 15th century. It is a beloved chant. Not only is it important in the history of the Polish language as, but is considered to be the country's earliest national anthem. Bogurodzica was reportedly sung by the Polish army in defensive wars with the Knights of the Cross, famously at battle of Grunwald (1410). While chants honoring the Virgin Mother is a fixture in Polish Church music,there are also chants and later hymns written to raise praise to revered Polish saints, including St. Adalbertus and St. Stanislaus. One of the most beloved is 'Gaude Mater Polonia' (Rejoice, Mother Poland). It continues to be sung at official university events, such as the start of the academic year. The growing heritage of religious music is , preserved in richly ornamented manuscripts. Some of the important early Polish composers included Waclaw z Szamotul (1524-1560), Mikolaj Zielenski (17th century, , and Marcin Mielczewski (????-1651) among others. and many others. These composers were part of a vibrant European musicalm culture. This era was a time of prosperity in which Poland was an important Europeann power. It is often seen as Poland's Golden Age (16th and 17th centuries). It was during this period that Polish art and music flourished. Vocal polyphony (choral music) appeeared as did dances for the court, and various types of singing for solos and choirs. HBC has developed a choir page. Poland set in the middle of Europe was exposed to the arts and music of many other countries. This included bothb Church as well as secular music. Musicians from Hungary, Italy, France, and Germany were employed in the royal court (Wawel Castle in Krakow, Cracovia), aristocratic courts, and in churches. The 18th century was for Poland a time of wars and internal instability, culminating in the 1790s with the partition of the country among Austria, Russia and Prussia. Culturalm life declined, including music. Polish composers like Jan Wanski continued, however, to create music. The most beloved of these composers was Fryderyk Chopin (1810-49) who became national hero during the long period od foreignn occupation. His work is said to have been in part inspired by an oral musical tradition of the pre-Christian Slavs which may have survived in the Polish folkloric tradition.

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Created: 11:47 PM 10/10/2013
Last updated: 1:29 AM 10/13/2013