Antoni Stolpe (1851-1872): a genius?

[Alan Howe]

I have just acquired a CD on the Pro Musica Camerata label containing chamber music by the short-lived Polish composer Antoni Stolpe (1851-1872):

2 extant movements of a Piano Sextet in E minor (1868)
Variations for String Quartet
Scène dramatique for Cello and String Quintet
Romance for Violin, Cello and Piano

Frankly, it's absolutely glorious stuff. Some audio samples are available at jpc...

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Antoni-Stolpe-Werke-Vol-1/hnum/9666614

Has anyone else come across Stolpe?

[Peter1953]

What a lovely music indeed, Alan. This CD could very well be my first acquisition of the new year. By the way, do I hear Chopin's Berceuse in the andante of the Sextet?

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Stolpe's piano works are released in a double CD of the same label:
http://www.promusicacamerata.pl/en/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=232

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And I've already ordered all CDs in Poland for in total EUR 50. Let's hope this works.

[Ilja]

It might be good to realise when listening that Stolpe was one of the relatively few Polish composers from the Russian side (when set off to 'German Poles' such as Scharwenka, Moszkowski, et al.). The other notable example, of course, is Paderewski. From the examples on JPC, the Sextet appears to have a distinctly Slavic feel to it, although it sounds more Bohemian than Russian to me. Glorious music, it needs to be said.

[Alan Howe]

My CD took 12 days to come from Poland, Peter.

[Mark Thomas]

Unanimity I think: it's all wonderful music. I've had these performances for some time and listening to them makes you realise what a huge loss Stolpe's early death was. One wonders what he might have gone on the create once he freed himself of the traces of Chopin and Schumann which one can understandably still hear in these works. Not that that's a criticism.

[Syrelius]

Having a look at the Polish version of Wikipedia, it seems that Stolpe composed a symphony and an overture. However, since I don't know a word of Polish, I guess there is room for misunderstanding... Having read all those enthusiastical reviews of his chamber music, it would be interesting to hear these orchestral works, if they exist.

[Peter1953]

Having a look at the Polish version of Wikipedia, it seems that Stolpe composed a symphony and an overture. However, since I don't know a word of Polish, I guess there is room for misunderstanding...

Neither do I, Syrelius, but today I've asked a Polish employee working at my office to translate the Wikipedia text.

Stolpe's output includes a Symphony in A minor (1867), a Concert Overture, Hommage à Mendelssohn for Orchestra (1868), a Sonata for piano forte in A minor (1867) and in D Minor (1870), Etude and Variations for piano forte, a Sonata for Violin and Piano, Scene dramatique for Cello and String Quartet, a Sextet for forte piano (1867), a Trio for forte piano (1869), Folksongs and Religious songs, Credo for Choir, Soloists, String Quartet and Organ and a lot more.

[Peter1953]

The CD's (Vol. I and Vol. 2&3) arrived yesterday. Interesting information in the booklet notes, because Antoni Stolpe is totally unknown to me (I suppose to most of us). By the way, according to my Polish employee the Christian name Antoni (I told him it sounds a bit Italian) was very familiar in the old Poland, but nowadays it's considered old-fashioned.
Nice to read that the first source of information on Stolpe was... Zygmunt Noskowski, in an article written in 1872.

His music? Just wonderful! Highly recommended!

[Jonathan]

Another one for the wishlist, methinks...

[wunderkind]

Well, I found Volume 1 on Amazon.com at a reasonable price (new CD) and now am waiting for the mailman to hand it over.  The audio samples were impossible to ignore...

[Peter1953]

One more time Antoni Stolpe. Piano enthusiasts, I very strongly recommend the double CD (Vol. 2&3) containing all the up to now available piano music. It's amazingly, marvellous stuff. The first disc has two extremely beautiful major works, namely the Piano Sonate in D Minor (1870) and Theme and (17) Variations in D Minor (1870, as a sort of 'task' for a lesson with Friedrich Kiel). Almost unbelievable that these wonderful works, full of creative, subtle, thrilling and dazzling passages, not without depth and emotional moments (like the 3rd movement of the sonata), are composed by such a young man. The second disc features a few smaller works, including the one-movement Piano Sonata in A Minor, a very lyrical Nocturne, a vivid Waltz, and four other pieces. All beautifully played by Mirosław Gąsieniec.

The Piano Sonata in D Minor is perhaps one of the most beautiful unsung piano sonatas I've ever heard.

At the very end of 2009 a major trouvaille of the year...Thanks Alan, for the alert on this genius.

Again, I'm amazed. It leaves me completely dumbfounded.