John Henry Felix Borowski Born 10 March 1872 Burton, Westmoreland (now Cumbria), England - Died 6 September 1956 Chicago, USA.
He was the youngest of three children.1 The son of Bruno Borowski, a Polish schoolmaster and an English mother who is described as a 'professor of music'.
Emigrated to Chicago, USA in 1897 and became a naturalised citizen in 1919. He married his first wife Edith in 1897 and later married Elsa who was thirty years his junior. With Edith they had two children 2. He became professor of music at North Western University.
Orchestral
Symphony No.1 1931
Symphony No.2 1933
Symphony No.3 1938
Elegie Symphonique 1917
'Le Printemps Passionne' Tone poem 1920
Three pictures for orchestra: Portrait of a Young Girl, The Garden of Night, The Festival. 1918
'Youth', fantasie overture. 1922
'Ecce Homo' 1923
'Semiramis' 1924
'The Mirror' 1953
Piano Concerto in D Minor 1913 ( two piano arrangement 1921) pub. by The Composer's Music Corporation NY
Allegro de Concert for organ and orchestra 1915
Two pieces for string orchestra: Capuscula, Serenade. pub. by Joseph Williams
Chamber
String quartet No.1 1897
String quartet No.2 1928
String quartet No.3 1944
Schoumka - cosak dance for violin and piano 1895 pub. by Laudy & Co
Duxieme Mazur for violin and piano 1897 pub. by Laudy & Co.
Caprice Pompadour for violin and piano 1898
'Adoration' in D major for violin and piano 1898 pub. by F W Chariot
Chanson du berceau for violin and piano 1899 pub. by H B Stevens
Danse rustique for violin and piano 1899 pub. by H B Stevens
Aria for violin and piano 1902 pub. by Laudy & Co.
Sonnet d'Amour for violin or cello and piano 1902 pub. by Metzler & Co.
Serenade Espanole for violin and piano 1903 pub. by Gould & Co.
Villanelle for violin and piano 1904 pub. by Laudy & Co.
Humouresque for violin and piano 1904 pub. by Laudy & Co.
Cantilene for violin and piano 1906 pub. by T Presser
Five morceaux for violin and piano - Invocation, Menuet l'Antique, Passepied, Elegie, Valsette. pub. by Laudy & Co.
Canzonetta for violin and piano 1921 pub. by Composer's Music Corporation NY
Air gai for violin and piano 1937 pub. by Carl. Fischer, New York
Air romantique for violin and piano pub. by Carl. Fischer, New York
Piano
Melodie 1896 pub. by Laudy & Co.
Minuetto-caprice pub. by T Presser & Co.
Air a Danser pub. by Laudy & Co.
Grand sonata 'Russe' 1898 pub. by Augener & Co.also by Laudy & Co.
Three novellettes No.2 Minuet pub. by Laudy & Co.
Morceaux de Genre - Gavotte, Danse Hongoraise, Valse-Barcarolle, Duo d'Amore, Orientale, Au Son de la Musette. pub. by Laudy & Co.
Lyric Album 1897 pub. by Laudy & Co.
L'Amazone 1895 pub. by Laudy & Co.
Deaux morceaux - Episode de bal, Babillage 1898 pub. by H B Stevens
Caprice - Pompadour pub. by Laudy & Co.
Trois morceaux - La Capricieuse, Pas de danse, Valse mignonne 1902 pub. by O Ditson & Co.
Three pieces for piano - Nuit de Printemps, Chanson Triste, Intermezzo Caprice pub. by T Presser & Co.
Danse Mignonne also for piano duet 1897 pub. by Edwin Ashdown & Co.
Deaux Esquises Op.5/1 L'Enfant dort, Op.5/2 L'Enfant S'amuse pub. by Joseph Williams & Co.
Gavotte 1906
Two mazurkas pub. by Augener & Co.
Mazurka Russe 1898 pub. by C Woolhouse.
Melodie lyrique 1897 pub. by Edwin Ashdown
Troi morceaux - Nocturne, Valse-Scherzo, Menuetto-caprice
Nocturne lyrique 1921 pub. by Composer's Music Corporation
Caprietto 1924 pub. by Composer's Music Corporation
Pas des Perrots
Three pieces improvises - Bagatelle, Valse des Fleurs, Burlesque
Pieces pittoresques - Ballet feerique, Marquis et Marquise, Valse Romantique, Passepied, Madrigal, Scene de Ballet
Sept preludes 1901
Song
An Awakening words by A R Aldrich 1912 pub. by T. Presser & Co. Philadelphia.
Baby Mine words by F Locker 1898 pub. by H B Stevens Boston
Longing 1898 pub. by H B Stevens Boston
Love in Spring words by T Wratislaw 1911 pub. by T Presser & Co. Philadelphia
Love's Message words by S Cassilis 1898 pub. by H B Stevens
A Memory pub. by H B Stevens.
My true love hath my heart words by Sir Philip Sidney pub. by H B Stevens & Co.
A New Year's Burden words by D G Rossetti pub. by J Fischer & Bro.
A Proposal words by B Taylor
Shadowtown pub. by H B Stevens 1898
The Song of Tristram words by T Todhunter pub. by T Presser & Co.
When I am dead, my dearest words by C Rossetti pub. by T Presser & Co.
Winter and Spring 4 part song words by Felix Borowski pub. by J Fischer & Bro.
Sighs 4 part song pub. by J Fischer & Bro.
Ballet - Pantomime
Boudour 1919
Satiric Opera
Fernando del Nonsensico 1935
Other
Three organ sonatas 1904 pub. by Laudy & Co.
Elegy for cello and choral vocalaise pub. by J Fischer & Bro.
'Little Match Girl' for Narrator and orchestra 1943
Requiem for a Child 1944
1
Rupert Albert Borowski1880 - 3.5.1918
Helena L Borowski 1870-
John Henry Felix Borowski 10.2.1872 - 6.9.1956
2
Olga Borowski 1899 -
Leopold Borowski 1900 -
It is beyond reason how the Piano Concerto has thus far escaped our beloved record labels.
I personally rate it almost as high as the Rozycki.
Thal
I was thinking of this composer recently because of his three Shoumkas (šumkas?) for piano (one for violin and piano) composed around the turn of the 20th century (Shoumka Ukrainienne nos.1 & 2 and Shoumka.) The composer himself was a British/American of Polish ancestry, which makes me curious about Borowski's interest and its source (perhaps it stems from one of the dedicatees - Mr. Sapelnikoff, Mme Neruda or Paderewski- who may have taken an interest themselves? Unknown territory to me...)
I may have noted this on another thread in the dim distant past but the orchestral material for Borowski's Piano Concerto, which is a superb piece IMHO, can be hired from Carl Fischer Music, N.Y. It is scored for: Solo Pno.; 2 2 2 2 - 4 2 3 1; Timp. Str.
The 3 symphonies and a number of other orchestral works (3 Pictures for orchestra, Semiramis, Rococco Suite for strings, Ecce Homo, The Mirror, 2 pieces for string orchestra, Fantaisie Overture - Youth, and Le Printemps passione) are in Fleisher. Only the Allegro de Concert for organ and orchestra and the Elegie Symphonique are missing.
The full orchestral score of the 3 Pictures is available at IMSLP as also the 2-piano score of the PC.
I do not know where the score and parts of the Allegro de Concert can be found. However, they certainly exist as a performance of that work which can be heard here attests: https://www.pipedreams.org/episode/2017/08/28/concert-pieces (https://www.pipedreams.org/episode/2017/08/28/concert-pieces) It begins at 42.02 with an informative spoken introduction.
I have not been able to locate the Elegie Symphonique, alas!
Gareth,
Borwoski's holograph scores and manuscript parts to the works you seek are in the collection of the Rosenthal Archives of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (https://cso.org/about/rosenthal-archives/rosenthal-archives-services/). The scores and parts to about a dozen of his other works are also there.
Brilliant! Thank you so much for letting me know - that has saved me a lot of work. I am very grateful.
Borowski's Suite Rococo, Crépuscle, and Sérénade have been recorded by Reuben Blundell and the Gowanus Arts Ens on a CD titled "American Romantics II" for the New Focus Recordings label.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8390788--american-romantics-ii
Two other volumes in that series, with the same conductor, are:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8436651--american-romantics-vol-3
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8120730--american-romantics
Borowski's Overture for a Pantomine is available at archive.org in a 1943 broadcast recording by Fabian Sevitzky and the Indianapolis SO; the announced introduction has some background information on the composer:
https://archive.org/details/cd_wellejus-godron-broadstock-guarnieri-borow_henning-wellejus-hugo-godron-benton-broads
The same archive has a copy of Borowski's 1916 book with the somewhat immodest title "Everything Known in Music" from google books:
https://archive.org/details/everythingknown00healgoog/page/n42/mode/2up
To my knowledge the Borowski piano concerto has not been performed in 110 years so I'm curious about the knowledge of how it sounds. Perhaps from reading the score or hearing the two piano version.
But I wanted to let those interested know that it will be performed in October by the Saratoga Sym Orchestra with pianist Dan Glover.
A private recording will be made available in some form.
Thank you very much for your post - and I'm sure we'd be extremely interested in knowing about any recording that is made - if it is made available.
Absolutely. I echo Alan's thanks and request for any news about a recording. My opinion about the merits of this concerto, incidentally, is based on a knowledge of the two-piano score.
A first symphony at 60. What is the record for starting one's symphonic career?
Borowski's piano concerto was performed yesterday for the first time in 110 years. The performance was by the Saratoga Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jason Klein with the pianist Dan Glover.
The audience, conductor, pianist and orchestra players all enjoyed the music greatly. A professional recording will be available in the not too distance future. A preliminary iphone recording can be had now via email.
Thanks for keeping us up to date with this project. If you were able at some point to indicate how to get hold of the recording I'm sure we'd all be very grateful.
Yes, please. Thank you in anticipation.
Can I echo Alan's sentiments! Both the Borowski concerto and those of Eduard Schütt should have been done by Hyperion, but there was always an excuse as to why these works were overlooked....!
As it would seem that the scores (and parts) of Borowski's symphonies, as well as at least some of his other orchestral works survive, this surely could be an exciting recording project. I wonder if Martin Anderson would be interested, possibly with Ian Hobson and the Sinfonia varsovia, once the Moszkowski project has been completed!
Video of the Borowski pc is now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ92pMJTOVM
Marvellous - thank you!
Hyperion should get hold of Messrs Glover and Klein and get this lovely post-Rachmaninovian piece recorded.
It's great, isn't it? So glad you like it.
Glad you liked the Borowski concerto. It took four years (the pandemic got in the way) to get it performed and recorded. I've been trying to contact Hyperion about recording it with this pianist but having trouble contacting an actual person there.I've heard a rumor that their piano concerto series might be in trouble.
I had a listen to the Borowski PC and I agree that this is worthy of being a standard repertoire work. Thanks to the Saratoga Sym and Daniel Glover for a convincing performance. The orchestra is better than I expected. The recording quality is also excellent.
It is extremely difficult to get hold of someone at Hyperion now that Simon Perry has sold out to Universal. I used to be able to pick up the phone and talk directly to Simon but now it is quite hopeless. I don't think the PC series is in trouble except for the label being owned by Universal which is always trouble for innovation, interesting repertoire and intelligent people genuinely interested in music!
Quote from: Gareth Vaughan on Friday 18 October 2024, 10:50I don't think the PC series is in trouble except for the label being owned by Universal which is always trouble for innovation, interesting repertoire and intelligent people genuinely interested in music!
Mr Vaughan, the issue is that with declining CD sales and even faster declining digital downloads the brontosaurus labels find it much easier to repackage legacy recordings in various big boxes. In addition the revenue from CDs is much less than for vinyl which explains why there are numerous vinyl issues in pop and now astoundingly enough in classical. The dino labels are interested in money not art. So I am amazed now only when someone actually records and issues new CDs not the reverse.
Oh yes, that is all very true. Doesn't mean to say one has to like it - but that's the way of the world, I suppose. (Though I must say I am surprised by the resurgence in vinyl - for me that's quite an odd development.)
Agreed, Gareth. The future of Hyperion's RPC series doesn't look all that bright to me. As for the RVC and RCC series, well they look dead to me...
I think we are facing a near future where we are going to have to crowdsource such works as the Borowski PC on CD at least in part.
Here is Felix Borowski's Ecce Homo performed by the Phil Orch under Ormandy
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/e0rq2ohb209b9aqsnxqdb/19-BOROWSKIECCEHOMO1.mp3?rlkey=ncjkfs9e6rxr79e86ptusyqpc&st=iug6ogn9&dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cvulb4wwynetma2xd3xr5/20-BOROWSKIECCEHOMO2.mp3?rlkey=k2bptxzir19qcdb0dz0vr821x&st=tny0c9n2&dl=0
Just an update on the Borowski piano Concerto. The pianist Dan Glover will be recording the piece along with Beryl Rubinstein's piano concerto and BLoch's Schezo in Lithuania next month. A commercial CD should be out on Reference Recordings sometime after that. Glover has a go-fund-me campaign to help defray expenses.
In case anyone is unfamiliar with the name, Beryl Rubinstein was a man.
Interesting biography, too. Hrm.
I have just come across this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUvL2MD1pXc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUvL2MD1pXc)
Surely this, together with the piano concerto, makes more than a good case for a careful examination of his symphonies and other orchestral works!
I have already spoken with Martin Anderson earlier, so we will have to see what happens!
Very exciting - thanks, Martin. Agreed!