Wojciech Albert Sowiński
(1805–1880)
Wojciech Albert Sowiński was born in 1805 in Łukaszówka, Podolia, into a noble family with strong patriotic and musical traditions. His first music teacher was his father, Sebastian, a military orchestra conductor and leader of the Potocki family’s chapel in Tulczyn. Between 1825 and 1827, Sowiński studied in Vienna, taking piano lessons with Carl Czerny and studying composition and harmony under Adalbert Gyrowetz. He made his debut as a pianist in Vienna, performing Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s piano concerto.
In 1828, he traveled to Italy, giving concerts in Venice, Milan, Bologna, Rome, and Naples. A few months later, he settled permanently in Paris, where he continued his musical career. Renowned for his brilliant technique and expressive playing, he performed mainly in France but also toured England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and Belgium. He collaborated with notable musicians such as Felix Mendelssohn, Camille-Marie Stamaty, and George Osborne, and accompanied Fryderyk Chopin and Friedrich Kalkbrenner. Sowiński was also a respected educator, teaching piano at various music schools, including Francis-David Stoepel’s school and the convent of the Dames de l’Oiseau. He was a regular contributor to the French music press, particularly Revue et Gazette musicale de Paris. One of his most significant literary achievements was Dictionary of Polish and Slavic Musicians, published in French in 1857 and later in Polish in 1874. He passed away in Paris on March 3, 1880.
Compositional Work
Sowiński’s compositional output includes over 120 works, featuring piano pieces, symphonies, choral music, and chamber compositions. Among them are symphonies, overtures, two piano concertos, masses, motets, Oratorio of St. Adalbert, six fantasies for violin and piano, one fantasy for flute and piano, Trio in B minor, Op. 76, Quintet in E major, Op. 87, and Nonet in F-sharp minor, Op. 107.
The years 1795–1918 were particularly difficult for Polish artists due to the partitions of Poland and the loss of national independence. During this time, music became an essential tool for preserving Polish identity. Composers, influenced by both political circumstances and the transition from Classicism to Romanticism, sought to create works with a distinctly Polish character. While Fryderyk Chopin and Stanisław Moniuszko were the most prominent figures of the era, many other talented composers contributed valuable works that, unfortunately, were often forgotten. Sowiński was among them, and his Quintet in E major, Op. 87 stands as a significant example of 19th-century Polish chamber music.
