Zygmunt Mycielski, photo: Cyfrowa Biblioteka Narodowa Polona
He completed his Secondary School studies in Kraków and that is also where he was taught music by Father Bernardino Rizzi, an Italian composer, organist and choirmaster. Since 1928, following Karol Szymanowski’s advice, he continued his musical education in the École Normale de Musique in Paris with Paul Dukas and Nadia Boulanger. He was active in the Association of Young Polish Musicians in Paris, and between 1934-36, he was President of this Association. He returned to Poland in 1936 and became involved in composing, publishing in music journals and working as a music critic.
Mycielski took part in the Second World War, at first during the September Campaign and then in 1940 fighting in France. As a soldier of the Polish Army, he became a prisoner-of-war. Later he was sent as forced labour to a German farm. He returned to Poland after the end of the war.
Between 1946-48 and 1957-59, he was the co-editor of the "Ruch Muzyczny" (Music Motion) Journal, in 1960-68 – he was the chief editor of this magazine. He was co-editor of "Res Facta", "Rocznik Chopinowski" (Chopin Yearly) and "Chopin Studies". In 1955 he wrote an article in the "Przegląd Kulturalny" (Culture Review), criticising the isolation of Polish culture from the work of composers around the world. Following the intervention of the Warsaw Pact armies in Czechoslovakia, he published in the Paris "Kultura" "An Open Letter to Czech and Slovak musicians", for which he was persecuted by the communist authorities of the Polish People’s Republic: he was removed from the post of chief editor of "Ruch Muzyczny" and was subject to strict personal censorship as well as forbidden to leave the country. In 1974, he signed the letter of the 15 intellectuals and artists to the communist authorities of the Polish People’s Republic demanding that Poles living in the USSR be granted access to Polish culture and their own independent education. In 1975, he signed a memorial letter by 59 intellectuals to the authorities regarding the plans for amending the constitution. In 1978, he participated in founding the illegal Academic Education Society – active in student circles.
Between 1947-48 and 1952-54, Zygmunt Mycielski was Vice-President, and between 1948-49 – he was President of the Main Board of the Polish Composers’ Union, between 1985-87 – member of the presidium, and in the years 1954-57 and 1960-83, he was one of the members of its Qualifications Committee. As from 1983, he was an honorary member of the Polish Composers’ Union.
He received numerous awards: in 1952 – he received the Third Degree State Award for his "Symphony no.1 'Polish Symphony'" (1951), twice, in 1954 and 1987 – the Award of the Polish Composers’ Union, in 1955 – the Minster of Culture and Art Award for the "Silesian Overture" for orchestra and two pianos (1948), in 1961 – Special Prize in the Concours Musical Prince Rainier III de Monaco for his "2nd Symphony" (1961), in 1981 – the Minister of Culture and Art Prize of the First Degree. He was also decorated with the Kinight’s (1953) and Commander’s Crosses of the Polonia Restituta Order, the Order of the Banner of Labour (1955) and the Order de mérite culturel in Monaco.
Zygmunt Mycielski was buried in Wiśniowa on the Wisłok River, where Andrzej Szypuła founded in 1988 the Zygmunt Mycielski Society. In 1990, the Society started publishing the magazine "Kamerton" that focuses on documenting and propagating the composer’s life and work. In 1990, Polish Television produced a film entitled "Zygmunt Mycielski. Sketches for a Portrait".
It was Zygmunt Mycielski’s decision that his oeuvre be bequeathed to Barbara Zwolska-Stęszewska and Jan Stęszewski in Warsaw. These archives contain, among others, sketches, drafts, manuscript autograph versions and published scores of compositions, Mycielski’s musical and literary writing, his extensive correspondence as well as his unique memoirs published in "Dziennik" 1950-1959 (Iskry, Warszawa 1999) and "Niby dziennik" (Mock Memoirs) (Iskry, Warszawa 1998).
More important compositions:
• "Three songs" for soprano and piano to the words by Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Emil Zegadłowicz, and Mycielski himself (1929-30)
• "Two songs" for soprano and piano to the words by Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska and Mycielski himself (1932)
• "Four Preludes" for piano and cello (1934)
• "Five Wedding Songs" to the words by Bruno Jasieński (1934)
• "Five" (or six) "Miniatures" for piano (1934)
• "Trio" for piano, violin and cello (1934)
• "Trois chants de patrone" for soprano and piano (1935)
• "Narcissus", ballet (1936)
• "Lamento di Tristano" for small symphony orchestra, in memory of Karol Szymanowski (1937, 1947 [rev.])
• "Fiat voluntas tua", offertoire pour deux violoncelles et piano ou orgue (1943)
• "Five Symphony Sketches" (1945)
• "Survival", five songs for baritone or mezzo-soprano and piano to the words by Czesław Miłosz (1946-48)
• "Portrait of a Muse" for reciting voice, mixed choir and 15 instruments to the words by Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński (1947)
• "Silesian Overture" for orchestra and two pianos (1948)
• "Prelude" for violin and piano (1948)
• "Flowers on the Tracks" for a cappella mixed choir to the words by Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński (1950)
• Symphony no. 1 "Polish Symphony" (1951)
• "Elegy" for violin and piano (1951)
• "Birchwood" [version 1] for soprano and piano to the words by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (1951)
• "Birchwood" [version 2] for soprano and string quintet to the words by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (1952)
• "Dance Party in Lipiny", ballet in one act (1952)
• "Four Mazovian Songs" for choir and orchestra (1952)
• "Six Preludes" for piano (1954)
• "Piano Concerto" (1954)
• "New Mazovian Wandering Singer", 10 songs and finale for soprano, baritone, mixed choir and symphony orchestra (1955)
• "Mathematical Variations" for small orchestra (1957)
• "Symphony no. 2" (1960-61)
• "Piano Concerto no. 2" (1962)
• "Symphony no. 3 'Sinfonia breve'" (1967)
• "Five Preludes" for string quintet and piano (1967)
• "The Year Round", 6 songs for baritone (tenore profondo) and piano to the words by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (1956-67)
• "Written Early in the Morning" for tenore profondo and piano to the words by Czesław Miłosz (1971)
• "Symphony no. 4" (1972)
• "Symphony no. 5" (1977)
• "Six Songs" for orchestra (1978)
• "Variations" for small string orchestra (1980)
• "Fantasia for orchestra" (1981)
• "Three Psalms" for solo baritone, choir and orchestra (1982)
• "Eternal Peace" for mixed choir or solo with positive organ (1983-84)
• "Liturgia sacra" for choir and orchestra (1983-84)
• "Eight Songs" to the words by Zbigniew Herbert (1983-84)
• "Symphony no. 6" (1985-86)
• "Fragments" for choir and small orchestra to the words by Juliusz Słowacki (1987)