He was most likely educated abroad. In 1612 became a violinist for the Elector of Branderburg, Jan Zygmunt, in Berlin. He travelled a lot with his band, which was mirrored in his works (some of which are named after German cities). On 30th April 1615 he started a year-long leave that was meant to broaden his knowledge of music. From around 1617 the musician stayed in Warsaw and was a member of the royal band till the end of his life. In around 1630 he married Elżbieta Sienicka, the widow of Piotr Cybulski, a painter and Warsaw lay judge, and had two sons with her – Szymon (born around 1654), a cellist of the royal orchestra, and Władysław, an instrument constructor, and one daughter – Marianna. In 1635 Jarzębski became the royal architect and began his career with designing the Ujazdów Castle. He was deeply appreciated by Zygmunt III, who endowed him with a few mills and lifelong authority over the small suburban village Piaseczno. On 5th February, 1648 he was declared a honorary citizen of Warsaw as a long-term and respected resident of the city. He died at the end of 1648 or the beginning of 1649.
The artist’s music achievements include Canzoni e Concerti – 27 cameral instrumental works, the first copy of which (from 1627) has been kept in the city library in Wrocław since World War Two (now in Staatsbibliothek der Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin) and Missa sub concerto from which only the bass voice (in Staatsbibliothek der Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin) and the canon for two voices (published in Xenia Apollinea, a note supplement to Marco Scacchi's Cribrum musicum ad triticum Siferticum, Venetia 1643, survived till today).
As well as his compositions, he left Gościniec albo Krótkie opisanie Warszawy z okolicznościami jej… (Highroad, or a Short Description of Warsaw with the Circumstances of its…) written in verse and published in 1643. The piece does not represent high poetic value but lets us learn a lot about Warsaw in the first half of the 17th century.
In Canzoni e Concerti Jarzębski is not precise about the types of instruments that are meant to be used in his work. He uses singing terms – high voices are labelled with names: soprano or canto in four voices – vox prima, secunda, terza; low voices are named tenore or basso. Concerning the instruments, Jarzębski only mentions the viola bastarda (a six or seven string bass instrument), trombone, and bassoon. All high voices may be played on violins.
Selected compositions:
- Canzoni e Concerti A Due, Tre e Quattro Voci Cum Basso Continuo Di Adamo Harzebsky Polono Anno MDCXXVII:
- Concerto primo. A 2. Soprano e Tenore. Basso Continuo
- Concerto secundo. A 2. Soprano e Tenore. Basso Continuo
- Concerto terzo. A 2. Soprano e Bastarda vel Trombone. Basso Continuo
- Concerto quarto. A 2. Fagotto e Trombone. Basso Continuo
- Diligam te Domine. A 2. Soprano e Viola Bastarda. Basso Continuo
- Cantate Domino. A 2. Soprano e Tenore: Bastarda. Basso Continuo
- Secunda pars. A 2. Canto e Tenore. Basso Continuo
- In Deo speravit. A 2. Canto e Bastarda. Basso Continuo
- In te Domine speravi. A 2. Soprano (Canto) e Basso: Bastarda. Basso Continuo
- Susanna videns. A 2. Soprano e Basso: Bastarda. Basso Continuo
- Venite exsultemus. A 2. Soprano (Canto) e Basso: Bastarda. Basso Continuo
- Cantate Joh. Gabrielis. A 2. Soprano (Canto) e Basso: Bastarda. Basso Continuo
- Corona aurea. Concerto a doi Soprani. Basso Continuo
- Nova casa. Concerto a 3 Soprani. Basso Continuo
- Küstrinella. Concerto a 3. Soprano e 2 Bassi vel Canto e doi Bastarda. Basso Continuo
- Sentinella. Concerto a 3 Soprani (Canti). Basso Continuo
- Berlinesa. Concerto a 3. Doi Soprani (Canti) e Basso. Basso Continuo
- Chromatica. Concerto a 3. Doi Soprani (Canti) e Basso. Basso Continuo
- Spandesa. Concerto a 3. Doi Soprani e Basso. Basso Continuo
- Könisberga. A 3 Bassi. Basso Continuo
- Tamburetta. A 3. Soprano e doi Bastarda. Basso Continuo
- Bentrovata. A 3. Doi Soprani e Basso. Basso Continuo
- Norimberga. Concerto a 3. Soprano e doi Bastarda. Basso Continuo
- Canzon prima. A 4. Vox Prima, Vox Secunda, Vox Terza e Basso. Basso Continuo.
- Canzon secunda. A 4. Vox Prima, Vox Secunda, Vox Terza e Basso. Basso Continuo.
- Canzon terza. A 4. Vox Prima, Vox Secunda, Vox Terza e Basso. Basso Continuo.
- Canzon quarta. A 4. Vox Prima, Vox Secunda, Vox Terza e Basso. Basso Continuo.
- Canzon quinta. A 4. Vox Prima, Vox Secunda, Vox Terza e Basso. Basso Continuo.
- Missa sub concerto for 4 voices and basso continuo
- More veterum, 2 voice canon
Author: Małgorzata Kosińska, Polish Music Information Centre, Związek Kompozytorów Polskich, December 2006, translated by AW, November 2016.
