Dobrzyński first attended the Jesuit College in Romanov and then, from 1817 to 1821, the Podolian Gymnasium in Winnitsa. He learnt music from his father, Ignacy, a violinist, composer and conductor. In 1825 he began to study with Józef Elsner in Warsaw, first through private lessons and then as a student at the Main School of Music from 1826 to 1828.
Dobrzyński first started composing music in Winnitsa. But he was to spend the majority of his life in Warsaw, where he composed, taught, organized music groups and sought backing for symphony concerts that he conducted himself. His skills as a piano teacher were widely recognized at the time, and in 1845 his Szkoła na fortepian / School for the Piano was published in Warsaw by Sennewald. In 1835 his Symphony no. 2 in C-minor op. 15 earned him the prize for second place at a composing competition in Vienna, and selected movements from the symphony were later performed in Warsaw and Leipzig with Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy conducting. Sennewald later published a version for two pianos in Warsaw in 1862, calling it Symfonia charakterystyczna w duchu muzyki polskiej / Symphony in the Characteristic Spirit of Polish Music.
In spite of the composer’s young age, the symphonies are mature and well-crafted compositions revealing the development of his artistic talent. Dobrzyński reached his full artistic potential in the 1830s when he composed pieces of various music genres: symphonies, overtures, operas as well as piano pieces. Although his compositions are rooted in the late Classical style, they already reveal stylistic changes characteristic of Romanticism.
Dobrzyński composed his first opera between 1836 and 1838, entitled Monbar czyli Flibustierowie / Monbar or the Filibusters [aka "Freebooters"] op. 30. Segments of the opera were played in concert halls in Warsaw, Poznań, Berlin and Dresden, and it premiered on-stage at Warsaw's Teatr Wielki in 1863. From 1841 to 1843, he taught music at the Alexandrian Institute for the Education of Girls.
In March 1845 Dobrzyński began traveling around Europe presenting his compositions, visiting Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Munich, Bonn, Frankfurt am Main and Vienna. He stayed for a while in Berlin earning his living as a music teacher. During that period he was forbidden to return to Poland because of a few patriotic songs he had written, including Do matki Polki / To a Polish Mother, based on a poem by Adam Mickiewicz. He would not return to Warsaw until September 1847.
In 1852 Dobrzyński was named opera manager at the Teatr Wielki, an appointment he was to hold for less than a year. In years that followed, he conducted the opera's orchestra during symphony concerts at places like the Merchants' Chamber, among others. He finally organised the Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński's Polish Orchestra in October 1857, made up of distinguished musicians from the Teatr Wielki. The new orchestra gave weekly concerts at the New Arcadia on Marszałkowska Street.
From 1858 to 1860 Dobrzyński sat on the founding committee of the Institute of Music, as well as being a member of the Lvov Music Society. In 1860, his health failing, he gradually began to withdraw from Warsaw's music scene, devoting himself exclusively to composition.
Major compositions:
- Polonez A-dur / Polonaise in A major for piano (1823)
- Overture de concert À grande orchestre op. 1 (1824)
- Concerto pour le Piano op. 2 (1824)
- Introduction et Variations sur un thème original à la russe op. 4 for piano (ca. 1824)
- Mazurek / Mazurka for piano (1825-26)
- Nowy polonez z tematów opery "Sroka złodziej" G. Rossiniego / New polonaise on the themes of Gioacchino Rossini's opera "The Thieving Magpie" for piano (ca. 1826)
- Deux polonaises for piano (ca. 1826)
- Rondo alla polacca op. 6 for piano and orchestra (ca. 1827)
- I Kwartet smyczkowy e-moll / String Quartet no. 1 in E minor op. 7 (ca. 1828)
- II Kwartet smyczkowy d-moll / String Quartet no. 2 in D minor op. 8 (1829)
- Introduction et Variations sur un thème original op. 9 for violin and piano (ca. 1829)
- Fantaisie quasi Fugue sur un Masurek favori op. 10 for piano (ca. 1828)
- I Grande Symphonie op. 11 (1829)
- Pożegnanie / Farewell, a melancholic polonaise for piano (1829)
- Variations de concert sur une mazure favorite op. 12 for piano and orchestra (ca. 1830)
- III Kwartet smyczkowy E-dur / String Quartet no. 3 in E major op. 13 (1830)
- Fantaisie et Variations dans le style facile et brillant sur la Masure (Kujawianka) op. 14 for piano (ca. 1830)
- Marsz ulubiony ks. Józefa Poniatowskiego / Prince Józef Poniatowski's Favourtie March for orchestra (1830)
- Marsz Gwardii Narodowej / The National Guard March for orchestra (1830)
- Kantata na cześć walecznych obrońców Ojczyzny / Cantata in Honour of the Valiant Defenders of the Country for 4 solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra (1830)
- Trois mazurkas op. 16 for piano (ca. 1831)
- Marche triomphale for orchestra (1831)
- II Symfonia charakterystyczna w duchu muzyki polskiej c-moll / Symphony no. 2 in the Characteristic Spirit of Polish Music op. 15 (1831)
- Grand trio op. 17 for violin, cello and piano (ca. 1831)
- Introduction et Variations non difficiles sur une masure favorite op. 18 for flute and piano (1831)
- I Kwintet smyczkowy F-dur / String Quintet no. 1 in F major op. 20 (1831)
- Marsz za Bug / Crossing the Bug River March for mixed choir and piano or organ (1831)
- Trois nocturnes op. 21 for piano (ca. 1833)
- ThÈme original varié op. 22 for piano (ca. 1833)
- Souvenir. Deux mazurkas op. 25 for piano (ca. 1834)
- Trzy mazurki / Three mazurkas op. 27 for piano (ca. 1834)
- Fantaisie sur un thème original op. 28 for bassoon and orchestra (ca. 1834)
- Kantata na imieniny hr Henryka Łubieńskiego / Cantata for Henryk Count Lubienski's Nameday for mixed choir and orchestra (1834)
- Monbar czyli Flibustierowie / Monbar or the Freebooters[aka "Filibusters"] op. 30, opera in 3 acts (1836-38)
- Deux polonaises concertantes À grand orchestre op. 31 (ca. 1839)
- Fantaisie op. 32 for violin and orchestra (ca. 1839)
- Kantata na uroczystość obchodzoną w Resursie Kupieckiej / Kantata for a Function at the Merchant's Hall op. 34 na 3 sopranos, female choir and orchestra (ca.1839)
- Fantaisie pour la trompette À piston avec orchestre op. 35 (ca. 1839)
- Deux mazurkas op. 37 for piano (ca. 1840)
- Marche funÈbre op. 38 for orchestra (ca. 1840)
- Grande fantaisie sur des motifs de l'opéra "Les Flibustiers" for violin and orchestra (ca. 1840)
- Sekstet smyczkowy Es-dur / String sextet in E flat major op. 39 (ca. 1841)
- II Kwintet smyczkowy a-moll / String quintet no. 2 in A minor op. 40 (ca. 1842)
- Romanza for oboe, string quintet and double bass (ca. 1842)
- Les larmes op. 41 for violin or cello and piano (1843)
- Andante et Rondo alla polacca op. 42 for flute and orchestra (ca. 1843)
- ThÈme varié op. 42 for cello and piano (ca. 1843)
- Elégie op. 43 for cello and orchestra (ca. 1843)
- Kantata / Cantata op. 44 for soprano, mixed choir and orchestra (1843)
- Introduction et Variations sur thÈme original pour le trombone avec orchestre op. 45 (ca. 1845)
- Nocturne op. 46 for cello and piano (ca. 1845)
- Souvenir de Dresde op. 47 for oboe, cello and piano (1846)
- Résignation op. 48 for piano (ca. 1846)
- Ricordanza op. 49 for piano (ca. 1846)
- Gage d'amitié. Nocturne suivi d'une mélodie polonaise op. 52 for piano (1846)
- Umoresca capriciosa sur un thÈme italien op. 53 for orchestra (1847)
- Impromptu op. 54 for piano (ca. 1846)
- La Primavera. Morceau brillant op. 55 for piano (ca. 1846)
- Scherzo op. 56 for orchestra (ca. 1849)
- Śpiewka o ponczu / Song about Punch for 2 solo voices, male choir and piano (1849)
- Sen chrześcijanina / A Christian's Dream op. 57, religious fantasia for 10 instruments (ca. 1850)
- Fantaisie sur des thèmes de l'opéra "Don Giovanni" de W.A. Mozart op. 59 for piano (ca. 1846)
- Mouvement et repos. Grande étude op. 60 for piano (ca. 1847)
- Tarantella op. 61 for piano (przed 1850)
- Grande étude chromatique op. 62 for piano (before 1850)
- Six harmonies sur le célèbre thème "God save the King" for string quartet (ca. 1850)
- Święty Boże / O Holy God op. 61, supplications for 4 solo voices, choir and orchestra or organ (before 1851)
- Lamentacja nad grobem Chrystusa Pana / Lamentation at the Grave of Christ the Lord op. 62 for choir and orchestra (1851)
- Retablissement. Grande valse brillante op. 63 for piano (before 1852)
- Myśl ulotna / A Fleeting Thought for piano (before 1852)
- Marsz na złote wesele J. Elsnera / March on the Occasion of Jozef Elsner's Golden Wedding Anniversary for orchestra (1852)
- Pieśń do Najświętszej Marii Panny / Song to Our Lady op. 58 for soprano, mixed choir and organ (before 1853)
- Danse napolitaine op. 65 for piano (ca. 1853)
- Marsz żałobny na śmierć J. Elsnera / Funeral March for Jozef Elsner for brass wind orchestra (1854)
- Tableau musical for orchestra (1856)
- Marsz żałobny na śmierć Fryderyka Chopina / Funeral March for Fryderyk Chopin op. 66 for mixed choir and orchestra (1857)
- Veni Creator op. 67 (68) for male choir and wind instruments (ca. 1857)
- Polonez na dzień dojścia do pełnoletności carewicza Mikołaja Aleksandrowicza / Polonaise on the Occasion of Prince Nicholas Alexandrovich Coming of Age for orchestra (1859)
- Konrad Wallenrod op. 69, music to a dramatic adaptation of the poem, in three acts [unfinished] (1859-64)
- Burgrafowie / The Burgrafs op. 70, music to a drama, in three acts (1860)
- Sztuka i handel / Art and Trade, music to a comedy in three acts with a prologue (1861)
- Mazur for male choir and orchestra (1865)
- Studium na temat oryginalny w dubeltowym kontrapunkcie w 8 postaciach / Study on an original theme in double counterpoint in 8 forms op. 62 for string quartet (1867)
Author: Małgorzata Kosińska, Polish Music Information Center, Polish Composers' Union, October 2006.