A composer, pianist, pedagogue and conductor. He was born on 6 July 1837 in Grodkowice near Kraków and died on 23 January 1921 in Kraków.
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Żeleński's musical education began in Kraków with piano lessons, first underKazimierz Wojciechowski and then Jan Germasz, along with composition courses with Franciszek Mirecki. He enrolled at the Department of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University in 1857 and from 1859 studied (for a short while) piano under Alexander Dreyschock and later organ and composition under Josef Krejãi in Prague. He received a PhD in Philosophy from Prague's Charles University in 1862. He then studied composition under Napoléon Henri Reber at the Paris National Music Conservatoire in 1866 and was a private student in composition under Bertold Damcke in 1868-70.
After he had returned to his home country, he settled in Kraków and performed the first concert of his own compositions here in January 1871. He then moved to Warsaw and became professor of harmony and counterpoint at the Institute of Music. In 1878 he was appointed art director of the Warsaw Music Society. There, with the help of Władyslaw Wiślicki, he set up and conducted an amateur mixed choir for two years. Accompanied by the orchestra of Teatr Wielki, the choir gave several concerts under him.
In 1881 Żeleński moved to Kraków to conduct symphony concerts of the City Orchestra in 1882-85 and of the amateur Music Society orchestra in later years. He was instrumental in establishing the Conservatory of the Kraków Music Society in 1887 and managed it until his death, running a course on organ and theory of music. His most notable students included Zygmunt Stojowski, Roman Statkowski, Henryk Opieński, Felicjan Szopski and Boleslaw Wallek-Walewski.
Żeleński is the author of several textbooks: "Nauka harmonii i pierwszych zasad kompozycji / The Theory of Harmony and First Principles of Composition" [with Gustaw Roguski] (1877) and "Nauka elementarna zasad muzyki / The Theory and Elementary Principles of Music" (1897).
He was the father of Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński, writer and translator of French literature.
Major works:
- Spiew / Song op. 1 for voice and piano, words by Stefan Garczynski (1857-60)
- String quartet in E major op. 1
- Moja pieszczotka / My Darling op. 2 for voice and piano, words by Adam Mickiewicz (ok. 1857-60)
- String quartet op. 2
- Śpiewak w obcej stronie / A Singer in a Foreign Country op. 3 for voice and piano, words by Bohdan Zaleski (ok. 1857-60)
- Dwa tance polskie / Two Polish Dances op. 3 for piano
- Piano sonata op. 5 (przed 1859)
- Pajeczyna / The Cobweb op. 6 for voice and piano, words by Wladyslaw Syrokomla (ca. 1857-60)
- Spotkanie sie nasze gdzies daleko / Our Meeting Far Away op. 7 for voice and piano, words by Bohdan Zaleski (ok. 1857-60)
- Zakochana / Enamoured op. 7 for voice and piano, words by Bohdan Zaleski (ok. 1857-60)
- Triolets op. 8 for voice and piano, words by Bohdan Zaleski (1859-60)
- W imionniku / In the Diary op. 8 for voice and piano, words by Adam Mickiewicz (1859-60)
- Wspomnienie / Memory op. 8 for voice and piano, words by Bohdan Zaleski (1859-60)
- String sextet in C major op. 9
- Valse caprice op. 9 for piano (1858)
- Piec spiewow z krolodworskiego rekopisu / Five songs op. 10 for voice and piano, words by Václav Hanka (1861-62)
- Deux morceaux de salon op. 11 for piano
- Czarna sukienka / A Black Dress op. 12 for voice and piano, words by Konstanty Gaszynski (1863)
- Do Polek / To Polish Women op. 12 for voice and piano, words by Franciszek Zyglinski (1864?)
- Rojenia wiosniane / Spring Fantasies op. 13 for voice and piano, words by Bohdan Zaleski (1864?)
- Mój kwiatek / My Flower op. 14 for voice and piano, words by Mikolaj Boloz Antoniewicz (1864?)
- Posyłka / The Errand op. 14 for voice and piano, words by Mikołaj Boloz Antoniewicz (1864?)
- Lyrischer Walzer op. 15 for cello and piano
- Deux morceaux de salon op. 16 for violin and piano
- Sechs CharakterstÜcke op. 17 for piano
- Humoreske und Gavotte op. 18 for piano (1870-80)
- Mlodo zeswatana / Young Bride op. 19 for voice and piano, words by Bohdan Zaleski (1864?)
- Jaskolka / The Swallow op. 19 for voice and piano, words by Teofil Lenartowicz (1864?)
- Lzy / Tears op. 19 for voice and piano, words by Teofil Lenartowicz (1864?)
- Piano sonata op. 20
- Wariacje na temat wlasny / Variations on own theme op. 21 for string quartet (before 1870)
- Trio for piano, violin and cello op. 22
- Sen nocy letniej / The Midsummer Night's Dream op. 23 for voice and piano, words by Miron (1867-70?)
- Pod okienkiem / At the Window op. 23 for voice and piano, words by Miron (1867-70?)
- Dzikie sny / Wild Dreams op. 24 for voice and piano, words by Mieczyslaw Romanowski (ca. 1870)
- Pieśni Gabrieli / Gabriela's Songs op. 25 for voice and piano, words by Narcyza Zmichowska (ca. 1871-73)
- Z teki Jozefa Koscielskiego / From Jozef Koscielski's File op. 26 for voice and piano, words by Józef Koscielski (ok. 1877-78)
- W Tatrach / In the Tatra Mountains op. 27, characteristic overture for grand orchestra (1868-70)
- String quartet in F major op. 28
- Romance op. 29 for violin accompanied by piano
- Taniec fantastyczny / Fantastic dance op. 29 for violin accompanied by piano
- Sonata for violin and piano op. 30
- Deux mazourkas op. 31 for piano
- Kołysanka / Lullaby op. 32 for violin and piano or cello and piano
- Piesn mysliwska / Hunting Song (Chor strzelcow / Shooters' Choir) op. 33 for men's choir
- Grand scherzo de concert op. 35 for piano
- Dźwięki zalobne / Funeral Sounds op. 36, andante elegiac for orchestra
- Dwa tance polskie / Two Polish dances op. 37 for piano for 4 hands
- 25 organ preludes op. 38
- Echa lesne / Forest Echoes op. 41, concert overture
- String quartet in A major op. 42
- Prélude-Caprice op. 43 for piano (1888-93)
- Gavotte op. 45 for piano
- Grand polonaise op. 46 for piano
- Suite of Polish dances op. 47 for orchestra
- Rêverie op. 48 for piano
- Oda do mlodosci / Ode to Youth op. 51, solemn march for orchestra
- Moments d'un carnaval op. 52, valse brillante for piano
- Concerto for piano and orchestra in E flat major op. 60
- Piano quartet in C minor op. 61
- ThÈme varié op. 62 for piano
- Deux morceaux op. 63 for piano
- Symphony no. 1 (1871-72)
- Kantata na cześć J.I. Kraszewskiego / Cantata in Honour of J.I. Kraszewski for men's voices and orchestra (1879)
- Konrad Wallenrod, opera in 4 acts (1880-84)
- Kantata ku uczczeniu zwyciestwa Jana Sobieskiego pod Wiedniem / Cantata for the Victory of Jan Sobieski at Vienna for men's choir and orchestra (1883)
- Goplana, romantic opera in 3 acts (1886-91)
- Janek / Johnny, opera in 2 acts (1891-1900)
- Kantata ku uczczeniu 500 rocznicy zalozenia Uniwersytetu Jagiellonskiego / Cantata for the 500 Years of Jagiellonian University for men's choir and orchestra (1900)
- Stara baśń / Old Fable, opera in 4 acts (1905-06)
- Symphony no. 2 (ca. 1912)
- Sonata no. 2 for violin and piano (1917)
Author: Małgorzata Kosińska, Polish Music Information Center, Polish Composers' Union (ZKP), October 2006