Karol Lipiński facts for kids
Karol Józef Lipiński (born October 30, 1790 – died December 16, 1861) was a Polish music composer and an amazing violinist. He lived during a time when Poland was divided by other countries. A music school in Wrocław, Poland, the Karol Lipiński University of Music, is named after him.
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Life of Karol Lipiński
Karol Lipiński was born in a town called Radzyń Podlaski. His father, Feliks Lipiński, was also a musician.
Early Career and Travels
In 1810, Karol became the main violinist for the opera orchestra in Lwów (which is now Lviv, Ukraine). Just two years later, he became the conductor of the orchestra.
In 1817, he traveled to Italy. He hoped to meet and hear the famous violinist Niccolò Paganini. They met in Milan and played music together every day. They even performed two concerts together in April 1818. These concerts made Lipiński much more famous.
Paganini was so impressed that he dedicated one of his violin pieces, "Burlesque Variations on 'La Carnaval de Venise'," to Lipiński. Later, in 1827, Lipiński returned the honor by dedicating his "Three Caprices for Violin" to Paganini.
Meeting Other Musicians
After his trip to Italy, Lipiński stopped in Trieste. There, he learned from Dr. Mazzurana, who was a very old student of the famous composer Giuseppe Tartini. Even though Dr. Mazzurana was 90 years old and couldn't play anymore, he gave Lipiński helpful advice. During this time, Lipiński also played concerts with the Polish pianist Maria Szymanowska.
In 1820, he traveled to Berlin and met another famous musician, Louis Spohr. He also visited Russia. In 1829, he went to Warsaw and played several concerts with Paganini. A young Frédéric Chopin, who was 19 at the time, attended these concerts.
However, a friendly competition grew between Lipiński and Paganini. This competition eventually ended their friendship. After that, if anyone asked Paganini who the greatest violinist was, he would often say, "I don't know who the greatest is, but Lipiński is certainly the second greatest."
Later Years and Retirement
From 1835 to 1836, Lipiński went on a long tour. During this tour, he met Robert Schumann in Leipzig. Schumann was so impressed that he dedicated his famous piano work, Carnaval, to Lipiński.
In 1836, Lipiński visited England. He played his "Military Concerto" with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In June 1839, he received two important jobs in Dresden. He became the concertmaster (the lead violinist) of the Royal Oratory and the kapellmeister (music director) at the court chapel.
With these new duties, he stopped touring as much. He focused more on playing chamber music, especially the string quartets by Beethoven. He even performed Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata with the famous pianist Franz Liszt.
Lipiński became known as the only serious rival to Paganini. Other composers dedicated their works to him, like Henryk Wieniawski with his Polonaise de concert, Op.4.
He retired in 1861 and passed away in the village of Virliv, Ukraine.
His Violins
Karol Lipiński owned two very special violins. One was made in 1715 by Antonio Stradivari. The other was made by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù. Both of these violins are still famous today and are often called "ex-Lipinski."
The Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, Poland, is named in his honor.
Music Composed by Lipiński
When he was younger and working at the Lviv theater, Lipiński wrote three symphonies and three operas. One of his operas, Syrena Dniestru, was very popular and played for almost 30 years. However, the music for this opera is now lost.
Most of Lipiński's music was written for the violin. This includes four violin concertos (a fifth one is lost). He also wrote pieces like polonaises, rondos, variations, and capriccios for the violin. Besides that, he composed several songs and arranged some popular Polish tunes.
Recordings of His Music
Many of Karol Lipiński's compositions have been recorded. The Polish violinist Konstanty Andrzej Kulka from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw has recorded some of his works. You can find recordings of his concertos, trios, a symphony, and an overture.
See also
In Spanish: Karol Lipiński para niños
